Perm recruitment – not a sprint, but a marathon

If you’re like us, you’ve tried to hit 2018 running. But as anyone who’s seen a few Januarys come and go will understand, the secret to achieving those New Year goals is to think long-term. Whether it’s hitting your business ambitions or nailing that post-Christmas fitness routine, if you don’t have a long-term goal in sight, you can risk losing your way in the first few weeks.

At Revoco, we believe perm recruitment is all about long-term thinking, whether you’re a client or a candidate. Recruitment’s not a sprint, but a marathon – here’s why…

A marathon mind-set

Senior consultant, Josh Abbott, has a better grasp than most of why long-term thinking pays off. He started running four years ago in one of those ‘New Year, New Me’ moments and has since tucked a couple of marathons under his belt.

“My first half marathon was inspired by my mum when she fell ill with cancer,” says Josh. “This led to signing up for the Bristol-to-Bath full marathon in 2015. Thinking I wouldn’t get in, I’d also applied to enter the London marathon… which is how I ended up running two marathons in six months.”

With not one but two marathons on the horizon, Josh had to start training 18 weeks in advance of each race. “It involved a commitment to early mornings, getting up in time to eat two hours before I’d go out on a run, and slowly lengthening training sessions every week,” he recalls.

“You have to keep the end goal in mind – particularly when it came to those ice baths that help your muscles recover.”

While the idea of an ice bath in this weather is enough to put us off long distance running for life, we’re with him on the importance of long-term thinking.

For a business to direct its recruitment efforts effectively, they need to have an eye on their future goals. This helps to map out a recruitment strategy which supports their long-term ambitions, compared to one which prioritises getting bums on seats with a quick fix. Developing a strong employer brand, building a talent pool, and engaging via social media for example, takes time and effort, but ultimately, a long-term approach will save time and money on recruitment too.

Candidates also need to keep their eyes on the prize in terms of where they want to be – their career is a journey that needs to take the right path to meet their goals. If a candidate is rushed into taking the first relevant role that comes up or one that might appear lucrative yet is headed in the wrong direction, it’s unlikely to be fulfilling.

The Revoco promise

If we work with you, we’re in it for the long haul – no short sprints for us. Our consultants may not all be marathon runners like Josh, but they share the drive and determination to help you achieve your goals – even if the road ends up being rocky along the way.

As Josh says, “At the end of the day, you’ll have good runs and bad runs, but having a goal in mind gives you the drive to push through the hard days. Breaking down that long-term ambition into shorter goals makes marathon training less daunting, the same can be said of how we help our clients and candidates get to where they want to be.”

If our attitude appeals, contact us today to find out how we can help with your perm recruitment needs.