There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to motivation – everyone is unique and therefore has unique motivational needs. What motivates one person and inspires them to achieve, may not mean much to another.
As a recruitment manager, it’s your job to understand and know what is important to each of your consultants – as an individual. What gets them out of bed each morning? What do they really value? What will motivate them to step outside of their comfort zone? Well known motivational speaker Tony Robbins says that if someone has enough reasons WHY they will do anything! Your role as a manager is to help your consultants find out their WHY reasons.
Unfortunately many managers think on a far more practical level. They think that if they put everything in place, then their consultants will automatically perform well. Here are 3 of the biggest mistakes that managers make when motivating their team:
10X YOUR TEAM’S OUTPUT
“Your team does a lot of work – but they could do better. “
Mistake 1 – A Good Environment Guarantees Good Performance
Environment is certainly important in a recruitment business. A comfortable office space, good database, phone system, advertising spend, a desk with a computer and phone are all essential things that consultants need to do their job. But is it enough to motivate a team? Even good systems and a detailed database cannot magically produce results. A consultant’s motivation is tied to what they value. It is tied to what they believe they can do and what is important to them. Providing the right environment and expecting consultants to just get on with the job, is not enough to build motivation. Motivation has to be linked to a personal purpose or value.
Mistake 2 – The Right Behavior Guarantees Good Performance
Consultants can go about completing their daily tasks, interviewing candidates, business developing, arranging interviews, getting leads, but if they don’t believe in what they are doing, or their ability to do it, they won’t be motivated to do the activity consistently.
Conversely if the actions being taken on a daily basis tie into the consultant’s sense of purpose, their personal goals, identity and values, then suddenly these actions become real. They become the consistent daily steps that are helping them achieve their goals. Simply doing the tasks can be motivating as long as they hold value for the consultant – and the consultant understands why they are doing these tasks.
Mistake 3 – The Right Process Guarantees Good Performance
What I mean by the process is their skills and knowledge, HOW the consultant goes about recruiting. Sometimes consultants find themselves in a slump – they simply can’t seem in follow through with their skills and process to translate their efforts into results. It’s not because they don’t understand the process or don’t have the skills or abilities. Sometimes it is because they don’t see how the processes connects with their personal goals, or they simply don’t believe they can do it.
Most often it is not the process, behavior or environment that is holding consultants back, it is their fear. The fear of failure, fear of success, fear of putting themselves outside their comfort zone.
10X YOUR TEAM’S OUTPUT
“Your team does a lot of work – but they could do better. “
That fear can impact a consultant’s belief in themselves and their abilities. Bringing themselves to a stand still. When someone is scared of the consequences, they won’t be motivated to take action. So as a manager, finding something your consultant can identify with, a reason WHY for them they should move into this uncomfortable place – something that is compelling enough for them to break through the fear barrier – will help them to be motivated to move forward.
I hope you found this article useful.
If you want to learn how to set up your business, so that it stops under-performance once and for all, then join my free webinar: The 5 Secrets Our Clients Use to Build 7 & 8 Figure Recruitment Businesses
‘Til next time,
