If you have been working in recruitment for a few years and made a name in your market, you may be eyeing up the next step on the career ladder and this may be giving you the fulfillment you need. That is great because recruitment is a hugely rewarding career path for the right people and to be a part of an existing business that you can be developed and progress in can offer you a lot.
However, are you sitting there with this feeling that there is still something missing? You may have considered this and come up with the reason or you may yet have been able to pinpoint why you have this feeling. For many it stems from an underlying desire to create and run your own recruitment business.
The motivation can vary from a desire to make your own decisions, wanting to create your own legacy with your name above the door, striving for a more flexible work life balance, an ambition to earn and work on your own terms, not working to someone else’s KPIs or a combination of these reasons. But does that still mean it’s the right choice for you?
I have worked with and spoken to a lot of recruiters over the last 22 years, many of whom have gone on to set up their own recruitment business – some successful and some not so. Below are 5 key attributes I believe you must have to succeed in setting up your business.
- Courage
It takes someone with courage to step out of their comfort zone of a salaried job and regular commission cheques. This won’t change so, if it is ever going to happen then you need to be brave, have the confidence that ‘yes it will take hard work but you know you will succeed and it will be worth it in the longer term’. So, the first test of whether you have these attributes starts here with you having the courage to take that first step.
- 360 Recruiter Skills
It may sound obvious, but it is going to take time to build up your business and even if you have plans to grow a company beyond just yourself, odds are the first year will involve you sitting there doing the full 360. You will have to smash the BD and then, when you get the jobs coming in, you will need to spend the time needed to source your clients those quality candidates that will give your business the reputation it needs. There is nowhere to hide.
- Self-Confidence
The flip side of wanting autonomy is that you now have…autonomy. This means that you need to be comfortable making those decisions and not be reliant on others to show you the path. Yes, you should have people you can bounce ideas off but the buck stops with you now.
- Self-Motivation & Energy
Self-confidence isn’t enough, you also need to be self-motivated. You are the one who will need to be totally committed to achieving the goals you set yourself. You will need to put in the effort and time required to succeed and not give it a second thought. You must generate that energy and be intrinsically motivated with a drive to achieve your own internal rewards (which by the way are unlikely to come easily so the self-motivation and energy levels need to stay high when tested).
- Focus & Time Management
Set yourself a clear vision with SMART goals that will take you there. This then gives you that anchor for all your actions. To succeed you need to be someone that has such a focus on ensuring all they are doing is going to help them achieve those goals and that you are managing your time in pursuit of these goals. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be able to have a healthy work life balance but don’t kid yourself with procrastination – focus on doing what you need to do and then enjoy the trade-off. You’re the boss after all.
Why don’t you ask those who are close to you if they think you have these traits? If the answer is yes, then give me a call. Here at ‘Sunblink Emerge’ we can set you up with a bespoke set of requirements to suit you, whether that is financial capital to get started, a community office space, business tools like LinkedIn Recruiter, Job Boards, Payroll support, marketing material, business mentoring, and so much more. Your first decision of your new business awaits.
Jason Silk
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