The Resilient Recruiter

“Everything is cyclical.”

Recruiters and recruitment business owners who have been in the industry for many years understand that no matter how bad the hiring market is, things will get better. This is exactly the approach and mindset of Nick Cabral, our special guest, that enabled them to navigate the 2008-09 recession successfully.

Nick is the Principal of Boston Investment Staffing Group. He specializes in permanent and contract placements within the investment and financial services industry. They focus on working with boutique investment managers and becoming an integral partner in their hiring process.

He has carved out a successful entrepreneurial path, starting his business amidst the challenges of 2009, and weathering the storm of the 2008 recession. Nick’s tales of waiting for the first deal and his survival strategies are packed with priceless insights and advice that a lot of recruitment business owners will find valuable today.

Episode Outline and Highlights

• [02:03] How Nick got into the recruiting industry.
• [07:27] Nick’s significant learnings when working with Boston Networking Group.
• [11:39] What prompted Nick to launch Boston Investment Staffing Group in 2009?
• [14:31] Navigating the uncertainties of the 2008-09 recession.
• [19:11] Nick shares his candidate-centric approach to recruiting and how it led to relationship building.
• [25:43] Discussion on the respect component in a recruitment process.
• [29:17] The art of building professional relationships in a post-pandemic environment.
• [37:36] Understanding and applying the rule of ten.
• [42:58] The significance of asking the right questions to candidates.

Navigating the Uncertainties of the 2008-09 Recession

Being in the industry for more than two decades, Nick has built an outstanding career as a recruiter and a recruitment business owner. In our conversation, he was more than generous and shared the significant learnings he had when he worked with his previous employer. He also gave context on what prompted him to launch his own recruitment firm, during the 2008-09 recession.

His experience resonates well with me as Nick and I had the same experience during those unfavorable market conditions. I admire his mindset and resilience. He believes that everything is cyclical, and eventually, things will start to pick up again. He also emphasized, “So I think my mindset was keep doing the work, keep making sure that you are contacting clients and candidates and staying on their radar. You're not going anywhere. This is what you're going to do, and I think because of that kind of never-equipped mentality. It led to all right, 2010 got better, and then 11 was even better, and then 12 was a banner year, and so it was hard but manageable. I think you just got to kind of stay grounded in the fact that if you do the work, it will get where you want it to go.”

I know that 2023 is not like the 2008-09 recession, but it appears to be a weird year for some markets. If you are experiencing a slowdown in the industry you are supporting, Nick’s advice of just staying in the course, keeping doing the work, and focusing on what you can control can help. Remember that this is cyclical.

Building Relationships and Asking Reflective Questions

Nick and I also discussed critical topics on relationship-building which includes the value of meeting in person as well as asking the right questions to your clients and candidates. He also emphasized the importance of the ‘respect component’ in the recruitment process. He shared these three factors that contribute greatly to his success, and it was an astonishing discussion because, in the end, you will find that these are interrelated to one another.

• The importance of meeting in person. He shared how he does virtual preps and trying to get back in person for face-to-face meetings. He shares how he has been able to build relationships further due to the emphasis on “IRL meetings” which is much different than just a quick phone call.
• The respect component goes both ways. Nick elaborated on how he believes respect helps him build a long-term client and candidate base. He specifically mentioned how giving constructive feedback and transparency to candidates is a critical act of respect.
• Asking the right questions. “Do you want this job?” is an effective question that can be a game changer when building candidate relationships. Nick is not just focused on making placement, instead, he assures all candidates that he wants the best for them by focusing on their long-term growth.

Applying the Rule of Ten

Nick also shared his 'rule of 10' which helps him to stay on track with his goals and activities. Basically, the premise is that in every ten pieces of activity, you will have one placeme...

Success in any field is found in knowing your worth, being generous in giving credit, and proactively seeking to bounce forward no matter what setbacks come your way. My special guest, David Perry, perfectly illustrates these ideas through some entertaining and inspiring personal stories.

Known as the “Rogue Recruiter”, David is the Managing Director of Perry-Martel International, an Ottawa-based staffing and recruiting company that places executives in technology, real estate, and construction. Perry-Martel has been featured in Inc. Magazine, Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, and Washington Post, to name just a few.

Listen in and discover why David lives by the saying, “Why bother to think about what you can do when you can just go and do it?”

Episode Outline and Highlights

• [03:01] How Perry-Martel worked its way to over $100 million in placement fees
• [10:10] The amazing story behind David and Jay Conrad Levinson’s book Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters
• [24:43] A primer on David’s online job hunting platform My New Job Hunt
• [46:25] How David was able to continue working while recovering from a stroke
• [52:34] Penning the second edition of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters
• [55:40] David’s philosophy on taking action
• [57:44] The impetus behind David’s next book Hiring Greatness
• [1:00:01] How to use “The Starbucks Coffee Cup Caper” job search tactic
• [1:05:48] Using Facebook Ads effectively

Experiencing Greater Success with Grit and Humility

Threats of lawsuits never slowed David down. Neither did a life-threatening stroke. The former situation led to his growing Perry-Martel to over $100 million in placement fees. The latter led to his adding 80% of new material to the second edition of his book Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters. In his own words, “Why bother to think about what you can do when you can just go and do it?”

In addition, David eventually came to enjoy the freedom of doing things for the betterment of his stakeholders “just because I can”. By focusing primarily on what you get out of any big endeavor, you will end up falling short of doing the best that you would otherwise be capable of if you, instead, left your ego at the door. Says David, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who takes the credit.”

The Starbucks Coffee Cup Caper

David brings up the unique job search tactic known as “The Starbucks Coffee Cup Caper” (originally “Tim Hortons”). You, the recruiter, would walk into Starbucks and ask an employee for ten (clean) empty paper coffee cups. Go to Staples and buy ten mailer boxes.

Put together your Guerrilla one-page resumé. Along with this, write your Guerrilla one-page cover letter, which will tell your prospective employer that you wish to discuss possible solutions to their company’s problems over coffee. Take both documents, put them in one of the coffee cups, which you then put inside the mailer box, and send it to the employer via FedEx 2Day®. Rinse and repeat for another nine individuals.

Once you get the ping informing you that a box has arrived, wait 45 minutes before sending a text to give the recipient a heads-up. Enjoy how the rest of the interaction plays out. (This tactic also works for prospecting.)

David Perry Bio and Contact Info

David is a recruiter, the author of seven books, and a sought-after motivational speaker. He was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for Community Service. He served as the Managing Partner of Perry-Martel International since its founding in 1988, and in that time has recruited executives that total $393+ million in salaries negotiated on 5 continents. Alongside all this, David co-founded MyNewJobHunt.com, “the first online Job Transition Platform written to help job hunters connect with employers in a whole new way.”

• David on LinkedIn
• David on Twitter
• David’s email: [email protected]
• Perry-Martel’s website

People and Resources Mentioned

• Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0 – a book by David Perry and Jay Conrad Levinson
• Hiring Greatness – a book by David Perry and Mark Haluska
• My New Job Hunt – an online platform for job hunters
• My Stroke of Insight – a book by Jill Bolte Taylor

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How do you demonstrate leadership in times of crisis? How do you protect your business and lead your team through the Coronavirus Pandemic? We are living through a very uncertain period of time where we must stay relevant and resilient. In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, my friend and coaching client Greg Benadiba joins me to share his thoughts.

Greg shares his strategy for screening recruiters and hiring the right people for the position. He also shares the leadership principles he’s built his business on. We share a hopeful viewpoint, one in which your recruiting business can emerge stronger than ever.

Outline of This Episode

• [2:11] Greg Benadiba shares how to work smarter—not harder
• [4:48] Lessons and takeaways from the last recession
• [6:57] How to help your business survive the Coronavirus pandemic
• [10:33] How to build and maintain relationships with clients
• [17:15] The unique way Greg interviews and hires recruiters
• [26:49] The targeted and probing questions to decipher the best candidate
• [30:49] The 5 principles Greg has adapted for his recruiting business

How to stay resilient through adversity

At the time of recording this podcast, Ontario had declared a state of emergency. Major outlets, stores, banks, restaurants, and bars closed on St. Patrick's Day. Greg ‘s team went from having 120 jobs to fill down to 72. Greg believes there will be a significant decrease in job orders across the board. But notes it is possible in this day and age to interview, hire and work remotely.

Greg points out that regardless of the pandemic, there will still be positions that need to be filled. So you must stay level-headed and position yourself for the upswing that will come. I work with each of my clients to have a plan of action to get them through this pandemic—you need to have one as well. Keep listening as Greg and I talk about having a contingency plan in place and where he’s focusing his business right now. We also talk about tough decisions you may have to make as a manager.

How to stay in front of your customers

It is more important than ever to position yourself to remain in front of your clients. When things pick up again you’ll be at the forefront of their minds. Greg found a unique way to add value for his customers: he made his Zoom account available to customers so that they could still interview potential hires. It was a simple way to help meet their needs and keep their business from screeching to a halt.

We can still facilitate meetings through the tools we have available—email, conference calls, video conferencing, etc. We must be careful not to alienate customers, but stay in touch and offer insight, guidance, and empathy. Greg says to ask the question, “How can we add value considering the current circumstances that our clients are in?”

Greg’s unique hiring process

Greg doesn’t aim to hire experienced recruiters but prefers to hire candidates from across industries who embody the values he’s looking for. They need to be good with people as well as driven and sales focused. He looks for resiliency and someone who is always learning and finding ways to improve. He asks probing questions, such as “What’s the most difficult thing they’ve ever been through?”.

He notes that you can’t rush the recruiting process. On top of his interview questions and profile testing, they have the recruiter undergo a half-day of job shadowing. In the second part of that day, the potential hire is allowed to jump on the phone to connect with people and flesh out a list of referrals. In this way, the candidate is able to immerse themselves into the job and get a feel for what it will be like.

Greg uses a clearly defined checklist in his hiring process. All of the questions on his checklist are based on mistakes that he’s made in the past. He crafts those mistakes into questions for his screening process. Listen as he shares examples of his questions and how he uses them to decipher who will be the best fit for his business.

The 5 principles Greg incorporates into Bilingual Source

Greg was kind enough to share 5 principles that he incorporates into his business:

• Principle #1: You are solely responsible for you and your team’s performance. Assume the role of “mini CEO” and take responsibility for performance management, hiring, training, etc.
• Principle #2: You must lead by example. “Do as I say, not as I do” doesn’t work—we all know it. Be the type of manager and leader that your team looks up to and emulates. Follow the rules, don’t cut corners, and be the role model
• Principle #3: Have very clear goals defined for you and your team. Don’t confuse goals with desires. Goals MUST be accomplished, desires are just things you want.
• Principle #4: Don’t worry about looking good, worry about achieving your...