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Recruiting
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by Bill Radin
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The
Recruiter's Digest
Recruiting
News, Training & Commentary by Bill Radin |
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February, 2005 |
Setting Goals for Peak Performance
Last month, we discussed the importance of making
friends with your numbers. This month, let's put the numbers to work as
you set your goals for the coming year.
If you look at any top recruiter -- or high achiever in any field --
you'll find that goals are the engine that drives success. The problem
is, most people don't set goals. Either they don't understand the power
of goals or don't know how to structure a program to achieve them.
Setting goals isn't difficult; in fact, it's a lot easier to know where
you're going and the status of your performance than it is to wander
aimlessly without direction or a point of reference. By visualizing
EXACTLY what you want, you can achieve more than if your objective is
simply to "get better" or "make more money." And that's why your numbers
are so important. They can act as a benchmark as you work towards your
goal.
Successful Goal Setting Strategies
In order for your goal-setting program to work, you need to observe the
following rules:
1. Goals must be measurable and controllable. Pick specific numbers you
wish to improve. For example, if you're making 40 calls a day, you can
set your goal for 45 calls; or, if you recruit five new candidates a
week, you can set a goal for seven per week.
Make sure you have a mechanism whereby you can accurately track your
numbers; otherwise, your performance may be shrouded by guesswork. Also,
avoid setting goals that are indirect or out of your control. For
example, you can't directly CONTROL the number of placements you make,
but you CAN control the related activity that preceded them.
2. Goals should be time-bounded. Be specific about the time frame you've
set for your various activities, and measure the results accordingly.
3. Goals need to be realistic. Aggressive goals are fine. In fact, if
your goals are too modest, they're not
really goals, they're just quotas or repetitions of what you already
know you can do. On the other hand, if your goals are too ambitious,
they might become FANTASIES and defeat the purpose of goal setting,
which is to visualize something that's achievable through planning and
hard work.
If you're arranging three interviews a week, a realistic goal might be
to increase to four a week. Once you achieve consistent results, you can
then raise the number to five. In other words, you're looking for
incremental improvement, not a giant leap all at once.
Here are a couple of additional points regarding goal setting. First,
it's always advisable to commit your goals to paper. Write them out in
great detail, and sign off on them. And second, keep your goals to
yourself. Share them only with other people who are themselves committed
to setting and achieving goals. The last thing you need is to subject
your efforts to criticism from people who can't set goals or appreciate
the power of sincere and thoughtful self-improvement.
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