Recruitment is a rollercoaster—a champagne and razor-blades kind of business. The highs can be exhilarating, but when a deal falls through, it can gut you. A powerful way to navigate this industry’s ups and downs is to build a recovery plan before you need one. Here’s how to ensure you stay consistent, resilient, and prepared for whatever comes your way.

Consistency is Key

Many recruiters fall into the trap of depending on one big deal to make or break their month. Sound familiar?

• That big fee, sitting in your pipeline, looks like it’ll make your month or even your quarter.
• But if your focus is only on that one win, other crucial activities—like lead generation and new client engagement—often fall by the wayside.

In other words, putting all your energy into one outcome can leave you without options if things don’t pan out as planned.

The Two-Week Buffer: A Safety Net for Your Big Deals

A great way to keep your pipeline healthy is to create a buffer around your big deals. If you’ve got a significant placement in the works:

• Give it a two-week cycle. Set a plan for what you’ll do if it falls through instead of scrambling to fill the gap after the fact.
• Use this buffer time to focus on hedging your bets.

This way, you’re not at the mercy of a single deal—your pipeline is prepped for all outcomes.

Steps to Hedge Your Bets on Big Deals

If you’re working on a hefty fee placement, think strategically. Here are some actionable tips:

1. Evaluate the Candidate’s Role: Is there only one candidate that can fill this position, or can you find backups?
   • If it’s a unique role, finding a backup might be a challenge. But it’s worth checking if a second or third candidate could be viable.
2. Replicate Potential Success:
   • Aim to secure other smaller, manageable deals that would add up to the same fee as your main deal.
   • Think of it as diversifying your pipeline—just in case.
3. Create a “Compartmentalized” Pipeline:
   • Treat your primary deal as part of a bundle. Find smaller placements that can collectively offset the value of the larger deal.

The Mental Game of Recruitment

Mindset is everything. It’s easier to generate deals when you’re optimistic, and having a recovery plan helps you stay in a positive frame of mind. Here’s why:

• If a big deal falls through, knowing you have other deals in the pipeline makes a huge difference.
• In the worst-case scenario, where your primary deal doesn’t land, you still feel secure knowing you’ve got additional wins on the way.
• In the best-case scenario, if all deals go through, your month just got a major boost!

Take Control of Your Recruitment Success

The worst time to enter recovery mode is when a deal has already fallen through. Here’s a quick summary of why having a recovery plan is so valuable:

• Prevention is better than cure: Don’t wait for things to fall apart. Get ahead by planning your next steps now.
• Guaranteed Growth: Compartmentalising your pipeline and diversifying deals ensures you’re always moving forward.
• Better Mindset, Better Deals: When you’re not reliant on a single outcome, you’re free to focus on doing your best work.

If you’re looking for more tips on creating a winning recovery plan, reach out! I’m here to help you secure those big wins and build a resilient recruitment process. And remember—like, share, or subscribe if you’re finding these insights valuable. Keep up the momentum, and may all your deals and recovery plans come to life!