Does Your Staffing Firm Have an Effective Lead Management Protocol?
It goes without saying that staffing firm lead generation is an essential part of remaining viable in today’s staffing industry; however, what happens to those leads once they enter the leads pipeline? 
Staffing firm lead generation must be carried out in an organized way in order to properly nurture the leads and convert them into long-term clients and candidates. Well-defined lead management goals result in better opportunities for your prospects, satisfied clients, an increased return on your marketing investment and a stronger brand identity for your staffing firm. The secret to staffing firm lead generation and effective lead nurturing is developing an effective staffing firm lead management protocol and then making sure that your team is following the guidelines you have established.
Ask the Right Questions
When designing an effective staffing firm lead management protocol, it is important to start by asking the right questions. What are our current lead sources, and how are those leads documented? Do we have the staffing levels to allow for proper follow-up on our current leads and/or any newly generated leads? What do we consider a qualified lead and are all of our sales staff and recruiters on the same page? Are there regular opportunities for team members to meet and discuss staffing firm lead generation and lead nurturing ideas? Answering these important questions allows for a more unified approach and a better understanding of what is required when designing your lead management protocol.
Establish a Protocol
Once you have answered the important questions, you are ready to establish guidelines for your sales staff and recruiters to follow. Your protocol must address issues such as how you want your team to qualify leads and what type of candidates you are looking to recruit. Is there a timeline you expect your recruiters to abide by when following up on leads? Are there certain qualifying questions you want asked? Do you have a particular skill-set you are searching for in prospective candidates? In order to guarantee a unified effort, make sure that your lead management protocol is clearly written and easy to follow. Consistency is the key to brand building efforts as well as converting leads into business.
Integrate Your Marketing Efforts
Don’t be satisfied with the same tired lead generators. Evaluate your marketing efforts and find ways to generate new leads. Target prospects that are going to diversify your client base and supplement your talent pool. Design strategic marketing campaigns in order to attract the right professionals for your clients. Optimize your website to allow for mobile responsiveness and consider attending or presenting at key industry conferences. In the staffing world, it is important to never become complacent or rely on your current opportunities. Increasing your market share and carving out your niche in the industry requires a commitment to lead generation and an effective staffing firm lead management protocol.
Lead Tracking Is Essential
Staffing firms struggle with how to best track and identify leads once these enter their leads pipeline. Invest in analytics programs that track the metrics that are important to your staffing firm. Research software programs to locate the one that best fits your company’s size and lead-tracking needs. The most important part of the lead generation protocol is having access to your real-time reports that are easy to generate. How many leads have been generated in the past month? Which leads resulted from specific marketing efforts? At what stage are the leads in the pipeline? Have recruiters contacted them with a goal of conversion? Without proper tracking procedures, there is no way to measure ROI and no way to improve the overall lead generation process. Most ATS’ offer the ability to track lead generation efforts.
Constantly Reevaluate
Never become content with your staffing firm lead generation efforts. Constantly reevaluate your protocol and identify areas in need of improvement. Enlist the help of your team and ask the tough questions. Are we finding the right candidates? Are we asking the right questions? Are we wasting time searching for leads in certain demographics? Use the analytics you have gathered to determine which efforts are yielding the highest ROI and shift your focus to fully explore those areas. It is important to recognize that there is no beginning or end to your lead management process. The most effective lead management protocols are those that evolve over time and continue to adapt as the business dynamics change.
Key Takeaways for Effective Lead Management Protocol:
- Identify key lead generation issues and ask your staff questions to better design your lead management protocol
- Create a protocol for your staff that includes clear, easy to follow steps
- Integrate marketing campaigns to tie into your lead generation efforts
- Locate tracking and analytics software that is appropriate for your staffing firm and allows for real-time data
- Constantly reevaluate your current protocol and be open to new ideas in order to ensure the best possible outcome
About S.J.Hemley Marketing
S.J.Hemley Marketing is a marketing and sales consulting firm focused on driving tangible results for professional services firms. Brand matters, but not without ROI. With over 20 years of sales and marketing experience within staffing and recruiting, we have helped to drive successful branding, sales training, lead generation activities as well as defining marketing strategy for top organizations.