How to Work Efficiently from Home as a Contract Recruiter

I've been working as a remotely as a Recruiter for years. First as a business owner, then a Contractor, and now a business owner once again. I have always loved working from home. I get more done being at home and I've gotten really good at multi-tasking. But when I started, there weren't nearly as many advantages and tools as there are now.

Today’s remote recruiters have many advantages over the recruiters of yesterday. Technology has leveled the playing field for many of us. Before the Internet boom, all we had were a telephone, phone books, a rolodex, directories and various newspapers and magazines to find leads for candidates. And of course, good old fashioned networking. The internet has increased productivity and efficiency of the recruiting process. You can do everything from chronicle interviews, to track applicants, to source candidates to even conduct interviews and meetings online. And the beauty of it is you can do it for free or low cost in most cases.

To be a successful recruiter working from home, you need to have a few essentials to make your job easier and more efficient:

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Home Office
• Blackberry, iPhone, Smartphone
• Applicant Tracking System
• Webcam & conferencing system
• A solid network
• Laptop
• Mobile computing capability
• Access to social networks and specialty job boards
• Kick-butt recruiting skills

1. A dedicated office space is vital. This is the most important element. You will be on the phone a lot. A private area free of distractions is best. If you can have an entire room all to yourself instead of the kitchen or family room, the battle is half way won.

2. Outfit your home office to resemble an onsite office. Invest in standard office tools- A multifunctional printer/fax/scanner is strongly suggested, although I'm a huge advocate of a paperless office. The right office furniture is crucial because you’ll spend a lot of time in there each day. You need to be comfortable and happy going into your office each day. Because you'll be on the phone a lot, invest in a good headset to give you hands-free conversations with candidates and clients. A stand alone microphone may be useful but it's cumbersome to use. If you can, get a wireless headset if you don’t want to be chained to your desk. Of course you know you need your most important tool- a computer. I prefer a laptop so I have complete mobility to work anywhere. A webcam is fast becoming the new must have tool for people working from home. This is a tool I introduced to my own office a few years ago. It helps me to do “face to face” interviews with candidates, meet with clients and hiring managers, and conduct staff meetings with my team. Flash drive or other back up- A flash drive is vital to backing up your data. I would recommend keeping your candidate data and client records on a flash drive as a BACK UP. Of course you should still back up your information offsite. We never know when a hurricane or other natural disaster will hit. Be prepared.

3. Now that you have the foundations of a real office, you need reliable communication. A dedicated cell phone line- I would recommend a two for one here. A Blackberry, iPhone or other smart phone to manage your data and an unlimited plan with no roaming while you're on the go. It's a practical solution for at home use and while on the road if you don't want to carry a laptop. Plus you can keep your finger on the pulse of the operations through web browsing. You’ll still need a separate land line. And a cordless speaker phone is ideal. Instead of investing in a stand alone fax machine, Efax or other web based fax service works well. Nobody really faxes any more. But it’s helpful for receiving resumes and contracts. Everything is housed on your computer via email. Again, I believe in a paperless office. Skype is a service you can use in place of a phone and to conduct web conferences and phone calls. Netmeeting from Microsoft is another option for those on Windows 2000 or XP. And one that I've found most useful is DimDim. I can use it to not only do teleconferences and web conferences, I can also share my desktop and whiteboard views. If you plan to be in conference calls a lot, invest in a dedicated conference number. Freeconference.com allows you to have a dedicated number you can use to conduct conference calls. And the beauty of these services is that they are FREE.

4. If you can't access the web, a lot of what I've shared will be rendered useless. I recommend you invest in high speed internet access. Dial up doesn’t cut it any more. Recruiters can spend a lot of time on the internet doing research and managing their practice. Invest in high speed broadband. You can get it in just about any area now so there is no excuse. And to take it further, I also invested in Mobile Broadband from Verizon. I told you, I like to be mobile. I take it whenever I take my laptop and it literally works everywhere- at the airport, on the road, in restaurants, etc. I have the ability to be always "on" and available to candidates and clients. Most new laptops come with automatic wireless configuration. But when you need to take your laptop on the road, it’s best to buy a mobile computing solution. AT&T, Sprint and Verizon are all vying for the number one spot in this area. They each have a small drive you can plug and go anywhere. I take security very seriously. A virtual private network is usually provided by the company you are contracting with. But if you are on your own, there are options out there. OpenVPN, LogMeIn and Cisco Remote Access are examples for free to high end services. Keeping your data safe and secure should be your main priority and it makes your clients feel safer about their data.

5. Tap into technology. I've already mentioned a few of the tech items I use for my own business. Now it's time to focus on applications to keep you running smooth. For a Recruiter, an Applicant Tracking System is the lifeline of the business. An ATS helps keep track of job openings, where you post, interview progress, and of course your candidates. I would recommend (in order of preference)Taleo, MaxHire or CATS depending on your need and volume. While Taleo and MaxHire are affordable solutions, CATS has a free and a paid version. If you plan to have subcontractors or staff working with you, an Intranet for your staff and/or clients can come in handy. If you can’t afford an ATS, sign up for a Yahoo Group, Google Apps, or a system like HyperOffice. You can share documents, maintain group calendars, post messages and email and store documents for your team or clients. It's a little more cumbersome than a pure Applicant Tracking System, but worth it if you can function with it. A business email and website is vital so people know who you are. Even if you are just a contractor, you still need a professional presence. You can’t email candidates with a job lead from a Yahoo, Gmail or Hotmail address. It just isn’t professional. At worst, they won't take you serious. You can put together a brief website to showcase your skills and past successes. You can even include a page to submit a resume.

6. A Recruiter is nothing without her network. A solid network is key. Online and offline networks need to be cultivated and built over time. That is the first place you turn to when working on filing positions. Places like Linked In, Twitter, Facebook, Viadeo, Ning and Xing are places to build onto your network. With social networking becoming more popular, a lot of independent recruiters are opting for using them first then considering paid job sites. Internet resources- I detest job boards- are your best sources if you know how to use them right. But I will say that depending on what type of positions you recruit for, they can come in handy for quick pipelines. Monster, Careerbuilder and Dice are the big three. Also look into niche specialty sites to increase your odds of finding the types of people you need. If you can afford it, invest in one or two specialty boards that yield good candidates. ZoomInfo, Spoke, Konnects, Jigsaw, Pipl, Hoovers and Naymez are some of the other sourcing sites you should have premium access to for researching candidates. Don't let your internet sources become your only sources. You still have to use good old fashioned relationship building and people skills OFFLINE. While more people are building their professional presence online, you still need to cultivate personal relationships with them.

7. Invest in an accountant and accounting/bookeeping system. Microsoft Money for Small Business, Quicken and Quickbooks Pro are all great tools for managing your finances. If you have decided to work as a W2 contractor, then you won't need to worry much about your finances. But if you work on 1099 or corp to corp, you absolutely must worry about it. As an Independent Contractor you have to invoice your clients on a schedule and collect payments. It's a business and you have to run it as such. Hire a professional to handle the finances if it's too much for you. Just remember, if you don't document, you could be losing money.

8. Finally, if you are an in demand Recruiter who is flooded with work, An Assistant or Researcher can do wonders for you. This is perhaps the most important element. A junior recruiter or someone interested in learning recruiting is the perfect person to hire either part time or as an intern. This person will be able to help with administrative functions, invoicing, reporting and general sourcing while you focus on candidate development and the interview process. If you have a client who provides you with administrative support, that's great. But most won't. And being that you work from home, alone, it can't hurt to hire some help.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you equip yourself to work anywhere and everywhere. Mobile technology is here to stay.
• Invest in an ATS. Documentation and tracking keeps you working smoothly and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
• Maintain a professional image and make employers feel comfortable with and confident in you. Always put your best foot forward.
• Free isn't always best. Assess each service thoroughly and make sure it provides what you need to get your job done.
• Don't be afraid to hire help if you need it.
• Talk up technology to your clients/hiring managers/managers. It has to fit in seamlessly with their environment or it won't work.
• Keep your skills fresh and your networks growing.
• Remote positions don't come easily. You have to build up trust and a rapport with clients/hiring managers over time. Don't slack off or give sub par service.
• Don't assume that you don't need firewalls or other security because it's "your" computer. Viruses and hackers are everywhere.
• Don't fluff reports. Be detailed and truthful on the work you've done for your client.
• Don't slack on communication. You must always keep the lines of communication open with hiring managers and candidates. The quickest way to lose a client is to disappear when you are most needed.

Resources

• http://corporaterecruitingdiva.blogspot.com
• http://www.huesconsulting.com
• http://www.linkedin.com/in/adriennegraham

[greatgreat8]

on 5/9/2009 thanks this is also great information,working from home