An ironic fact about the recruitment industry is that we have a very high attrition rate and so much churn, which can often translate into a massive drain on profit and can be an impediment to growth. My special guest, Mark Skinner, shares how they set up a work culture which has led to their recruitment team having an average tenure of more than eight years.
Mark is the Co-Founder & Managing Director of CSC Recruitment, a construction recruitment firm founded in 2005. CSC has 25 employees with 3 offices and specialist teams dealing with freelance, permanent, and executive search with a thriving international division. Mark began his recruiting career in 1998.
Episode Outline and Highlights
- [1:56] Why Mark started his own recruitment business.
- [5:52] With an average tenure of 8 years, Mark discussed how they take care of their people.
- [15:29] How to set up an achievement culture for your recruitment team.
- [27:13] How to track and create an inventory of your team’s achievements.
- [32:18] Best practices for taking care of your team’s mental health – how to make them feel okay to share if they are not okay.
- [42:05] Mark shares their greatest accomplishments
- [50:50] CSC Recruitment’s approach to partnering with clients.
- [55:29] Key factor in CSC’s success in winning businesses: consultative and solutions sales approach.
The Key to Having An Average Tenure of Eight Years
If there is a secret to having a sustainable and profitable business that grows over time, holding on to your team members – especially the ones performing well – is important. Mark and I discussed how they take care of their people leading to their average tenure of eight years. Some of the key highlights of our discussion on this topic are as follows:
- Having a management mindset where people come first
- Covering healthcare and prioritizing mental health
- Recognize your team’s efforts with celebration and praise even on small wins
The last item is a very interesting topic we covered which is about building a culture of achievement.
Building a Culture of Achievement via Company Conferences
On top of hosting sales meetings six times a year to recognize top billers, Mark’s company also do what they call ‘company conferences’. Over 17 years, they have done around 40 overseas trips where they take everyone. These conferences are a testament to how they value the contributions of their respective teams. The basis of where they are going or how expensive the trip is going to be will depend not only on individual achievements but also on overall group performance.
It Is Okay Not to Be Okay – Taking Care of Your Team’s Mental Health
Another theme that stood out in our interview is how Mark is taking care of their team’s mental health. “Let’s face it millions of people said it before, the stigma is about it, a lot of people don’t understand it… when we found people that we think are happy go lucky… and you found out, hang on one second, they’re not and you try and help them. When the business was new, we didn’t have a lot of things in our toolbox,” is how Mark described how it was when they were just starting their business. Their commitment to their principle of “people come first” ensures that they have sufficient support from professionals. They made it possible for the people in their team to have someone to talk to 24/7 and if needed, therapists to give help.
What if people are not covered by their healthcare provider because of pre-existing conditions? Mark’s company pay a significant amount to help that person.
