How to... give your consultants the confidence to succeed

Self-confident consultants can be seen as the key to the success of a recruitment firm.

Self-confident consultants can be seen as the key to the success of a recruitment firm. How this confidence is instilled is crucial in building up them — and the business

Self-confidence is the foundation stone on which you can start to build the rest of the skills required to be a good consultant. When you're confident in what you're doing it relaxes the people around you — your peers, candidates and clients — and, crucially, gives them that same confidence in your abilities. And that's key if you want them to 'buy' from you.

When someone is confident in their own abilities they focus on the task at hand and don't waste time procrastinating on the 'whys and wherefores' of what they need to do — they know what to do and they know they are right. Even if they're not always 100% spot on, the benefits to be gained from the confidence and belief in what they're doing far outweighs the risks associated with someone who dithers and procrastinates.

Self-confident consultants target and concentrate their efforts directly at the areas they are good at, which, in turn, leads to positivity. And the resulting positive energy enhances passion, which leads to success.

The following are some of the key factors that can influence and generate self-confidence and success in a recruitment professional — and, of course, contribute enormously to the subsequent success of the organisation.

Coaching
For entry level consultants, the first and most important goal is to make them as confident in their own ability as possible and help them to rapidly change from being consciously incompetent to consciously competent.

Effective coaching and close contact
The investment of your time in the short term will pay dividends in the medium to long term. Work with them to spot the areas which need development and then offer it. Listen to their frustrations and worries — whether real or imagined — and, importantly, act on them. All of this will help boost their self-confidence levels.

Support and sponsorship
Consultants who know they have the full backing and unlimited support of their manager and those around them will naturally be more confident. Put in place an extensive internal support network of mentors, buddies and team mates, in addition to the consultants' immediate managers, so that someone is available at any given point during the day. This type of support network offers them whatever encouragement and assistance they each require as individuals to succeed.

Positive and professional culture
By creating a positive place to work, consultants are committed and dedicated to both their own success and that of the company. This success builds on an individual's self-confidence through making them feel good, which breeds further success. A good place to work includes the following aspects:

• Positive feedback
• Blame-free culture
• Respect for others
• Professionalism
• Quality approach
• Integrity

Ownership and respect
Giving consultants ownership and absolute accountability for running their own desk or business can build significant levels of self-confidence. Awarding them the freedom to act and the space to be entrepreneurial and intuitive will help them to understand that you respect them for their skill and potential. This commitment and positive feedback demonstrates that you trust them for who and what they are. This heightens self-confidence and proves to them that not only do you see their potential, but you rely on it.

Matthew Chester is a director of HR specialist recruiter, Digby Morgan



Key points to build confidence in your consultants


• Use coaching, especially for new staff
• Support your staff
• Create a positive and professional culture
• Give staff ownership over their jobs
• Set realistic and clear goals

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