First and foremost, thank you all so much for the love and support! It means the world to me.
Ok so let’s just jump right in on this topic. The “main thing” in recruiting is the mission. Period. That’s why we all have these positions right? Our job is to recruit the next generations military so they can protect and defend our nation. This is why we must make the mission priority one.
It is a matter of greatest importance. It honestly breaks down to, big picture here, our nation’s defense against our enemies. As a recruiter, you may own a small slice of a county or even, if you’re lucky, a county or two. Do you really make an impact on your state or nation’s defense? Yes… yes you do.
This is why mission is king all the time. When you show up to work… mission. When you go to lunch… mission. On your way home from work… mission. Let’s be honest here. After work and leave is also mission focused most of the time for many recruiters. So why do we often make mission fall into 2nd or even 3rd place? Let me explain.
As Soldiers, we have a multitude of “extra” things that we must do. It’s part of wearing that uniform right? We have FRAGOs, ACFTs, inventory showdowns, equipment inspections, GSA inspections, etc. As a Soldier, you naturally want to knock down the easy targets first then tackle the more difficult targets later. As Soldiers… you’d be on the right track, but as recruiters, you need to juggle it all and make multiple things happen in less time. Why? Because time matters. Your time matters. Every second you “waste” on the FRAGO is less time that you will have prospecting, processing, or taking care of your Soldiers.
Does that other stuff need to be completed? Yes, they do. Does recruiting need to occur? Yes, it does. It’s all about balance and managing your time… oh yeah and making mission priority one. You, as a recruiter, are generally responsible for your own schedule. You show up and you rock out events to find your next lead or prospect. You tele-prospect on your own and set your own appointments. It all boils down to time management. Time management defined is the ability to use one’s time effectively or productively. Managing your own time makes you ask questions such as what do I need to do, what can I do, when can I do it, and how well do I need to do it for examples. Often, recruiter’s fail at managing their own schedules which results in mission falling from priority 1.
Great news though. I am here to help. I struggled for many years as a new recruiter. I felt like I was being pulled in several different directions. I enjoyed this most days as this created an environment for me that wasn’t mundane. Other days though was a chaotic mess. I honestly felt like I was drowning in all the crazy tasks that need to be completed. So, I fixed it. I learned to master my time. Recruiting became easier once I learned this task which enabled me to juggle all my requirements and keep mission focused.
Mission is king for a reason. Our jobs, as recruiters, is to put people in boots and get them to training. FRAGOs can wait. Administrative tasks can wait. I may need to wake up a little earlier to make sure my emails are checked, but that can wait as well. You must make mission a priority. See below for an example of my time management week as a recruiter:
MON- Admin, prospecting, and MEPS (Emails, FRAGOs, all things prospecting, and bringing prospects to MEPS)
TUES- MEPS and prospecting (MEPS processors and any tele-prospecting that you can fit in between medical and swear-in plus after enlistment time)
WED- Prospecting (High schools, colleges, tele-prospecting, social media, etc.)
THURS- Prospecting (High schools, colleges, tele-prospecting, social media, etc.)
FRI- Prospecting (High schools, colleges, tele-prospecting, social media, etc.)
As you can see, prospecting is important. It is important because without prospecting then you will never have processors. This will lead to failing your mission. I kept my MEPS days to Mondays and Tuesdays only. I also attempted to knock out any administrative tasks on Monday mornings as well. This type of schedule kept me balanced and allowed me to keep my focus on my mission. This may or may not work for you. That’s ok. You may have a different area or different dynamics, but it can assist at its core. You have the ability to set your processing days. You have the ability to prospect at any given time on any given day. You have the ability to conduct administrative tasks whenever you want. Make it work for you, but at the end of the day, a time management plan is better than no plan.
Battles vs the war: The roller coaster ride that is recruiting. Ups and downs every single day. As recruiters our battles are fought daily. We fight through events, tele-prospecting, appointments, and even MEPS. Some battles are won while others are lost. That is why most recruiters get burnt out so quickly and lose their focus on what’s important. We forget the war that is recruiting. The war is only won by accomplishing our individual mission sets. Some recruiters can use this analogy with every prospect. Battling through the phone calls and the appointments. Knocking out the paperwork and fiercely attacking MEPS. The war is won with they administer the Oath of Enlistment. Unfortunately, a new war starts as soon as you get into your GSA. One must become an expert in battling the chaos of recruiting and you will win the war. In other words make mission. This is true regardless of how you perceive this analogy. You get to choose how you interpret the battles and then it’s game on. Get your mind right and attack each day until the war is won. Life becomes easier without the “mission monkey” sitting on your shoulder.
To conclude this post, this entire thing is 100% about attacking your daily recruiting activities and managing your time wisely to ensure you keep mission priority one. Your time is important. Do not let anyone tell you any different. Manage your own time before your leadership has to manage it for you. This will easily allow you to focus on the fact that mission is king by managing your time to stay productive and efficient. Win the war. My next post will be towards the end of next week and I’ll be discussing “the basics”. Until next time.
~ Xpert Recruiting
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