10 things I learned from the 2016 RCSA Conference

Mark Smith • September 19, 2016

I am sure many of the team at people2people think my attendance at the annual RCSA (Recruitment and Consulting Services Association) conference is a junket! I do have to admit that heading off for three to four days to Port Douglas this year, didn’t look too much like work. So to justify the money spent for my attendance, I thought it best I note and share with you, some of the key takeaway points from this year’s highly successful conference.

  1. “It’s not a war for talent it’s a marketing crisis!”

  2. Attachment is critically important in avoiding staff turnover.

  3. The optimal amount of time to speak in a client meeting / sales call is 30%. Recruiters need to learn to SHUT UP!

  4. Steer clear of generic adverbs – perfect, fantastic, wonderful, awesome. WE NEED TO ARTICULATE OURSELVES BETTER.

  5. In the best recruitment firms, management and staff costs total 30% of the gross margin. The average is 60%.

  6. The top 25% of recruitment firms achieve a 12% EBIT (earnings before income tax) as a percentage of margin, for companies with one to ten people and 10% for companies with ten to twenty people.

  7. The best leaders need to find ways to do things differently, not just get better at what they have always done.

  8. Millennials want work life integration, i.e. they want to do what they love, where and when they want to do it.

  9. I loved this ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaX7Z1c9PwU

  10. Talking about superannuation at 1.00am is not something anyone should do. Thankyou Kinetic Super!

Next year’s conference is in Fiji on 6 September 2017. If you’re in the recruitment industry, I would recommend you check it out!

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In business since 2002 in Australia, NZ, and the United Kingdom, people2people is an award-winning recruitment agency with people at our heart. With over 12 offices, we specialise in accounting and finance, business support, education, executive, government, HR, legal, marketing and digital, property, sales, supply chain, and technology sectors. As the proud recipients of the 2024 Outstanding Large Agency and Excellence in Candidate Care Awards, we are dedicated to helping businesses achieve success through a people-first approach.

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