3 Smart Goals for Recruiters to Get Consistent Results

Not getting the results you want? Adopt these smart goals for recruiters who want to supercharge their performance.

It’s easy to set goals. I want to make more money, get more clients, get a promotion, or win awards. How many recruiters do you know that have goals that sound similar to this? And how many of those pan out? The truth is, these goals won’t get you very far. But when we look at smart goals for recruiters who truly want to get ahead, you might find a very different story. 

What are smart goals? And what do smart goals for recruiters look like? Compare these two statements: 

• I want to be more successful.
• I want to increase my client conversion rate by 10% this quarter. 

The idea behind both of these is similar, but they sound very different. The first statement is vague. No one can be sure exactly what it means. What does “successful” look like? How will you know when you’ve achieved that success? 

The second statement is concrete. There’s no question about what the goal is, or what has to happen to reach that goal. There’s even a time frame around the goal. This statement is one example of a smart goal.

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Are your goals smart? Here’s how you can tell.

Smart goals are those that are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Smart goals don’t leave you asking questions. You know exactly what your goal is, and there are parameters that make it clear whether or not you reach your goal. 

Smart goals can be part of your daily life. My smart goal for this afternoon might be to get to the grocery store and purchase the five items I need for dinner before the game comes on at 6:00. Or they can be larger and more expansive, like increasing your client conversion rate by 10% this quarter. The point, either way, is that a smart goal is relevant to your business, with specific, measurable achievements within a certain period of time. 

Some people find that setting a series of smaller goals can help them achieve more over time. Others find that a bigger goal pushes them to do what they can to reach that goal. Still, there are others who find setting smaller smart goals within a larger goal is the most helpful. 

For example, to reach my goal of increased conversion rates this quarter, my first smart goal might be to increase my daily call volume by 15% within the next two weeks. Then my next goal might be to increase client conversion rates by 1% each week after that. 

Success with these smaller goals gives you momentum, making it more likely you’ll reach that larger goal. Again, though, you have to find the system that works best for you. 

Don’t miss these smart goals for recruiters who want consistent, steady results

Now let’s get into some specific smart goals for recruiters and team leaders looking for consistent results, whether that’s with better conversions, more conversations, or any other metric. 

1. Reply to calls and emails within 24 hours. Chances are that if you’ve spotted and contacted a good prospect, another recruiter has, too. If you’ve reached out already, and piqued their interest enough that they are returning your call or email, get back in touch with them as soon as possible. Ideally, get back to them on the same day, but at a maximum, reply within 24 hours. 

2. Increase average call times by one minute. When you have a good candidate on the line, it’s your job to get them excited about the job for which you are recruiting. One way to measure that excitement and interest is through longer call times. Of course, not every call will be a winner, and you’ll still have calls that don’t last very long. But longer average call times mean you’re sharing and getting more information, which often leads to better placement success. As for the time frame for this? Every team is going to be a bit different, and you’ll need time to collect the data, especially if you don’t already know your average call times. So, this is probably a good quarterly goal, though you can adjust it up or down as needed. 

3. 10% increased response to job descriptions by qualified candidates each quarter. Yes, this one is tricky. You probably get an overwhelming response to job postings already. It’s not unusual for remote and hybrid job listings to get hundreds of applicants. How many of those candidates are actually qualified for the position? By some estimates, only around 10 – 20% of applicants are actually qualified for the jobs they apply to. A few suggestions that might help you attract more qualified candidates include:

• Spend more time with the hiring manager to understand the company culture and job requirements
• Rewrite and improve listings
• Be specific about which qualifications are a must and which are desired but not necessary
• Include salary ranges
• Be clear about the job location (on-site, hybrid, remote, remote with some travel, etc.)

Setting goals gives you a destination. It’s something to motivate and push yourself. And smart goals take the concept further. Not only do you have a goal, but you also have parameters around that goals so you know definitively how successful you are.