Imagine this…
You’re zooming down the freeway, your mind wandering, with the latest hit from Taylor Swift blaring through the speakers, when suddenly, a car brand you’ve never noticed before catches your eye. It’s sleek, it’s unique, and before you know it, this brand starts appearing everywhere – in mall parking lots, on billboards, and even in the most talked-about commercials. You’re left pondering, “Why am I suddenly seeing this brand at every turn?” Maybe this has even happened to you when you’ve bought a new car. Suddenly, you see it everywhere. It didn’t seem to be such a popular car until you bought it. Are you a trendsetter? Nope.
Welcome to today’s deep dive into the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, a fascinating quirk of our brains that makes us spot things more frequently once they’ve entered our radar.
Did you ever wonder why, as recruiters, we start noticing trends, skills, or even candidate types more once they’ve been mentioned in a passing conversation or a recent intake? It’s because our brains are hardwired to seek out patterns and connections. This phenomenon, first coined the ‘frequency illusion’ by Stanford’s Arnold Zwicky, is something we need to harness.
Imagine leveraging this to make your firm the go-to name in your industry. The trick? Keep your agency visible where it matters. The more candidates and clients bump into your name, the more they’ll trust and remember you, paving the way for more placements.
Think of Amazon’s strategy but tailor it for recruiting. The idea is to be where your candidates and clients are, from LinkedIn to industry forums, ensuring you remain top of mind. Just as Amazon has mastered the art of being seen at every turn, your name should pop up across all relevant platforms, while you slowly creep into their periphery.
Creating a buzz isn’t just for the big players with endless marketing budgets. It’s about being clever and present. Take inspiration from breakout brands that have used their visibility to catapult to success. For recruiters, this could mean leveraging testimonials, case studies, and success stories in creative ways to showcase your impact. It’s about making your firm appear as the only logical choice for both clients and candidates.
But, before you can be top of mind, in order to leverage this phenomenon, first you must be on their radar. It can’t happen until they are aware of your existence.
This is why we recommend consistent points of contact, posting, and having a nurture campaign running in the background. We can’t close deals if they don’t know who we are.
Thinking Time matters. Spend a few minutes and work on your business instead of in your business.
Thinking Time Questions
- Do people in my industry know who I am? (If not, how come?)
- Where do my candidates and clients hang out online? (If you don’t know, ask them)
- Where can I develop strategic partnerships in my industry? (Who else isn’t a recruiter, but serves your market?)
- Do I have a nurture campaign running? (2-3 emails per month being sent to all your contacts)
- Am I investing in pay per click advertising? (Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, Instagram)
- Do I have a strong enough online presence? (Search for yourself and for recruiter with your industry)
- Who is doing this well in my industry that I can copy? (It’s easier to find someone doing it well and “funnelhack” then to test and build from scratch)
- How much time and money am I prepared to invest in developing my personal brand so people find me at the right times? (this is unique to each of you.)
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Tricia Tamkin, headhunter, advisor, coach, and gladiator. Tricia has spoken at over 50 recruiting events, been quoted in multiple national publications, and her name is often dropped in groups as the solution to any recruiters’ challenges. She brings over 30 years of deep recruiting experience and offers counsel in a way which is perspective changing and entertaining.
