Richard Milligan

  • Home
  • Richard Milligan

Richard Milligan Recruiting Strategy Consultant. Author. Speaker. Podcast Host. Bookrichardnow.com

29/05/2025

When you recruit someone, it shows what kind of leader you are. Let's break it down:

- Transactional vs. Transformational: If you treat recruiting like a widget sale, it's transactional. But if you're relational, asking deep, powerful questions like "What's your big dream?" or "Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?", you're being transformational.
- Surface Their Dreams: When you make another touchpoint with a recruit, always bring up their dream. This approach not only shows you care but also aligns with transformational leadership.
- Reveal Your Leadership: How you handle the recruiting sequence reveals your leadership style. Are you someone who offers more, who can answer the big questions clearly for people?

Recruiting is not just about filling a role. It's the beginning of a relationship where you guide and partner with them. It's about showing them that with you, they can do more than just work; they can grow and chase their dreams. This makes you a leader who values real connections, not just business.

28/05/2025

What are the key elements to include in a personal branding strategy for leaders?

Let me take you back to a recent coaching session with a compelling Recruiting Leader. She was frustrated. Her company was struggling to attract top talent even though they had a great culture and solid values. After some digging, we realized the issue wasn't the offer or the environment—it was her personal brand.

She hadn't shared her vision and values openly. Her LinkedIn looked generic, just another face in the crowd. Once we revamped her profile to highlight her unique leadership style and authentic engagement, everything changed.

Here's a simple, repeatable framework I shared with her: The 3 V's of Personal Branding: Vision, Values, and Voice.

Start with your Vision. What do you want to achieve not just for yourself, but for your team and company? Next, identify your Values. What principles guide you as a leader? Finally, refine your Voice—how do you want people to perceive you? Who are you when no one's watching?

This framework works because it's all about authenticity. It’s not just a checklist; it’s a way of connecting with people on a deeper level. When candidates see a genuine leader, they’re drawn in. They want to be part of your vision, to help bring it to life.

Every conversation about talent should start with who you are and what you stand for. Let’s make recruiting about relationships, not transactions. Your personal brand can be the magnetic force that attracts the right people to your mission.

Are you ready to elevate your brand? Let's make it happen.

28/05/2025

How can I maintain relationships with candidates after they say ‘no’?

Let me share a quick story. I was coaching a talented recruiting leader who had a candidate decline an offer after two rounds of interviews. It stung. She had invested time and energy into building a connection, and now it felt like all that effort was for nothing.

But instead of retreating, she decided to stay in touch. No, it wasn’t a desperate follow-up; it was genuine interest. She checked in after a few weeks, sharing industry insights and relevant resources without any agenda. Eventually, that candidate referred another top talent to her when the time was right.

Here's the framework we'll call the Relationship Reboot.

Step 1: Acknowledge their decision with empathy. Let them know you respect their choice.

Step 2: Add value—share helpful insights, links to articles, or even invite them to relevant webinars.

Step 3: Stay in touch periodically. Make it natural, not forced—like reconnecting with a friend.

Step 4: Ask for referrals. High-quality candidates often know other high performers.

This framework works because it shifts the interaction from transactional to relational. When candidates feel valued, even if they aren’t joining your team today, they’re more likely to think of you as a trusted collaborator tomorrow.

Building relationships in recruiting isn’t just about filling roles; it’s about cultivating an ecosystem of talent that keeps growing, even when it’s out of sight. Stay connected, and you’ll see the benefits down the line.

Let’s keep this conversation going—how have you maintained connections after a ‘no’?

27/05/2025

Action item for every leader. Create a board of advisors in your life who will give you honest straightforward input.

"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." Proverbs‬ ‭‪15:22

26/05/2025

Effective recruiting often starts with a personal journey. Here's how to communicate your commitment and focus:

1. Highlight Personal Connections: Share your personal experiences and connections with the market.
2. Emphasize Market Potential: Point out the growth potential and strategic importance of the market.
3. Show Commitment: Clearly communicate your dedication and investment in specific areas.
4. Use Simple, Impactful Language: Convey your message using straightforward yet powerful terms like "red zone" or "hot market".
5. Inspire Pride and Ownership: Make recruits feel a sense of pride and belonging in the market.

Sharing your personal story and focusing on the unique potential of the market not only demonstrates your commitment but also builds a connection with recruits, inspiring them to feel a sense of pride and ownership in their work and location.

21/05/2025

First impressions and clear expectations are crucial in recruiting. Here's your guide for impactful engagement:

1. Personalize Your Approach: Customize your message to show you've researched the recruit thoroughly.
2. Set Clear Expectations: Clearly state your intentions and the potential of the relationship.
3. Highlight Specific Opportunities: Point out unique opportunities, like leading a new team in their region.
4. Emphasize Relationship Building: Focus on developing a meaningful relationship, not just a transactional recruiting process.
5. Use Vision Persuasion: Employ a visionary approach in recruiting, illustrating how they are integral to your company's future achievements.

In recruiting, make your first impression about inviting them into a collaborative and growth-oriented journey. Make them feel exclusively selected and genuinely important from the start.

20/05/2025

If you were Recruiter placed in a race, would you win? There are three areas you can lean in to be the best Recruiter in your market.

Number one, don't wing your calls. You need to grade scripting. If you have excellent scripting, it doesn't sound like a script. It sounds like a conversation.

Number two, you need a great sequence! Recruiting is not a bunch of one-off meetings. All great things follow a specific set of sequences. Make sure you know what you're inviting your recruits into with powerful next steps.

Number three, above everything, be a relationship builder. Relationships are the heartbeat of successful recruiting. The power of relationships transcends any digital algorithm.

As for the race, My bet is placed on one of the company logo shirts, Recruiters! That is someone who bought into the culture and beliefs of the organization. That's the sign of a passionate recruiter. Or someone who just likes free gear. Either way, my money is on them. Haha!

Your thoughts? Comment below and let me know what you believe would make a difference in winning this race.

19/05/2025

How do I show prospective hires what it's like to be on my team, through content and conversation?

One of the things we coach leaders on is this:

Recruits don't just say yes because of comp, model, or opportunity.

They say yes because, somewhere along the way, it started to feel like they already belonged.

We've seen clients turn recruiting around by shifting focus from pitching the opportunity to previewing the experience.

Here's a framework we coach leaders to use so their team's culture comes through before anyone signs an offer:

- Pull stories from inside the team. Celebrate small wins, share growth moments, highlight how people are developed. Then turn those stories into short posts, video clips, or talking points that give recruits a real glimpse behind the scenes.

- Invite recruits into the culture early. We've seen clients create casual intro calls, mastermind invites, or peer-to-peer convos where recruits get to feel the room. No pitch, just exposure.

- Coach leaders to show their voice online. When leaders share decisions they're making, lessons from the field, and what they believe about growth and leadership, it builds trust before the first conversation even happens.

- Use scripting that activates imagination. Questions like, "If you were already on our team, how would your day be different?" or "What kind of environment do you thrive in most?" These create emotional connection, not pressure.

- Share onboarding and growth moments publicly with permission. Whether it's a welcome post, a first win, or a story of someone stepping into leadership, showing these publicly creates a mirror for recruits who want the same.

This works because recruits are looking for alignment before they ever look at the numbers.
When leaders learn how to show the feel of their team through content and conversation, they stop chasing talent and start attracting the right kind.

16/05/2025

When you recruit someone, it shows what kind of leader you are. Let's break it down:

• Transactional vs. Transformational: If you treat recruiting like a widget sale, it's transactional. But if you're relational, asking deep, powerful questions like "What's your big dream?" or "Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?", you're being transformational.
• Surface Their Dreams: When you make another touchpoint with a recruit, always bring up their dream. This approach not only shows you care but also aligns with transformational leadership.
• Reveal Your Leadership: How you handle the recruiting sequence reveals your leadership style. Are you someone who offers more, who can answer the big questions clearly for people?

Recruiting is not just about filling a role. It's the beginning of a relationship where you guide and partner with them. It's about showing them that with you, they can do more than just work; they can grow and chase their dreams. This makes you a leader who values real connections, not just business.

15/05/2025

Fear plays a big role in conversations, especially in recruiting. Let's see how it works:
• Fear from Better Plans: If someone thinks your plan is better than their lack of a plan, it can scare them. For example, a manager might fear losing a loan officer to you if they think you know the market better.
• Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): This is a big one. Ever been to a webinar where they offer bonuses only for today or just for the first few people? That's using FOMO. Scarcity creates urgency.

So, when you say things like "We're launching one team in your market next year," or "We're only talking to three people," you're creating a sense of scarcity. This leads to urgency. Here's how it works:
• Scarcity in Language: Saying you have limited spots makes your opportunity seem more valuable.
• Creating Urgency: By limiting the number of conversations or opportunities, you make people want to act fast.

This strategy is about making sure people see your vision and feel the urgency to be a part of it. If done right, they'll fear missing out on a great opportunity, and that can be a powerful motivator.

13/05/2025

Logical persuasion is about using facts and data to make your point. Let's say you're launching a team. Here's how you'd use logical persuasion:
• Highlighting Market Strengths: You start by sharing why the job market is impressive. For instance, it might have the lowest unemployment rate in the U.S. and fast growth.
• Real Estate and Employer Data: Knowing key details like the median real estate value, future projections, and top employers in the market adds credibility.

Here's what this looks like in action:
• Data-Driven Roadmap: With facts about the recruiting talent pool, like knowing there are 82 people doing 8 million or more, you show you understand the market.
• Focusing on Top Performers: If you know the top 30% of agents and have a ranking list, you can target them effectively.
• Marketing Strategy: Your marketing department can then build a seven-step communication campaign to reach these top agents as you launch in the market.

Using logical persuasion means you're not just making claims; you're backing them up with solid data. This builds trust and shows that you're knowledgeable about the market. It's a powerful way to convince others that your company is valuable and well-prepared to succeed.

12/05/2025

One big mistake in my recruiting career was not having a system to stay in front of people, especially the "cold" ones.

These are the recruits who say "No, I'm good. I'm happy" when you reach out.

Many think this is a dead end. "They're happy, so there's nothing I can do."

But that's where I was wrong.

You don't need to give up on someone just because they're not immediately interested.

Having a system to discover their "why" shows you're a leader worth following.

It's about consistently staying in touch, not to ask for meetings or recruitment questions, but to genuinely connect.

"Are you okay? I saw your company in the news."

This kind of engagement, without pushing for anything, brings real value to them.

Understanding their "why" through this approach changes the game.

Address


Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Richard Milligan posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Richard Milligan:

Shortcuts

  • Address
  • Alerts
  • Contact The Business
  • Claim ownership or report listing

  • Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?

Share