Creating a top notch recruiting strategy is a prerequisite to attracting top performers and to get extraordinary results a recruiter must be willing to do what others aren’t willing or able to do.  But the task of creating a winning strategy requires an understanding of some basic principles of the business.  Let’s take a look at a few:

1. Recruiting is a never-ending series of battles over talent.  The best recruiters understand and respond to the fact that they are in competition with others over a limited pool of valuable job candidates.
2. Every job candidate recruited must have a positive impact on a business’ bottom-line. When a firm is looking for talent they are looking for someone who will help make their business more profitable.  When choosing candidates recruiters must ask themselves, “How will this job candidate improve the firm’s financial standing?”
3. Technology is useful in helping a recruiter build long-term relationships with potential job candidates.  Any recruiting CRM software or technology that fails to aid in building a long-term relationship with job candidates is not worth having.
4. Building a relationship with top performers BEFORE you need them for a job order is critical if you want to be competitive in the recruiting industry.
5. Poaching top performers from companies in transition is not only acceptable; but a smart recruiting strategy.  Companies experiencing mergers, bankruptcy, layoffs and changes in leadership are prime locations for finding and recruiting top performers. 
6. Change is the only constant in the recruiting industry, what worked yesterday may not work today.  This is why recruiters must consistently measure the results of each recruiting tactic.