Building sustainable habits in recruitment | How to cultivate a “top biller” mindset

Let’s be honest - everybody wants to be a top biller at some point in their recruitment career!

Not only is it an excellent achievement for yourself, but it’s also an incredible accolade to have within the agency that you work for.

But, there can only be one “top biller” - so what makes them so unique? What enables them to achieve year-on-year?

I’ve unpacked the top 10 things you can start doing today to cultivate a top biller mindset.

 Let’s dive in.

 Top 10 things to cultivate a top biller mindset

 #1 I’m looking at mistakes as learnings instead of what I did wrong.

Top billers aren’t perfect.

In fact, some of the biggest billers in recruitment have made huge mistakes. It’s part and parcel of being a recruiter - some days are good, some days are bad.

However, the “top biller” mindset is looking at these mistakes as opportunities to learn instead of opportunities to beat themselves up.

Reframing your mindset towards mistakes and “bad days” and viewing them as learning curves is such a vital skill to cultivate.

#2 I’m humble & don’t think I’m better than others.

Confidence is different from cockiness, and having a bad attitude won’t get you far in the recruitment world.

Being humble and seeing others as peers instead of competition is an incredible way to think, and enables you to focus on yourself rather than on what others are doing.

#3 My clients & candidates are equally as important.

It can be very easy to put all of your time and energy into clients and business development, when the reality is that your clients are your candidates, and your candidates are your clients.

Top billers don’t see one as more valuable than the other, instead - they view them as equal.

Investing the right amount of time in each will pay you dividends in the long-run.

#4 Long-term gain over short-term wins.

Your mindset should always be focused on what you can achieve in the long term.

We already know that the myth of earning £100,000 in your first year and becoming a top biller at the same time is pretty much unachievable; instead - this takes time, dedication, and patience!

Top billers always focus on the future and how they can keep top biller status year-on-year.
#5 Team work is key (and so is cross-selling)

Achieving incredible billings is made a hell of a lot easier through teamwork - and that means cross-selling!

Becoming an expert in your market should be priority #1, but priority #2 should be familiarising yourself with what other markets complement you, how you can work together, and cross-pollinate with clients.

#6 There is enough business out there for everybody.

Similarly, with competing against others - top billers don’t feel the need to infiltrate others in an organisation and instead know that there is an abundance of work out there.

Even in a market as saturated as the recruitment world, there is so much business to be won.

#7 I know my worth & when to say “no”.

Working multiple jobs at any one time isn’t actually as impressive as meets the eye, especially if you aren’t qualifying these jobs and most importantly, filling them.

Knowing your worth is something that we’ve touched upon multiple times in this newsletter - and learning how to say “no” is what will take you to that top biller status.

Whether it’s saying no because the rate isn’t right, or it’s saying no to a candidate because you know you can’t help them right now - top billers master this early on and are incredibly honest with themselves about what they can deliver on.

#8 I’m always looking at how I can improve.

Always be learning. Whether it’s books, podcasts, workshops, events, or talking to others in the industry - top billers know that they aren’t the finished article and are constantly looking at ways in which they can level up.

Recruitment is incredibly fast-paced, and the industry is ever-changing. Make sure you’re learning to stay ahead of the curve in every aspect.

#9 Feedback is key in every aspect of my work.

Top billers want feedback. They want to improve.

Feedback is crucial - from clients, candidates, peers, and team members.

Requesting feedback enables them to improve quicker, and also realise that feedback (however negative it can sometimes be) can be used for good.

#10 I set boundaries with my time & my energy.

Top billers are aware of boundary setting whether this is in their personal or professional life.

Learning how to do this can be in the form of saying no as mentioned earlier, but it can also be recognising how valuable your time is and being stricter with it.

Are you attending pointless meetings? Are you being efficient with your day? Have you reviewed your day plan?

These are all important things to consider and look at.

And finally, know that being a top biller takes time, and it shouldn’t be your only goal as a recruiter.

Sure, achieving top biller status is a great way to progress your career, but it should never be at the detriment or sacrifice of your work (or your personal life).