Today I read another post about stress in sales and recruitment. I agree sales and recruitment is stressful – often, very stressful. People are complex, and this can sometimes lead to them being unpredictable. (Please wait for my blog coming shortly – “Who Are You, What Can You Do for Me?” – which will help reduce instances of surprise and unpredictability!) For the inexperienced or poorly trained sales and recruitment professional – very unpredictable!

However, yet again, the abolition of KPI’s was offered up as an attractive solution to reducing the stress experienced in sales and recruitment. This attracted a large number of replies most of which extolled the virtues of them not having any KPI’s – the general thrust of response being “they” didn’t have KPI’s. Now, a swift look at the generic career profiles of those responding showed they were mainly relatively junior recruitment professionals, most of whom had established a series of relatively short stays. Certainly, no one replied whose profile I considered to be that of a seasoned expert or business owner!

I know KPI’s have always been my best friend – when applied at the correct levels of measurement, and to the relevant areas of the role. I’m fortunate in having been supported by some exceptionally gifted boss’s. They consistently agreed relevant KPI’s. Instead of feeling stressed, I actually felt more in control. Yes, there were matrixes of achievable expectations, each time scaled and agreed – but, having discussed these with boss’s I viewed as experts, looked up to and inspired me – we had always reached comfortable agreement. I felt in control and supported!

The achievement of each KPI was a genuine cause for celebration, a marked increase in my confidence – and a further acceleration of my personal levels of motivation. (Oh, and where I struggled and failed, support was swift, genuine & effective)
In my work I regularly stumble across the clumsy application of KPI’s. Irrelevant objectives, levied hastily, often well meaning – though complete fiction. These scenarios are frequently accompanied by a lack of structured support and absence of training.
I suspect many of those who hold a view which opposes my own maybe talented people who are victims of this level of clumsy application! Alternatively, they may simply be in the wrong job?

KPI’s must be supported by genuine management. When they are not – they become negative, isolating & demotivational. They should be evidenced as being realistic & achievable through using comparable colleagues as benchmarks – thus legitimising their achievability!

I suggest KPI’s are a motivated professional’s best friend. I suggest KPI’s when skilfully applied DO motivate people and BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE. Skilfully & sincerely applied they reduce stress and empower the committed!

A sale or placement is the end result of doing a number of crucial things successfully. If you don’t have KPI’s you are blind to all the component successes you are achieving, despite them sometimes not leading to the ultimate victory. The absence of KPI’s seems like an awfully bleak way of working to me!

Their absence is like flying a plain in the dark with all instruments turned off – because the pilot finds them too stressful! You will crash!

If the subjects covered here illicit empathy and familiarity – we can help.