I remember when John Naisbitt first published Megatrends in 1982, introducing high-tech/high-touch ideas. He advocated a balance between technology and humanity, which makes sense. We started thinking about technology as a way to increase efficiency, but we never imagined that today we would be thinking about how to use technology to build relationships. It turns out we need John Naisbitt's wisdom now more than ever.
I work in physician recruitment, and it's usually a very high-touch business. We match physicians with regions or health systems that are willing to retain them long-term and have made a significant investment in both time and money. This is a business built on personal relationships, and while candidate sourcing in particular requires the use of technology to increase productivity and efficiency, there is no substitute for the value you get from your people.
As we look across our recruiting team, we see people who are great at building relationships – managers who have honed their instincts and built their careers on insight, thoughtfulness, creativity and agility when it comes to hard-to-fill positions. You can see. The situation is becoming increasingly competitive.
Can an algorithm put together a pool of candidates with the right mix of experience, personality, and potential? Can a bot determine cultural fit or find future leaders? And what about the job? Will I be able to find anyone who is actually interested in that? I don't think that's possible, and I'm not going to bank on my company on the idea that it might be. . That doesn't mean I don't believe in technology. It simply means I don't believe in over-reliance on technology.
It's not about rejecting technology. It's about recognizing your limitations. It's also important to be clear about what your business is and isn't.
In “The Nordstrom Way,” author Robert Spector writes that a quality customer experience (a concept bigger than customer service) is based on empowered employees, trained in the art of service; It then unpacks the idea that managing the relationship with the customer starts with gaining trust. long term success. The components of Nordstrom's highly regarded culture are distinctly human: respect, trust, compensation, and fun. This is his approach that has been around since 1901, and has expanded to embrace digital tools, but not using them in place of the human touch. It's considered the bible of customer experience, and for good reason. If you've ever used Nordstrom's high-touch service, whether shopping for a special occasion, exchanging items in-store, or returning items after a long delay, you know the Nordstrom difference.
We may not all be building legendary customer experiences like the ones you see at Nordstrom, but thinking about what kinds of businesses need something that technology can't provide. is worth it. In our recruitment business, we consider recruitment business to be the best service. This is both a step forward and a return to basics in terms of what it means to be intimate in a high-tech world. . Here's how:
Rent for service.
Building a customer-first culture starts with service adoption. You can tell a lot about a new employee based on their demeanor during the interview process. Are they quick and responsive, are their follow-ups timely, and does their communication with you show that they listen well and have empathy? Do they answer and return calls independently? Do they respond thoughtfully when presented with problem-solving scenarios? These are hallmarks of a customer experience mindset.
Empower your employees.
Once you've made the hire and provided a solid onboarding experience, your customer-facing team will be able to do their best to resolve client issues quickly. In our business, that might mean making and receiving calls on nights and weekends when doctors have downtime and can discuss potential career changes. It involves making multiple visits to local hospitals and far-flung medical facilities to help clients best prepare for their new hire's visit, and advising clients in the midst of fast-paced negotiations. It may mean using your own judgment to do something. .
to call.
The more transactional your business is, the more important it is to differentiate yourself through personal support. Make phone calls, plan lunches, and invite customers to visit in person. Once a relationship is established and trust has been built, technology such as text messages and email can be used to communicate, but it should not be the only means of contact and should not be used as a personal connection. It should not be replaced.
Think of time like an hourglass.
The sand in the hourglass waits for no one and disappears when time passes. Fulfilling a promise is like sand. Opportunities to fulfill promises are once exhausted. So make sure your words are true and make sure you deliver on your promises to your clients.
Richard Branson said, “The customer doesn't come first. The employee comes first. If you take care of your employees, your employees will take care of your customers.” By hiring for service, empowering your people, showing personal connections and delivering on your promises, you'll build teams that excel at creating great customer experiences.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom, finding common ground and finding connections.