Leroy Hoard was a Pro Bowl Running Back who played in the NFL from 1990-1999 with four different teams totaling 6,394 total yards and 51 touchdowns.
Hoard was known as a straight-ahead runner who was noted for both his sense of humor and bruising, powerful rushing style, Hoard was primarily a “goal-line” running back who excelled at breaking through an opposing defense’s goal line run-stopping formations.
The way the story goes is that years ago during a very serious team meeting as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, then Head Coach of the Vikings Dennis Green was letting the team know that they were going to increase the responsibility of Hoard running the ball during the upcoming week’s game.
Upon hearing the news that he was going to be given the additional responsibility, Hoard responded by saying “coach, if you ask me to get you 1 yard, I’m going to get you 3. If you ask me to get you 5 yards, I’m going to get you 3.” The comment lead to an eruption of laughter and his comment was applauded by teammates.
Not only is this an anecdote that will live in football history, it also had me thinking how a person such as Hoard is the exact person I would want on my Recruiting team for the following reasons:
He Is Honest
Setting expectations with candidates and customers is an incredibly important issue in the staffing world and one that can easily set one agency apart from another.
A recruiting firm over-promising and under-delivering on candidates is not good from a delivery perspective for anyone and being able to push back on customer expectations to let them know what the market will be able to produce can save a great deal of time on both sides.
Leroy Hoard understood this and it was clear with his quote telling Coach Green that if the coach needs three yards that he is not the right person for the job. Hoard didn’t want to tell a Manager that he can produce a Project Manager with 10 years of experience for only $25 per hour so rather than accepting the assignment up front and providing a sub par standard, Hoard would thank the Manager for the opportunity but tell him that he would not be the right firm for the requisition.
He Has A Niche
Leroy was known as a “goal line runner,” meaning his expectations were to get a few very tough yards consistently rather than running for 100 yards each game as others might.
I am always a little nervous when a Recruiter tells me that they can “recruit any skill set” thrown at them. While I am not doubting that a person can learn different skill sets in a short period of time, it is the network of each specific skill set that they will lack. I believe that there is an advantage in working with Recruiters who specialize in specific industries or niches where they can become subject matter experts and know extremely well rather than being a “jack of all traits.”
Industries and technologies are changing faster today than they ever have and there is just no way that a Recruiter can honestly say that they have in depth knowledge and pipeline of candidates in various unrelated industries such as Telecommunications, Aeronautical and Supply Chain all at the same time.
Having a specific niche can help with credibility and help foster deeper relationships within a specific target group you are trying to separate yourself within. Ultimately this expertise and specific network will lead to quicker turnaround of a candidate and a better chance of the candidate being referenced through your network so that you are able to confidently present them to the hiring team.
He Is Consistent
The level of risk that goes into playing in the NFL is amazing, especially for a starting Running Back. Most Running Backs are only in the league for a few years before their body can’t take anymore or their skills have washed up.
Leroy showed an amazing amount of toughness throughout his career and was able to put together an impressive 10 year run, something that the majority of Running Backs these days can only dream of.
Similar to the NFL, recruitment is filled with highs and lows. Industry turnover is extremely high, and Hiring Managers (just as Head Coaches) need employees that they can count on for an extended amount of time. It makes no sense for a Manager to hire a Recruiter and train them only to see them walk out the door a year later. Finding Recruiters who are dedicated to their craft and consistent over a long period of time and is how one recruitment team can stand out from their competition just as Leroy did when compared to other Running Backs.
It is essential to find Recruiters who can remain consistent and not get too high or too low as success comes and go. I have seen too many Recruiters put all their energy into a great few months and lead their team in starts only to find themselves burnt out the following quarter and disinterested in their work. Finding Recruiters who can keep a consistent steady pace to their work will help them remain able to produce at a high level despite the ups and downs that will inevitably come within a staffing environment. This consistency with a long term approach will lead to long and fruitful careers within the recruitment industry just as we see in the NFL with players like Leroy who can continuously produce rather than having just one or two strong years and then find themselves past their prime without a team to play for.
He Has A Great Network
As with any job where strong relationships are essential, sometimes when you hire a Recruiter you are hiring them for the network of customers and candidates that they will bring to your organization as much as their future ability to bring on new ones.
During his time in the NFL, Leroy Hoard played for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings. Hoard was extremely luck to play for a number of extremely successful Coaches who will go down amongst the greats in football coaching history. Not only did Hoard play for Dennis Green in Minnesota, he also played under legendary coaches Bill Belichick (Cleveland) and College Hall of Fame Coach Bo Schembechler (Michigan).
While some Managers like to have their Recruiters taught the business in house by their company Trainers, other might look to a candidate such as Hoard who has learned outside the organization under different Managers, or in Hoard’s case, future Hall of Fame Coaches and with the hopes that some of their knowledge and wisdom has rubbed off on him. Hopefully the new hire will be able to take some of their best practices and share them with his new team, and outside tips can be brought into their network just as Hoard did as he moved on to other teams throughout his career and brought their lessons with him.
Leroy Hoard embodies what I want out of my Recruiters, honest, hardworking, consistent and can bring a specific skill set along with established book of business to grow.
Leroy is currently busy with a sports broadcasting career covering football in the South Florida market although maybe one day he will be looking for a new position and I would be happy to consider him as a Recruiter if he ever was looking for a new career.
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