Focus is a superpower every recruiter needs, especially in a harsh market with tough competition. How do you keep yourself organized and focused despite multiple expectations that you have to deliver to your clients, candidates, and if you are a business owner, to your team?

Jenny shares the Jenny Diaz Day Plan and how it helps her stay organized and focused every day. She also shares how basic daily tasks help her business navigate this tough market while navigating growth and expansion.

Jenny Diaz entered recruiting in 2015. In late 2021, she, Ryan, and another former colleague, James, founded Apex Recruitment Group, a firm that specializes in construction management recruitment throughout DC, Virginia, and the Carolinas. 

While Jenny has worked in various industries, she has focused on construction management for the last several years. Through her recruitment career, Jenny has had the opportunity to participate in relevant non-profits that make the tough days in recruitment easier. She is currently the Vice President of one such organization, Career Confidence.

Episode Outline and Highlights

[03:31] How Jenny got into recruiting from studying Hebrew, traveling, car washing, and working on a dude ranch.

[12:29] Discussion on “Jenny Diaz Day Plan.”

[17:25] Launching Apex Recruitment Group and overcoming initial hurdles.

[23:19] The added value of meeting people in person.

[27:39] What is it like being married to your business partner?

[30:09] Keys to getting her first million.

[33:10] Going through challenges and things they would have done differently.

[43:34] Jenny shares their growth plans.

[48:03] Zooming in on Apex’s business culture.

[54:37] Business development and client acquisition in a tough market.

Jenny’s Day Planning Process

Focus is the super power that recruiters need for sure. Successful business owners and recruiters have a daily hack on how to organize their to do’s and make the most of their days. Jenny is no different, and she gladly shared the “Jenny Diaz Day Plan.” 

“So I have this Microsoft Word doc… I print it out, I take a pencil because the day will change, and I write down whatever's on my Microsoft calendar. I have a list of follow-ups that I'm people I'm going to follow up with. That's usually like five to 30 people depending. I have my three main goals, I have my two jobs. I'm going to work that day if I get it. I have things I'm grateful for, that I've learned.”

To summarize her methodology, here are the takeaways:

Jenny meticulously plans each day using a printed Microsoft Word document with hourly blocks

She writes her plan in pencil to allow for adjustments throughout the day

Her day plan includes follow-ups, main goals, jobs to work, things she's grateful for, and long-term goals

Writing plans physically rather than digitally creates a stronger commitment

The planning process helps combat distractions and provides focus

Jenny maintains this day-planning routine for approximately 90% of her workdays

Do you have a similar approach to being focused and organized?

Going Through Setbacks and Valuable Lessons Learned

Like all business owners, Jenny and his team have had a few setbacks that can be considered teachable moments. 2023 was a challenging year for them as they expanded too quickly into new geographies while the market was getting softer. They also hired four additional people, which created financial pressure and eventually forced them to scale back after the overexpansion.

Jenny shared critical learnings and adjustments they had to take to avoid reoccurrence. They learned the importance of tracking KPIs over different time periods (weekly, monthly, quarterly).

“So one thing I have done this year, just with the team member I'm working with, and he probably hates it, but I'm telling him, listen, every week you're going to fill out this form and you know it's more than just KPIs.”

They also used color-coding systems to track performance patterns.

“This is what we're doing. Are they green, yellow, or red? I actually have them. I have them, Mark, green, yellow, or red? And you know, if last week was all red, but you're trailing six months are green. Like, let's get back at it if it's all red for six months. Well, this is a story, right?”

Lastly, Jenny appreciates how partnership was crucial during tough times as partners talked each other ‘off the ledge’.

“But I think the partnership was really helpful in that because we could look around and say, no, get back. Like, come back. Like, we've all been there. You're gonna get over it. You're gonna have a great month soon. I don't know when it is, but like just get back at it.”

Business Development and Client Acquisition Tactics in a Tough Market

I also enjoyed the part of our interview where Jenny emphasized the importance of getting back to the basics on business development in a tough market.

“But it's, it's the basics. I think we are still big on cold calls. We do business development calls that are cold. We try to do a little bit. I try to do a little bit on LinkedIn or a lot, as much as I can.”

Their business development tactics include:

Cold calls - the team targets 50 meaningful connections per week.

LinkedIn Engagement

Database management.

Jenny Diaz Bio and Contact Info

Jenny has partnered with firms of all sizes to successfully recruit entry-level professionals to C-level executives. Since 2017, she has focused on engaging construction management talent in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. She stumbled into recruitment through seemingly unrelated experiences that began with working and studying in Russia and Israel and then ended on a dude ranch outside of Yellowstone. She has learned that the people you meet along the way are anything but chance encounters.

Jenny on LinkedIn

Apex Recruitment Group website link

People and Resources Mentioned

Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0 by David Perry

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