As Director of National Sales, I have overall responsibility for the management and strategic growth of enterprise accounts. In this role, I have the opportunity to work with my clients to assist in developing and executing their workforce management initiatives.
I find that many of my clients feel the same pain points and face the same challenges. It is very rewarding to be able to leverage my experience and industry knowledge to bring them solutions that have an immediate positive impact. Here's a typical day for me.
8 a.m.
Bring my car to a slow roll and kick the kids out the door for summer camp. I'm kidding. I actually stop and walk them safely inside. After kisses all around, I'm back to the car and starting my commute. I use "commute" loosely. Many times, I look at a good portion of my day as a commute. It just has small breaks in between called meetings.
9 a.m.
I start the day in the office by reading the latest blogs related to workforce management and employment trends. I also catch up on weekly business journals for various industries. My clients all share a common goal when they reach out to me: the need for a contractor, workforce planning and management, or a project-based solution. However, their needs exist in the world in which their company resides. It helps if I have a general awareness of industry news for various markets.
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
I have a local meeting with a key client to discuss workforce planning strategy. This particular client anticipates the loss of 15 percent of their existing workforce this year. Having no budget to backfill those positions is only part of the problem.
Most of the employees that will retire were asked if they would consider returning as a contractor. The answer had been a resounding "no, thank you," which is very unusual for the culture at this company. An aging workforce that has over 30 years of knowledge and the probable risk that most of that knowledge might retire with the employee can be daunting.
After providing several ideas as food for thought, we schedule a follow-up meeting to talk about what choices work best for the organization and how Yoh can assist in implementing the selected strategy.
11 a.m.
I'm back in the office and on a conference call talking through performance metrics on a large enterprise account with a managed staffing provider. In sustaining and nurturing relationships during the peak of the Great Recession, we have proven ourselves as a valued supplier partner. However, even when true partnership exists, continuous management of delivery combined with process improvement seem to be the keys to ongoing success.
When the conference call ends, I take immediate steps to redirect delivery on the account.
Luckily, my recruiting team is amazing (and that is a purely objective statement). They have an energy much like that of a two-year-old -- they can run full steam for hours and never exhaust themselves. Responsive and enthusiastic, this team of recruiters fully grasps that speed to market is key when working a large account under a VMS (vendor management system) or MSP (managed service provider).
So, less than 30 minutes later, the recruiting team lead and I have covered the key areas that require additional focus. We have discussed how to shift resources for maximum coverage and how to leverage our knowledge base by discipline to best respond to requirements.
With immediate action taken, the recruiting team lead discovers that in realigning resources and utilizing existing resources for certain tasks, eight hours of recruiting time per week will be added for one of our dedicated recruiters on this account. An additional resource was also assigned, and I am confident we will achieve the desired results.
12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
My activity for lunch varies greatly. Client lunches tend to result in great company, great food and, of course, great conversation. Naturally, I take the opportunity to talk about the exciting things my clients have in the works and the exciting ways in which Yoh can ad value. I think the best part of my job is knowing that I have the ability to directly impact the success of each of my clients in exceeding expectations and meeting business objectives -- day-to-day or on a project.
Admittedly, some of the greatest conversations have been about families, kids, and vacation plans. Getting to know my clients both professionally and personally is one of the greatest aspects of my position.
Today, however, I do not have a client lunch. I am flying to Houston tomorrow morning, and I have to wrap up some office work before I leave. So, a run to Saladworks it is. I'm going to splurge and eat my roll. Yup, I'm crazy like that.
2:30 p.m.
I have a call with the branch manager and one of the account managers in our Kansas City office to discuss local pursuit of a key client. Yoh has been awarded a portion of business that we will work to implement in the Kansas City region. For this particular client, Kansas City, Houston, and Atlanta will be key players in the support and growth of this account.
A part of the account management strategy will include team calls with account managers from each of those locations. They will occur biweekly to ensure we are providing sufficient support to the client, developing relationships that will increase our knowledge and understanding of ongoing needs.
4:30 p.m.
I field two calls from the West Coast to discuss projected third quarter activity for another client. We spend a few minutes discussing delivery and revenue distribution. We also discuss the weather and how my trip to Houston doesn't seem nearly as enticing as a trip to the Northwest.
It's the end of the day, and I still have to pack. So, I pack up the office, and I'm homeward bound.
I respond to a few e-mail messages tonight and write this blog post. It's amazingly difficult to outline your day when a typical day as Director of Sales is anything but typical. It isn't ordinary or mundane. It is forever different. When you think your day is planned, and your schedule is locked down, think again. The clients, sales team supporting your accounts, your recruiters, and your contractors have something altogether different in mind for you.
This post was written by former Seamless Workforce Contributor Tammy Taylor