To establish recruiting goals for you and your team this year, it may be helpful to use the SMART goal framework developed by George Doran nearly 40 years ago.

This framework has been successful in all types of business applications, and it has withstood the test of time because it’s both simple and effective.

Here are the components of a SMART goal as it applies to recruiting:

Specific–target a specific metric (e.g., hires) or a lead measure that will result in the desired outcome (e.g., face-to-face appointments).

Measurable–select a metric that can be reliably measured. For example, it’s easy to tally the number of appointments you or your team have completed.

Achievable–select an aggressive objective that can be reasonably obtained by hard-working individuals with available resources.

Relevant–the goal should contribute to the overall success of the organization. For example, hiring a large number of low-quality agents to reach a hiring goal may not contribute to the profitability of the company or help you maintain a high-performing culture.

Time-related–specify when the result must be achieved by setting a deadline.

If you’re just starting to set goals, use this framework to guide your thoughts and ideas.

If you already have goals, use this framework to evaluate the effectiveness of your objectives.

This we know for sure—without smart recruiting goals your recruiting performance will suffer.