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Most IT staffing firms have the office favorite that strives beyond the required work to win over not only other technical recruiters, but also their clients, candidates, and hiring managers.  Their work is superior to the standards of IT recruiting companies and consistently accepts and meets challenges with outstanding value, feedback, and performance.  Are these workers inspirational or toxic to IT recruiting company morale?

Motivation

By having an IT staffing rep set the bar for performance, one will have an understanding of the realistic expectations from managers.  If one experiences difficulty achieving his goals, he may be less intimidated to reach out to the office favorite for suggestions or tips rather than his supervisor.  These outstanding performers have the ability to make advancements during their career and can offer mentoring to employees who need extra help or push.  Also, by observing how the office favorite is treated among his peers, other employees will work to meet their potential.

Disheartening

Workers may become apathetic in terms of improving their skills and output if they consistently hear how one employee is carrying the team.  Because they are less likely to be acknowledged for their effort, they may become unenthusiastic and lose a drive for improvement.  Worse, these unmotivated employees may resent the office favorite for making them feel and appear incompetent by comparison.

For the Future

Rather thin pinpointing an exceptional employee, managers should recognize all outstanding work.  If a technical recruiter significantly improves one quarter, acknowledge and commend him for his hard work.  When an IT recruiter makes an effort to advance, but fails to meet his goal, provide feedback and areas to tweak in order to make progress.  Only mentioning mistakes and poor performance is bound to bring down the atmosphere of IT staffing companies.  Remember that teamwork is a group effort, so all responsibilities apply to IT headhunters, not just the superstars!