Every company wants to find the “Right Candidate,” for their open position(s). Company recruiters assume it is completely in the candidates hands for them to bring everything to the table when it comes to interviewing. When in fact, it may correlate with how you as the recruiter are setting yourself up for failure. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you become a stronger and more effective recruiter.
Advice From a Successful Recruiter
Jim Zuehlke, a successful Recruiter at Cardinal Board Services, said there are three main ingredients that every recruiter must have in their everyday job mindset.
- Become a Research Ninja
- It’s easy to find candidates; it’s hard to find the right candidate, right person, and deliver the right message. Research improves your chances.
- Never Give Up
- Whether it takes you four calls or forty calls, never lose your drive to get the right candidate.
- Spend time with the client and learn about their culture. Become so diverse with their culture that while you are recruiting, the person you are recruiting believes you are with the company.
- This helps you know what you need to look for and keeps everyone engaged.
Let’s Start with the Basics:
- Do your research. Now do more. And more again. Repeat.
- Look at all their social media platforms
- Search their previous employers and business models
- Try to locate some of their work online (if able)
- Message templates are obvious and almost an insult. You want the candidate to be a part of your team, right? Be creative, be personable, show them you are truly interested.
- Make your point by letting them know what you want and are looking for in less than 150 words. Time is precious!
- Personalize as much as you can. Instead of, “We have an excellent…” try, “You would be an excellent…”
- Don’t waste your time on personal introductions. They can read your personal title and what you do for the company, besides it is about them anyway.
- Make specific compliments about the candidate. You should be able to find them if you did your research.
- Don’t leave or end the conversation without making a call-to-action. Set up a time, date, and place to meet again to further discuss the employment opportunity.
- Don’t ask for other candidate recommendations for a “just in case.” Now that, truly, would be insulting to the person you are trying to recruit.
- Be comfortable with who you are recruiting. Talk on a first name basis as if you are old-time friends. The personal approach will make them already feel like they are a part of the team.
- Send current news/updates about your company. It gives them more of an insight to what the business does and what they could be a part of.
A Few Tips to Consider Before Beginning:
- Be sure to look at in-house candidates. They already have the knowledge of the business and may be looking for a challenge.
- Involve other employees to see who they would recommend or believe would be the most successful in that position with their qualifications.
- Bring a couple of those most trusted employees in to get another opinion, they would have a good idea for who to look for in a leader because they would be working with them.
- Pay as much as your competitors or just a bit more. If you truly want them, you will be willing to compensate them for what their true value is.
Think outside the box. Think big for the end goal of where you want your company to go. Be proactive and always one step ahead.
By Kendahl Schlueter
Sources: Recruitloop.com, TheBalanceCareers.com, Recruiting.com, Jim Zuehlke