Your Recruiting Career Begins With A Great Recruiting Process

Recruiting is an attractive career because it offers a high income, and the freedom to work independently. Once one knows the recruiting process and develops the necessary skill sets, she can choose to work on contract, as part of an agency, as a high level corporate recruiter, or create unique arrangements tailored to the individual needs of a client (volume assignments).

A good recruiting program, in my opinion, is one that provides an overview of the placement process and then breaks down the process into easy to manage steps. During each phase a recruiter should know what to do and say to optimize results and keep the process moving ahead. There are countless decisions to make all day long in the life of a recruiter and it’s very easy to waste time on tasks that don’t generate revenue.

A sound recruiting method helps one to work efficiently and stay focused. Every day a good recruiter will:

1.     Send a candidate out on an interview

2.     Find a new search assignment

3.     Discover a qualified candidate

4.     Or Close a deal, and set a start date for a new hire

It’s easy to over complicate recruiting however the best recruiters keep life simple. They don’t tolerate distractions. They know their role and equip themselves with the tools and tactics to run the show in a productive way.

During the recruitment process common situations arise repeatedly. One must memorize proven statements and when the time is right, use those statements in a manner that conveys authenticity and sincerity.

Too often new recruiters get hired by less-than-ethical agencies and are duped (only for awhile) into sitting at a desk with a phone and without training. They are told to ‘find candidates’ or 'Get a new search'. They may as well have been told, “There’s the wall, start pounding your head against it until you find a candidate”. If you're going to cold call then you should have training, guidance, and knowledge of what to do and say.

The way to survive and thrive as a recruiter is to get recruiter training and find a mentor. It’s one thing to learn the mechanics of how to recruit and another to manage the process with finesse. Recruiting takes practice. After feeling like a deer in the headlights a few dozen times, the motivation to access the correct tool in the moment is so strong, success happens.

If there's no one to mentor you, pay for recruiter coaching. This small investment will lead to hires and help you refine your style. Recruiting is only fun if you’re making placements. A coach will get you to the next level. Be prepared with questions and if a strategy does not resonate with you, push back and ask for another.

The right recruiting method, powerful tools, insightful strategies, and practice combine to create results quickly and keep placements flowing. Keep developing your recruiting skills. Each day review the activity and think about how you can tweak your phrases and improve your process. This is the way to become a better recruiter and the way to love your career.

by Kimberly Schenk, Executive Recruiter, Trainer, Author