Talking with candidates is the most essential part of
recruiting. Knowing how to manage the conversation and steer it where it needs
to go is crucial to making placements or adding new hires to your team. The
fastest way to make a candidate mad is to ‘wing it’ yet that’s what the
majority of new recruiters do if they bypass recruiter training.
The Goal
The end goal is to hire the best talent for the position.
Initial conversations weed out less qualified candidates quickly and conduct
in-depth interviews with the candidates most worthy of our time. Fundamental to
finding success in recruiting is the ability to ask good questions right out of
the gate.
We have about 30 -45 seconds max to gain the cooperation of
a candidate who is probably at work when they answer our call. Thus, a good
script is needed to engage. A good script disarms and shuts down an automatic
response of, ‘Go away I’m busy’. When a recruiter can engage and build a little
trust fast, a candidate will spend five – ten –twenty minutes talking about
their situation so they can hear about what you have to offer.
Big Mistake
The biggest mistake new recruiters make is telling a
candidate too much about their opportunity before the candidate is ready. This
error flips the control of the process to the listener. If one gives out all
their info too soon, they have no more carrots to dangle in front of the listener
to keep them talking. If a prospective employee uses this power to prematurely
dismiss an opportunity the call is shut down. The recruiter is left without
knowing whether that was an appropriate decision or not because they failed to
get enough information to qualify the candidate.
In the initial give and take, for the ultimate win/win
result is to unfold one must create an atmosphere where the candidate is given bits of
information in return for information provided. When they demonstrate they may be a good to great match for the
job the floodgates of information open. The process is the same no matter if we’re speaking with CEOs or entry-level
sales people. The process remains the same for every industry, and every
position. What changes is the terminology and hiring criteria.
Closing
Recruiting is a series of small closes. Contingency fee
recruiters work with a sense of urgency because they provide superior service
by working quickly. We work on commission so if we don’t produce, we don’t get
paid. By honoring our main objective, which is to provide the best talent, we
almost guarantee our client will use us again and again.
The Conversation
Think of the recruiting call strategically. Make a list of
what a candidate must have in terms of skill sets and personality in order to
qualify for an interview. Design your questions around those factors. Before
you call anyone you must clarify in your own mind what constitutes a poor,
fair, good, or excellent answer. Ask the same questions to each candidate to
gather objective information.
We make decisions on objective and subjective information so
your information must be detailed and accurate. Check the facts. During the
conversation your currency is information so parcel it out based on what the
candidate needs to hear in order to move forward. Be friendly but make sure you
manage the call.
When ten minutes passes the right candidate will be really
excited to move ahead. 10 times out of 11 it will be our job to let the
candidate know they're not quite right for the position or the employer, if we've done our job correctly. There
are a dozen ways to respectfully and kindly set aside less than desirable
candidates. Put yourself in their shoes and down the road when you re-contact
them with an opportunity that does match their experience, they’ll greet you like
an old friend.
The steps in the recruiting process are easy to learn and take practice
to perfect. Without recruiter training so much time is wasted on trial and
error that a vast number of new recruiters quit the profession. Working without
success sucks. Learning how to effectively handle any question, situation, or surprise
will help anyone close more deals and avoid pricey conversational collisions.
It’s all about the conversation so develop the recruiting skills, know-how, and follow the process. One more thing…you’re going to need a
wheel barrel. The wheel barrel is for taking your money to the bank and believe
me, that’s one job you’ll never fail to enjoy.
by Kimberly Schenk, Executive Recruiter, Trainer, Author
