Become A Better Recruiter: 7 Tips To Make More Placements!

Here are 7 tips one can implement to help to increase the number of placements made each month. They center around working more efficiently, not harder. Quality is far more important than quantity during a search. I’m not knocking quantity; volume can lead to refinement of technique.

1. Control the recruiting process with smart questions. Good questions enable employers and candidates to relax and honestly discuss their goals, dreams, likes, and dislikes. Prepare open-ended questions. ‘Open’ questions require explanations, opinions, and thought process, vs. a yes or no response.

2. Be ready to tactfully challenge ideas without being disagreeable or offensive. Being contrary can obviously hurt your chances of making a placement. We add value to our service when we help employers and candidates see themselves or their actions in a truthful light. We are the experts and our experience has weight.

3. Focus. Don’t allow yourself to be pulled off course. If you plan to get a send-out on a given day stay on task until it’s done. Cut short distractions that will not produce a send-out. When recruiters focus, their performance improves, and less time is wasted. Decisions become sharper and insights keener when one works with clarified purpose.

4. Conclude each encounter with a clear definition of what’s to come next. Don’t let chance ever be the choice. Instead of ‘Let’s touch base tomorrow”, nail down a set time to talk and get the other party to commit.

5. At the end of each day reflect on the day’s interactions. Refine the words and phrases you use. Don’t over-talk. State your thoughts succinctly. Write down phrases and edit them, especially those that address issues that arise daily.

Exact phrasing is powerful. The right words convey professionalism and authority. Recruiters lead effectively by the words they choose. Your words and actions create credibility. 6. Explain what each party can expect to happen next. Ask for feedback throughout the process.

7. Create dozens of small closing statements. “You said you wanted a candidate with at least 4 years of experience. This candidate has 5-½ years experience plus they’ve taken the initiative to pursue a master’s degree from M.I.T. How do you feel about their background? (Close). Let’s schedule a time for you two to meet this week. What times do you have open on Thursday? Every time the process moves forward, it’s a close.

Success in recruiting is a series of small sales. We qualify candidates then close them by scheduling an interview with a client who meets their definition of a positive career move. When a glitch occurs, we use the information we’ve carefully gathered along the way to solve problems and keep both parties moving toward agreement.

Small changes in behavior and word choice lead to more placements. Focus, and phrasing can turn seemingly impossible situations around. Work with intention and watch your closing ratio rise. Cha-ching! That’s the sound of your fee dropping into your bank account.

To become a better recruiter one must be mindful of the impact our statements have on clients and candidates throughout the process. Delete phrases that are unnecessary or work against your purpose. We must not let others waste our precious time. Our livelihood is based on the words we choose to use. Words are at the center of our craft. Choose them wisely.

by Kimberly Schenk, Executive Recruiter, Trainer, Author of 'Top Recruiter Secrets' eBook, In-House Headhunting: How To Recruit Anyone, Cold Call Therapy, and iCommunicate

How To Recruit: Why Not Recruit Passive Candidates?

In-house recruiters, sales managers, CEO’s of small companies and others who are responsible for growing their business are at a loss if no one responds to their help-wanted ads. Posting ads online is expensive. There’s no guarantee you’ll attract the best candidate for the open position. The answer is to recruit passive candidates. A passive candidate is one who is ‘happily’ employed and not actively looking for a new job.

From a veteran recruiter’s perspective, the need for great talent seems to be ever increasing. Instead of struggling with vacancies, learn how to successfully recruit the exact people your company needs. Sure, you can hire an executive recruiter, but you could also develop a few specific skill sets and save tens of thousands of dollars.

The truth is only 20% of the workforce floats their resumes online or are actively looking for a job. The other 80% are working. The majority of recruiters never approach passive candidates over the phone. What if you were equipped to methodically hire one new person a month on your schedule? What if you had control over the hiring process timetable?

When one masters the key techniques top recruiters use they're able to deliberately extract employees with the attitude and skill sets required, from wherever those candidates are currently working. I’ve been advising employers what to say and do to ensure desirable candidates accept their offers for twenty years. These smart people can certainly recruit candidates directly. There’s a process and protocol to recruiting that separates true headhunters from general recruiters.

Some in-house recruiters place amazing numbers of people into their organization by sifting through resumes submitted via their websites. The most available candidates often are not the best candidates. When the corporation hiring needs exceeds the number of recruiters, vacancies remain open and hiring managers are disappointed.

I propose taking control by directly approaching the personnel you need to meet your goals. Forge ahead with confidence knowing you can recruit top talent on your own with a little training. Not only will you save your company time and money, you’ll find yourself using these techniques in every kind of deal making situation.

Whether you’re negotiating with your teenagers or planning a corporate merger, if you know how to recruit, you hold the secret to managing outcomes. When you have the ability to engage candidates, qualify, and either dismiss or move them to the next level in your hiring process, you’ll appreciate the power recruiting skills deliver.

Case in point: I’ve recruited loan officers (one of several niches) for years. I talk with branch managers, CEOs, and VPs who are working hard to grow market share and territories. If I make five calls to generate new search assignments, three calls are returned. The need for talent is great. Most branch managers could successfully recruit loan officers themselves if they possessed several proven strategies.

These men and women are sales people and with a little help those skill sets can be modified to recruit top talent on a consistent basis. The benefits of learning how to recruit passive candidates are difficult to calculate. This refined knowledge on how to be a recruiter is guaranteed to give you an advantage in your career, earnings, and professional stature. 

by Kimberly Schenk, Author of 'Top Recruiter Secrets' and 'Cold Call Therapy'

Call today to discuss your situation and background. I can tailor a manual to your industry and provide one-on-one training until you're completely satisfied, all at a price that fits your budget.
720-675-3547

Recruiting Senior Level Candidates

Several times a year someone asks how recruiting CEO’s, VP’s or other high ranking candidates is different from recruiting rising-through-the-ranks candidates. There is no difference. Follow the recruiting process. A candidate is a candidate. A great recruiter must interview any candidate to determine qualifications, temperament, leadership qualities, management style, and competence.

When recruiting senior level managers, business owners, and entrepreneurs it’s important to prepare carefully as any fee related to these positions typically is substantial. What’s going on in the industry? What kind of reputation does the candidate have within their respected industry? What are some of their accomplishments and what was the business climate during their tenure?

Talk to them as a peer. Ask direct questions. Leaders are used to thinking on many levels. They often make decisions quickly and have visionary minds. They’ve been in their share of fights and know how to strategize and compromise. Talk to them about their key motivators. “In order to make a move and feel like you’re moving forward in your life and career, what would have to be in place?” Ask the same questions all candidates should be asked.

Many of these people enjoy new challenges and they must define what that means to them. I read an article in which the author had interviewed Meg Whitman, the CEO who helped grow EBay into an 8 billion dollar a year empire. Whitman said she took calls from headhunters all the time. She wanted to keep up with industry gossip and opportunities. She was receptive to considering new possibilities. Meg is not alone.

There are differences in people who like to build companies vs. manage them. If you’re a recruiter who is not familiar with risk taking mentalities, get to know some business owners and CEO’s. They put fewer limitations on themselves and what they can accomplish. When recruiting engineers, accountants, or software sales reps, there are industry terms one uses. A recruiter does not need to be an engineer to ask if someone has a ME or EE degree.

We recruiters can quickly learn the relevant questions to ask in any search. We learn how to identify weak, sound, and great candidates. We must be able to discern the answers to the central questions every search requires: Does the candidate have the skill sets and ability to do the job? Will they fit into the company culture?

Never be intimidated by someone’s title. There are jerks and frauds at every level of business and life. Everyone has worked with incompetent managers who somehow pushed or connived their way into a position they don’t deserve and cannot handle. As recruiters we must see through the veil of posturing and propaganda. As we’ve done hundreds of times before, we must delicately perceive and sort out the details to ultimately find the right candidate, whether they are a CEO, VP, or Princess, who can deliver the performance our client requires.

by Kimberly Schenk, Executive Recruiter (20 years), Recruiting Coach (7 years), Author

Is Cold Calling A Challenge For You?

Cold calls are difficult for many sales people. Sorting out one’s thoughts as they relate to sales calls is the first step toward success. Ask yourself questions about the task itself and pinpoint what prevents you from calling. Calling prospects requires time and practice. If making calls is important to achieving sales goals face the issue directly and the odds of resolving the issue increase dramatically.

Assign a percentage to each of these questions to discover what needs your attention most.

1. How much of your call resistance is related to the monotony of the task?
2. Do you feel anxious when it’s time to pick up the phone?
3. Do you fear talking to strangers?
4. Do you fear rejection?
5. Do you feel unprepared to close the sale?
6. Do you feel awkward because you don’t know how to address unknown questions?
7. Do you not like your job?

The total of your percentage points should equal 100%. Most of the time discomfort related to cold calling is not rational. Call reluctance however is very real and can end a sales career.

Many of the numbered questions can be completely dissolved with the use of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). EFT is emotional acupuncture. Outdated or painful memories from our childhood can impact performances in the present. If we were criticized constantly we may have trouble taking risks. Calling strangers is a specific type of risk. Fear of calling strangers, insecurities, fear of rejection and shyness can all be erased with EFT.

EFT follows a tapping sequence on specific body parts while stating our fears and accepting ourselves. The process dissolves emotions held within our body that prevent us from acting the way we want today. Emotions from our past don’t mature over time. Our brains mature, our beliefs, thoughts, and behavior mature however past traumas stick with us.

The intensity of a past trauma or ingrained thought patterns can be dissolved with EFT. Let go of feeling inadequate; you’re a competent professional. Let go of fears and false conclusions that were charged with emotion years ago. Sometimes events are long forgotten but the negative reaction felt is stuck within and triggers behavior and anxiety we don’t fully understand.

We are not helpless and there’s no need to suffer when it comes to making cold calls. Some ‘experts’ tout brute force or repeated exposure to cold calling as a remedy. Those attempts fall short of delivering lasting results.

Sales training, sales skills, and product knowledge are useful in improving technique, which can build additional confidence. EFT is not a substitute for subject expertise.

EFT dislodges old emotions and erases the negative impact of their grip. Memories remain but no longer enslave. Use EFT on aches and pains, anger issues, childhood abuse, and fears. Take control of your life and feel the bliss of calm. Feel free and peaceful as you enjoy life like never before. If cold calls are part of your life it’s time to take fear or anxiety out of the process with EFT! Success is at hand   and cold calling can be easy.

by Kimberly Schenk, Executive Recruiter, Trainer, and Author

Jumpstart Your Recruiting Career: Work With A Recruiting Coach!

If you're starting a new career as an executive recruiter you can go farther, faster if you work one-on-one with a recruiting coach. If you plan on working out of your home you can maximize your efforts by not wasting energy on insignificant activities. If you work alone, networking over the phone with other recruiters around the country (or world) minor distracting tasks can cause you to lose a precious week of recruiting time. Recruiter coaching will keep your focus on actions that create placements.

I read a story years ago about the artist Pablo Picasso. He was dining with friends at an upscale restaurant in Paris. Toward the end of the meal a woman approached the table and praised his work, asking him to sign her napkin with a doodle. He obliged and as he handed her the napkin said, “That will be $20,000.” The woman gasped, ”It only took you a few seconds to scribble this!” “No”, he replied, “It took me 20 years.”

His point is obvious. Over several decades Picasso mastered his technique and visionary approach. He knew the value of his work and the effort he put in to develop his distinctive style. He respected his talent and the sweat and tears he poured into his craft to attain the recognition of the world. As recruiters what we do looks easy to our clients and candidates. There’s a huge turnover in recruiting and more recruiters will succeed when they understand the skills needed and practice.

Anyone can learn the recruiting process. The art of recruiting is in the details. Recruiters who succeed learn to ‘listen between the lines”. They develop a keen sense of how to follow up a vague response with the exact right question. They learn to clarify and make decisions quickly. Great recruiters are both analytical and intuitive.

Working with a great recruiting coach is equivalent to an internship program where a new recruiter has tailored guidance learning each new skill. With daily practice the success rate of these recruiters  skyrockets. Recruiters who get on the phone and ‘wing it’ tend to feel frustrated. There's no need to fail in a recruiting career when a small investment can buy the expertise that will change your life.

A good recruiting coach guides the thought process of a new recruiter. They do not do the recruiter's work for them. Recruiters ask me to make their calls all the time and I don’t. I do tell them exactly what to say, outline how the conversation will unfold, and provide support that builds confidence from the onset. I’m available throughout the day for questions and guidance at the moment it's needed.

A music teacher cannot practice for the student. That would be ridiculous. They instruct by demonstrating how small corrections in style and technique improve ability quickly. We use tennis pros and golf pros to improve our performance in sports. In professional football we watch teams with multiple coaches. Each coach is responsible for incremental improvements in a targeted area. A lot is at stake and the best teams invest in paying attention to every performance detail.

It’s the same in recruiting. There are skills to learn and proven strategies that make deals happen, almost by magic. Recruiters are expected to produce results while working without any formal authority. Our skills are subtle and effective. We work with a sense of urgency and eliminate those who are unworthy of our efforts. We know when to use patience and when to nudge, even push the parties involved in a negotiation to take action.

Recruiting is a sales position. Often surgical precision is required when choosing the right words and psychology to close a deal. Finding the best employees is still the foundation of successful companies. We recruiters are always in demand. If you’re a serious wannabe executive recruiter, learn the process, identify what skills you need, practice, and work with a recruiting coach for 4 – 10 weeks. Learn your craft and create the income and life you deserve.

by Kimberly Schenk, Executive Recruiter (20 years), Recruiting Coach (7 years)

Author of the 'Top Recruiter Secrets', 'Cold Call Therapy', and 'iCommunicate' eBooks

Why Do Cold Calls Make Me Miserable? by Kimberly Schenk

The reasons cold calling is difficult for a lot of sales people are many and varied. The available solutions tend to fall short of reducing anxiety. ‘Logical strategies’ fail to make cold calls easier because processing emotions is unlike intellectual processing. The solution is to heal the issue from the inside out. If you’re in sales and have the desire, creativity, discipline, intelligence, and drive to succeed then internal demons are particularly frustrating.

Heal whatever is holding you back with Emotional FreedomTechniques (EFT) and sell your way to the life you deserve. We are all in need of healing of some sort. EFT is a simple, effective tool. The key to success when using EFT is truth and honesty. EFT will heal old emotional, physical, and even spiritual traumas. Subtle and even thunderous internal messages from our childhood may be sabotaging our efforts as adults.

If you freeze when it’s time to pick up the phone and make sales or prospecting calls address how you feel and EFT will dissolve those negative feelings forever. EFT is emotional acupuncture. It uses our focused thoughts and a series of tapping sequences on specific body parts to dislodge and erase old emotions. When those emotions evaporate, memories remain however they hold no power.

Maybe you were criticized incessantly as a child. You grew up and now criticize others. You continue to repeat self-criticisms that were never true and are undeserved. You feel fearful of making mistakes on the phone or fear the parties you contact will scold or verbally attack you. You’re not in the mood for more rejection so you put down the phone and suffer in silence.

The origin of your call reluctance may not be identifiable.  All you know is making calls creates anxiety within you so you avoid those calls in order to not feel miserable. EFT is a self-healing tool. Some folks fear talking with people on a different socio-economic level than they were raised. They feel overwhelmed with feelings of inferiority. Identify, tap, release, and replace outdated nonsense with a new reality.

Ghandi said, “Everything we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we create the world.” Get rid of old crappy thoughts and emotions. Clear out negative self-talk and destructive belief patterns.

Our parents may have done the best they could but still hurt us. Most of us fall short of being perfect parents regardless of our intention. Heal your internal wounds and free yourself to live the life you want today. Give your children this tool so they can remove internal obstacles preventing them from reaching their potential.

Maybe deep down you don’t feel worthy of success. Making phone calls produces successful outcomes and creates a new internal conflict. Everyone is worthy of success. We love to cheer for the underdog. We are the underdog!

If you talk more than is helpful during your sales process you may be insecure. Your desire to get unfulfilled attention as a child drives you to draw attention to yourself that is counter-productive. Don’t worry about the reason why you’re not a perfect all-star human being. Forget about labels. Help yourself by being your ultimate advocate. Heal old wounds with EFT.

Self-healing equals freedom. Sales people make cold calls. Selling is both challenging and honorable. We sales people make the world go ‘round. Free yourself from self-doubt, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, and insecurities. Be strong and value yourself enough to know you deserve to feel worthy. You are worthy of success, great prosperity, happiness, and love.

Kimberly Schenk, Executive Recruiting Coach, and Author

Recruiting 2013: Get Out Of Your Rut!

It’s easy to get into a rut if you’re a recruiter. In 2013 let’s all mix it up a little to create more profits! Brainstorm with yourself if you work alone. Think outside the box if you work with a group. Dust off that white board! Shoot for bigger projects. Find employers who are ready to expand and offer to handle hiring the entire staff. They’ll fall behind and fall short of their goals if they think their current HR dept. can simply double their efforts.

If you’re a solo operator or a small group think about working onsite at a facility to ensure you’re involved with all phases. Be nimble and sensitive enough to modify processes that aren’t working. Create value and double, triple, or quadruple your profits at the same time.

The recession has taken it’s toll for sure however many companies are sitting on boatloads of cash. Everyone has grown tired of our do-nothing, bickering, Blockheads in Congress. As usual the public sector will lead the way out of the recession and our ‘leaders’ will eventually follow mainstream thinking. We cannot wait for Washington to get their act together before we act. Throw all the bums out next election but in the meantime, there’s opportunity everywhere!

In Colorado, Loveland (just south of Fort Collins) screwed-up a three-year negotiation with NASA. NASA chose Loveland as the preferred location for an incredible opportunity and the town still botched the job after boasting for years the deal was 'in-the-bag'. Instead of moving into an empty 850,000 square foot, former HP campus, NASA grew tired of the local politics and decided to locate their ACE project closer to Boulder. The inept, shortsighted, dim-witted power antics petty bureaucrats enjoy, cost the area 10,000 local high-pay tech jobs. Ugh!

NASA has decided to sell off thousands of patents they’ve accumulated since the sixties. They want companies to use the patents to develop green solutions to benefit the public and save energy. Colorado has a well educated, tech savvy work force and it’s easy to get folks to move to our beautiful state. No humidity, over 300 sunny days a year, fresh air, healthy lifestyles, and an abundance of activities make this a great place to live.

Companies are lining up to join this creative, inventive, manufacturing mixing pot of skill sets, ideas, and opportunities. Companies from Germany, Norway, the US, Japan and South America are interested in opening facilities here. This is only one fascinating, multi-dimensional project ready to pop across the country.

If you’re a recruiter, or want to be a recruiter get scrappy. Get in front of employers and talk about their plans and their projects. When the time is right, tell them how you can save them a ton of money. Tell them how you work and how they’ll get the exact people they need, not thousands of resumes from people without the skills they need but who are available.

Your ability as a recruiter to spot opportunities and create win-win projects can launch you into earning millions of dollars. The world is changing fast. Come up with a strategy and go forth with confidence! Be resourceful. Make it up as you go if needed. Be bold, creative, and tenacious.

Too many recruiters doubt their value. YOU are the hiring expert! Tell people, nicely of course, how you can solve their hiring problems. They’ll love you for it and you’ll get richer in the process. This blog is comprised of my opinions. If you’re a Loveland bureaucrat; I think you suck at your job and deserve to be fired!

BTW, the former HP campus has been bought and plans are supposedly underway for a similar technological campus, without NASA. Whatever.

Happy New Year Recruiters! Don’t let the economy push you around or skew your thinking. Get your hands dirty and make things happen. Find the movers and shakers like yourself. Recruiters rock!

by Kimberly Schenk, Author, Recruiter, Recruiter Coach

TopRecruiterSecrets.com and Cold Call Therapy eBooks