Recruiting Skills: Power - Get It & Use It Wisely

New recruiters often feel insecure about their role as a headhunter. The way to curb that insecurity is with:
 1.    Knowledge – Learn how to be a recruiter, the process, and what to expect
 2.   Preparation – Have your questions and responses ready
 3.  Dedication – Keep pace with the routine and don’t judge mistakes, and keep practicing!
 4. Tenacity – Think of your career in survival mode – this is a street fight, a well mannered street fight, so take some chances!

If our internal view of ourselves is not one of authority with powerful resources, recruiting becomes much more difficult. Most of the time our verbal technique is what is judged because we do so much work on the phone. People make thousands of decisions all day long that are based on fleeting impressions and perceptions.

Improve your verbal presence by speaking slowing, enunciate clearly, use a positive, enthusiastic tone, speak from your gut, and sit or stand up straight. Speak with authority.

Authority

The weird thing about headhunting is we really have no authority. Yet we must get our clients and candidates to cooperate and work with us. Ultimately we must convince all parties it’s in their best interest to listen to our advice and we close the deal. Everyone wins. Once we ‘get’ the process we orchestrate and our work becomes fun. When both employer and candidate have had a great interview, they are invested in the process and want the deal to happen. We help by ironing out the details. We facilitate, which is no small matter.

Non-Verbal Cues

Ann Cuddy’s video on TED about non-verbal cues explains how we are judged and judge others with primal consciousness. Part of being a successful recruiter is using common sense and trusting our intuition. We often face the possibility of the deal falling apart. It’s our job to get to the truth about why one side or the other feels a need to withdraw. Surprisingly, once objections can be voiced solutions miraculously appear. Deals that should be done get done. Everything in Cuddy's video applies to recruiting and I believe it's worthy of your time.

Recruiters need to be able to set their ego aside and do whatever it takes to help all sides make good decisions. Communication skills are paramount. It’s not that hard. We ask questions and when someone is hedging, we ask more questions. Everyone tells white lies and when the topic is changing jobs emotions can magnify and charge the process with electric intensity. Changing jobs is stressful. 

The 2-Minute Power Exercise

Use Cuddy’s 2-minute power exercise and better still, help candidates prepare for an interview by asking them to watch the video. Skills matter certainly but chemistry is what propels a hiring manager to want a certain candidate. Chemistry is about “Presence”: Enthusiasm, confidence, passion, charm, kindness, friendliness, and a captivating personality, are a few subjective qualities.

As a Recruiter, I want to create a win/win irresistible experience for my clients and candidates. I listen to my clients’ wish list. I honor what they require and prefer in a candidate. On the flip side I listen to candidates. I honor what they’re looking for in a new position and corporate culture. I tell the truth tactfully. It works exceedingly well.

Some recruiters and some recruiting firms give the great headhunters and the industry a bad name by using a ‘throw spaghetti against the wall and something will stick’ routine. Placements (even if they are not right) and money are their primary motivators. For over twenty years these stupid routines have perpetuated distain for our industry. Clients may feel wary and cautious until they work with a pro. Then they feel they have an ally and partner in their recruiter.

Use your power wisely

Empower candidates by helping them present themselves in the most favorable light. Remove the discomfort of pending interviews. Help prepare hiring managers who only interview and hire once or twice a year. Coach them and provide questions that will highlight why the candidate is indeed a great match for their company. Never underestimate your power to influence, change, or impact good decisions by those involved.

by Kimberly Schenk, Executive Recruiter, Trainer, and Author

Recruiter Training: It's All About The Conversation

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

Recruiting Skills & The Talent Grab In IT

Growing IT companies are in competition with just about everyone for the best technical talent. The workforce landscape is changing and it’s time to notch up the headhunting capabilities of your recruiting staff. Increasing the quality of 1-on-1 recruiting conversations is not a luxury in-house recruiters can side step any longer. Refining this critical recruiting skill is one of the fastest ways to decrease those pesky tough-to-fill vacancies.

Face it, the people you want to hire are busy working somewhere else and sending boatloads of emails into cyberspace is not getting the recruiting job done. The northwest part of the country is just one of the market segments squawking about how difficult it is to sell quality candidates on coming to work for their company.

Here are 3 strategies to implement now to win top talent:

1.    Improve your research capabilities

Sourcing well is a specialized talent. A great sourcer can uncover names and numbers at lightening speed. They save us time. These people are quickly become SMEs (subject matter experts) in their own right. Their minds work like detectives. They can find entire directories complete with organizational charts of your nearest and dearest competitors. Use them and pay them well.

 Everyone uses LinkedIn, all-be-it not well most of the time, however inmails are no match for an authentic and effective recruiting conversation. The other day a recruiter I coach once or twice a year called. She places upper management executives at universities. She dislikes cold calling (like most of us) and tries to initiate all conversations via email. Her request for advice centered on how she should proceed to fill a COO position for which she had an ideal candidate because no one was responding to her emails.

My advice was (no surprise), pick up the phone! C’mon! If a twenty-some thousand-dollar fee is not enough motivation to conduct our work professionally then we’re in the wrong business. She knew what to say and her manner is excellent. In fact I believe she knew what I would say before she called. All she needed was a nudge because she has the know-how. My prediction is she'll have the placement complete within a week now that she's decided to make the calls.

2.    If cold calling feels intimidating, seek out training. Recruiting should be fun, not painful.

No one likes rejection. The best way to minimize rejection is to succeed consistently. Nine times out of ten a recruiting call can be rewarding and fun. As recruiters we reject people all day long! The easiest remedy to cold calling is to make sure one knows how to conduct a recruiting call effectively.

A good call engages the other person within seconds. It builds rapport and trust quickly by asking direct, professional questions the typical recruiter does not ask. Simple techniques trigger curiosity and authenticity disarms. Candidates don’t get the opportunity to talk about themselves all that often and it should be an enjoyable experience if the call is managed properly. Focus on the goal and it will come quickly.

3.    Don’t fight the sales process.

Recruiting is a sales job. Yes, we are consultants but ultimately we are sales people. The sooner one recognizes their responsibility the easier it is to get help. Tips and training on the consultative sales process are everywhere.

Consciously develop your sales skills. I prefer the need-satisfaction method of recruiting. Don’t manipulate or push a candidate to accept a position that you and he know is not right. It won’t last and your client won’t like or trust you. Worse yet, they won’t use you again.

The wonderful thing about a recruiting career is solo operators can compete against the big boys simply by being effective. Recruiting can feel positively elegant when done well. The competition for talent is fierce but there’s no need for your in-house recruiting staff to feel their efforts are futile. The answer lies in understanding how to engage and close the candidates you want to hire. The secret lies in making sure both sides are happy; this is simple not difficult.

by Kimberly Schenk, Executive Recruiter, Trainer, Author

Recruiter Training: Your Ability To Influence

New recruiters are always worried about their technique, skills, how they come across, and whether they’re doing things right. They obsess about everything related to THEIR performance and credibility. Once one learns the recruiting process and has discovered the power of asking questions and listening, she’s on her way to making placements. In the beginning it’s important to focus on the details of every word that leaves your lips. New habits form quickly and exact wording is crucial to our success.

Our expertise is woven from our experiences.

Words can be cruel and disheartening, so choose wisely. Part of our recruiting duty is to tell good people they’re not going to get an interview or an offer. Be factual and firm but kind.

“While your background is impressive, your skill sets do not match what my client requires at the moment. When I come across a position that incorporates your experience and meets your career aspirations, I’ll be back in touch.”

We have a job to do and people appreciate the truth even if it’s disappointing. A response like this is concise yet leaves us on good terms. Six months later when we call the candidate back to discuss a new opportunity, he will be receptive.

When we handle all phases of the recruiting process efficiently, no one feels his/her time has been wasted. All parties feel respected and valued. Surprisingly, later conversations take on a friendly and familiar tone. You are colleagues and your professionalism does not need to be reestablished.

Choose words and phrases carefully

The words we choose must accomplish what we wish, which is to move the process forward or shut down a candidate or client who is not sincere. When people are ambivalent, they give mixed messages. We all do. Our job as a headhunter is to stay on track so we serve our corporate clients well. Everything we do is centered around how we communicate. Review and revise statements that don't work.

Word choice and phrasing should be clear and concise.

Check for understanding often. Recruiting conversations are not typical conversations. We have benchmarks to meet as we qualify candidates, prepare employers, coordinate interviews, and manage offers and negotiations to the desired conclusion.

We must be truthful and tactful. Changing jobs can be stressful and emotional for all parties involved. We are at the center of the process and those we work with look to us for guidance along the way. Our confidence and calm is reassuring. Our demeanor creates trust. We want to know what’s on everyone’s mind. When all sides are noisy, voicing ideas and opinions, this is a good sign we’re doing our job.

Don’t underestimate your ability to influence an outcome.

Use your power wisely and responsibly. People process information in different ways. Don’t take a person’s reaction personally. Consider outbursts to be a reactionary style. Remain detached. Sometimes our ‘facts’ are based solely on our experience however that does not diminish the relevance of our input. What we’ve witnessed over hundreds of successful outcomes is significant.

When we question and challenge a client or candidate who has lost site of their own objectives, we help the process by bringing the party back on track to what they have defined is their desired result. We manage by asking questions.

Speak the truth.

Part of being a great recruiter is telling the truth, which we all know can be uncomfortable at times. Truthfulness creates trust and tells the folks we’re dealing with we’re committed to doing the right thing, not the easy thing. Truth is a sign of character and leadership. Stand your ground. Ask questions until you fully understand what’s at the heart of each participant’s behavior and motivation to act.

If a candidate’s salary expectations are unrealistic, be direct. Remind him of benefits, or solutions to issues he stated mattered to him personally. Early on in the process, great recruiters uncover the key factors that matter to a candidate. If money is the single most important motivation for a candidate to make a move, you’re in trouble. Personally, if money is the primary motivation of a candidate, I’d shut down the conversation within five minutes.

During emotionally charged decisions, and changing jobs is near the top of big decisions, people can be hyper sensitive. Use that to your advantage by voicing information that may not be welcome. Speak slowly and clearly because your words will be repeated inside the listener’s head, often multiple times.

We all want to do what’s best for our family, our career, and our well-being. As headhunters we play a big part in satisfying, profitable matches between clients and candidates. Recruiting is richly rewarding emotionally, intellectually, and financially and your influence begins with solid recruiter training.

by Kimberly Schenk, Executive Recruiter, Trainer, and Author

Recruit Like Warren Buffett Invests! by Kimberly Schenk

Whether one is recruiting loan officers, computer programmers, engineers, or CEOs, sound, simple strategies always produce desirable results. Warren Buffett has become an investment icon by using what he calls a value investing strategy.  Specifically he advises followers to focus on what an investment will produce.

This is wise advice for recruiters as well.

Great recruiters know their success lies in the quality of their conversations with candidates and hiring managers. The best recruiters follow a proven strategy to match ideal workers to their client’s requirements for a position. To maximize the company’s potential candidates must be a technical and cultural fit. Recruiters invest in their thought process and skill sets to achieve their production goals.

Focus on what a candidate will produce.

Just like Warren, when we listen carefully to our client’s needs we can dismiss the less productive and culturally incompatible candidates. When we understand the big picture of what a company client wants to accomplish, we can better qualify those candidates who are an ideal match.

Luckily, people are not machines.

As recruiters we must interview carefully. Productive thinkers may not be obvious. A productive person employs a combination of intellect, skill, pride in their work, ambition, self-motivation, and ability to communicate ideas. Sometimes a very productive person may need a good coach in the form of management, to produce their best work. It helps if the candidate genuinely loves the work she’s chosen.

A predictive benchmark of one’s ability to produce is past performance.

We often embrace the work ethic of our upbringing. Being from the Chicago area I can joke about the mid-western work ethic with others from the region. We get up and work everyday until we die. It’s ingrained no matter what level of success is achieved. We work at our education, hobbies, on our homes, and we help others. Of course many cultures and areas have similar philosophies so ingrained they seem natural.

Productive people have this:

Productive people believe they will produce. They almost cannot produce because the drive is so strong. Some people need training, and wise companies provide instruction. Some gain confidence by doing so it’s important to have standards and pinpoint areas to improve. We all have the potential to become experts. At the core of recruiting is identifying those who possess the internal conviction that they are productive beings. Productive people have tenacity to stick to a project until it's done well.

When recruiting trainees look for signals and proof of prior accomplishments that point to the caliber of person being hired. Productive people won’t be slotted into a wasteland position. Make sure your company is equipped with vision, purpose, and opportunities for advancement if you want to retain the most productive workers.

By following Warren Buffett’s advice to focus on what an investment will produce, a recruiter will do well. New hires are the most important investment for a company. Refine your recruiting process to incorporate strategies that lead to high quality hires and watch your dividends grow.

Kimberly Schenk, Executive Recruiter, Trainer, Author of Top Recruiter Secrets, In-House Recruiting: How To Recruit Anyone!, I Communicate, and Cold Call Therapy

Tips and Interview Strategies For Successful Hires

Great interviews do wonderful things for a company and the candidates involved. The purpose of an interview is to: 1. Make sure a candidate can do the job in question, and 2. Fit into the culture. When these two criteria are met a match is made. Why companies complicate the process is a mystery. If your company has more than 10% turnover there’s a hiring problem.

If a company has defined systems they need employees to follow with a religious zealousness, don’t hire people who like to think and solve problems. Hire folks who are willing to follow your rules and be happy doing so. Don’t utilize panel interviews and implement behavioral techniques for positions that require basic skill sets a good percentage of the population possess.

If your cookie-cutter process fails to limit the revolving door of turnover, it’s time to get real.

What’s needed for a good interview is common sense and thoughtful preparation. Why does someone need good communication skills if they work alone 90% of the time? Will you hire a talented techno geek or a social butterfly for the position? Who will get the job done on time and without mistakes? The social butterfly will probably interview well and score high on likability. You’re not hiring a new friend; you’re filling a position.

Think backwards and forwards about who the candidate will work with on a daily basis and what kind of thinker is best suited for the position. What skill sets is the company prepared to enhance to help the right candidate achieve an outstanding performance?

Too many companies look for clones when we all know inbreeding is not healthy long term. If some tech people need better communication skills so what? Hire the best person for the job, identify areas that need improvement, and provide training. Basic training in communication is good for everyone and cheap.

Speak with the hiring manager and find out her managing style and what kind of employee responds well to her style. If her style is the problem, let her know. Does your company ask for feedback from employees on how management is doing and what they could improve?

The secret to a great interview is to make a genuine connection with the applicant. Is that so hard? Smile, offer a firm handshake, describe what will take place during your time together, and what the candidate can expect at the end of the interviewing process.

1.     Ask questions that reveal whether the person can do the job. Dig deeper if answers seem superficial. Get specific.

2.     Ask questions about the candidate’s views on life, work, their role in an organization, immediate goals and long term goals.

3.     The candidate should do 80% of the talking, so establish rapport and make them comfortable. 30 – 45 minutes is plenty of time to understand if the candidate has the basic skill sets required, and assess their basic outlook on life and personality. Ask point blank questions if the candidate is skirting the issue.

Prepare questions ahead of time. Many HR departments have an ivory tower image. Often they’re perceived as drones who don’t care about anyone but themselves. They’re seen as marching as many bodies through the mill as possible to meet their own objectives. When the attitude is resumes matter, not people, you're in trouble. ersumes are worthless in defining a person’s character and ability.

Maybe the metric to evaluate HR performance should be based on the longevity and expertise of new hires. What gets measured gets noticed and results follow. All departments should provide feedback to HR on their ability to assist department heads with hiring high caliber talent. If turnover at your company is greater than 10% truly there’s room for improvement.

The truth is most hiring practices are inadequate. Poor matches create unhappy employees who are less productive. Poor hiring practices produce turnover. Everyone loses when the wrong person is hired for the job. Find the best person, not the most available one.

Great hires start with a great interview. Let the candidate know what will happen after they leave. They should feel great about you and your company even if they don’t get the job. Treating people respectfully builds a true positive brand. It’s also the right thing to do.

by Kimberly Schenk,

I train recruiters and companies on how to hire the best candidates.

Top Recruiter Secrets, and  In-House Headhunting