Everyone has their own reasons for becoming a recruiter.  For some it’s the compensation, others it’s relationship building, but for me it was the “woo” of the highly skilled candidate.  While it has been a few years since I sat in a recruiter role and there are some aspects of the job that have changed over time (thank you social media!), the principals behind how to woo top candidates have not. Here are some of my methods for wooing great candidates that led to success as a recruiter, as well as relationships that continue many years after I changed careers. 

Understand The “Why”
If you were in a candidates shoes, whom would you want to find you your next job?  Would you want a recruiter who randomly emailed you a job description you are “perfect” for (a.k.a their Boolean search results uncovered your resume), or would you want a recruiter who asked the right questions before sending you opportunities to consider?  You would want to know that the person on the other end of the phone understands your goals, whether they are professional development, increased compensation, better work-life balance, etc.  

Know Your Audience
Now that you know the “why”, use your knowledge of what the candidate does to begin establishing trust and respect.  For example, if you are recruiting UX Designers and you fully understand what this position does and the technologies (new and old) they work with, the candidate will begin to respect  your knowledge of his/her industry.  Trust me, I was no SME, but I did know more than the basics of the job titles I recruited.   I read book and articles, attended workshops (great for networking, too!), and if a new technology or methodology had emerged I sometimes asked former candidates I’d placed if they had any exposure - -if so, tell me about it!  

Do Not Go Dark
We have all experienced it at least once - - the disappearing candidate.  The candidate that you call because you have an interview or offer lined up, and they never call you back.  Would you want to work with a recruiter who did the same?  If the candidate is a casual job seeker then at a minimum make sure to check in once a week. Even if you do not have a new opportunity for them to consider, they will appreciate the follow-up. If you are working with an active job seeker you may need to check in multiple times.  Provide them with submittal updates, new opportunities, etc.  Let them know that they have not fallen into a black hole of candidates you are working with.   

Maintain The Relationship
Many times I found this to be one of the most important aspects of recruiting.  While I did not place every single person I first wooed, I still maintained contact for a few reasons.

1. Referrals.  They may no longer be looking for new opportunities but they may have some really great previous co-workers or friends that are.

2. Does anyone ever stop looking for a better career opportunity?  You may have something land in your lap a year after meeting on of your candidates who is “no longer available”. While they may not have been expecting the opportunity to come along, send it their way and see if it’s too hard for them to pass up!

While I mentioned that I enjoyed wooing the highly skilled worker, the comment is partly due to the fact that I recruited highly demanded, highly skilled, Sr. level candidates.  However I believe you could apply these methods to any level of skill set and the results would be the same.  

As a Supply Base Manager I frequently get asked  “What common characteristics do you notice in your top performing suppliers?”.  The first time I heard this question I didn’t have to think long about it because the answer was obvious.   Even though I work with suppliers of all sizes, cultures, and levels of experience, they all share these three characteristics:

1. They know their company’s strengths

They only align themselves with job titles with which they have proven success.  When you know your pipeline of candidates you will have more success with hiring managers who will be more apt to consider selecting your candidate(s).  Clients want to know they are getting the best candidates on the market and it reflects poorly on a supplier if hiring managers continually review candidates that do not meet their expectations.  This happens most often when a supplier has little to no experience in the skill set and must learn to recruit candidates on the fly.  Why put yourself in a position that could negatively impact your overall program performance, yield no return on your recruiting investment, and cost you future opportunity for additional business?  If you stick with what you do well, and can prove it in your performance numbers, then additional opportunity within the same, or another, client will eventually come. 

 2. They understand and track their goals

They immediately familiarize themselves with program goals and set up reporting tools to track their performance.   I have found that suppliers who understand and consistently track their goals tend to outperform those who do not.  These suppliers will create daily, weekly, and monthly reports utilizing both internal and external (i.e. MSP procurement tool) tools to help identify possible weak spots.  I would also like to note that because these suppliers track their data, they come to meetings prepared to discuss their performance numbers and are not afraid to question the data provided to them by the MSP versus what they have been tracking. 

3. They have frequent communication with the MSP

In the last several years that I’ve been managing suppliers I have found that those that communicate frequently with the MSP about staffing trends, policy changes, issue escalation/resolution, etc. have better performance numbers.  When discussing performance numbers, the MSP can offer best practices or provide additional visibility into data that can help identify trends that will help ensure goals are met.  You can also avoid potential infractions by contacting the MSP to reach a mutual solution before deviating from an established process.  A client or MSP is more apt to work with a supplier who is asking for help than a supplier who is begging for forgiveness.  High performing suppliers, although already successful, are continuously looking for ways to improve and are rarely shy to ask for advice.  All you have to do is ask! 

If you are currently participating in an MSP program, how does your organization measure up to this list?