Recruiters: Don't Get Lazy!

The blessing and the curse of being a recruiter is that there is no one way to do the business. However, one thing will never change: recruiting is all about relationships. And relationships take work. And regardless what you think, true relationships demand personal interaction....verbal interaction. Relationships - at least ones that last - cannot be forged solely through electronic communication.

How do you build recruiting relationships with candidates and clients that last? Well, no different than the way you build relationships outside of work: 

 1)     First you have to genuinely care about the other person. It all starts there. You have to be authentic. In today’s market a candidate can sniff out a self-centered, insincere recruiter who is only after themselves and their own self-interest a mile away. Unfortunately, there are plenty of those types of recruiters out there. The good news? You can decide not to be one of them (and it’s not that hard).

2)     Second, you have to learn about the other person. I mean really get to know them. What do they like, dislike? What are their interests, hobbies? This means you have to be a great listener – more than a great talker. Listen to understand, not to respond. The more you listen, the more the other person will respect you and appreciate you, and the more they will trust you. And every relationship needs trust.

3)     Communicate. Often. Have you ever called your best friend just to say hi? Just to see how they were doing? Just to see if you could do anything for them? Try it with candidates and clients. You don’t have to be selling all the time. Stay in touch with the candidates you place, the candidates you don’t place, the clients you service successfully and those you are trying to win over. Respond to their emails and texts. Return their calls. And when you call, call with value – something that they will appreciate and benefit from.

Yes, relationship building takes work. It takes planning. It takes effort. And thus, so does recruiting.

As recruiters, our clients hire us to identify and deliver talent. And not talent that everyone else (including our clients) could find on their own. They want us to find untapped, passive talent that they won’t find on any job boards or anywhere else for that matter.

In other words. They want us to recruit. 

Use technology to complement your recruiting efforts, not replace them. Remember to recruit. And that means proactively communicating, listening, and building relationships.

Because the candidates and clients we work with deserve nothing less.

Stay safe!

John Ruffini is Vice President of Professional Development for HealthTrust Workforce Solutions in Sunrise, Florida. He is a 25+ year recruiting veteran, trainer, and motivator and is the author of the Amazon Best Seller “Money Makers: Proven Ways to Increase Sales and Productivity in the World of Professional Recruiting" and is the co-host of the weekly Live Stream “Recruiters With No Limits” airing live on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.