Get your Recruiter Working Harder for You
One of the top contributing factors leading to bad hires is poor communication. When key details are left out on either the part of the candidate or the hiring manager, it’s easy to see how you may not end up with long-term fit.
But what about another communication breakdown you may not have considered? Improved communication with your recruiter can put hours back on your calendar. Time is our most valuable asset as how we spend it creates our outcomes - business and in life.?
As a busy hiring manager you are being pulled in many different and often changing directions - surprise meetings popping up, travel, unexpected challenges across your team or with your customers, and taking time to effectively communicate with your recruiter may not always take precedence.?
However, taking time creates time - more time you can focus on leading. While recruiters, myself included, may still deliver results having just part of the picture, how much better and faster can we deliver what you’re looking for when we understand exactly what that is??
As a recruiter, the less I understand about the role – the geography, the day in the life and expectations, the responsibilities, what sets the product or service apart, who the competitors are, market share, the company values, team dynamic and culture, realistic first year earning potential, challenges in the role - the less information I have to share with the candidate.?
Now consider the candidate. The candidate who prioritizes is the candidate you want. This type of candidate needs the details to determine their interest level. The less they know about the opportunity, even if they do decide to throw their hat in the ring, the more time you, the hiring manager, will then have to spend sharing the specifics on the role, not just once with your recruiter, but six, 10, maybe even 15 times with each candidate.?
It’s easy to miscommunicate and easy to miss some of the details the first time around.?Advertising research shows it takes seven times of seeing an ad before the message registers. When connecting with your candidate, you will of course want to share the key details of the role. But you can save time by first letting them quickly share with you their understanding of the opportunity from their initial conversation with the recruiter and why they’re potentially interested. Even better, you can avoid scheduling interviews with candidates who are not a fit, having assessed their lack of interest before even getting to you.?
Candidates always appreciate when I can share a lot of details about an opportunity so that they can assess their interest level. Remember, the candidate you want prioritizes what is meaningful and until they accept their next opportunity, hopefully their priority is their current job. A good candidate is curious. Maybe they’re open to hearing about your opportunity, but they need to be able to picture themselves in the role to assess whether it makes sense to move forward.?
When your recruiter is fuzzy on the details, he or she is working with an unclear and distracted focus, slowing their progress. Recruiters are often referred to as headhunters. But we don’t want to go out haphazardly into the wilderness without a clear target. Taking time at the start of your search to have a 20, even 30-minute conversation with your preferred recruiter sharing the key details on what you’re looking for and why, will help them win. That means helping you win. Further, it grows your relationship into a partnership, which keeps them working harder for you.
Happy Hiring! ~Amy