An In-Depth Look into the Basic Principles of Recruiting

For some time now, I’ve wanted to put pen to paper and share some of what I’ve learned since entering the crazy world of recruiting, but there always seemed to be some kind of roadblock that hindered my progress. To begin with, I didn’t have enough knowledge of the game to discuss it intelligently, so I committed to learning as much as I could to help myself become better equipped. After I sold myself on the idea that I had “arrived” in my role intellectually, I began to struggle with whether or not I was actually good enough to share my newfound knowledge. Don’t get me wrong, in my first six years of recruiting I had fairly good success at conquering the tasks and achieving the goals my leaders set out for me to complete, but the results never seemed to match what I had done prior to joining the ranks of the talent acquisition world.

Before the market crashed in 2007-2008, I was a very successful sales person. I was ranked in the top one percent of sales professionals for three different organizations that boasted between 2,400 and 5,000 sales people respectively. I also did extremely well in sales management roles, but most of these positions were commission only, and due to my lack of a college education, these types of jobs seemed to be the best I could acquire. After the crash, I took a long hard look at my situation and purposed in my heart that I would earn a college degree and eventually work in a career field where my income wasn’t solely based upon my own production. This paradigm shift in thinking took time to cultivate, but has recently materialized into a dream come true for me and mine. In the past seven years, I have earned both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree and am currently a Regional Sales Recruiter for one of the largest mortgage lenders in the nation and I love my job!

To date, I have not climbed to the top of the talent acquisition ladder nor am I a super recruiter, but I do believe the knowledge I’ve learned along the way is invaluable, therefore I would like to share that knowledge with my LinkedIn family. I hope you enjoy!

The Motivation

As the day breaks and we arise from our sleep, each of us comes to a crossroads and choices must be made. Today, will I will put forth the extra effort to be great, or will it be just another average day? If we choose to be great, then we must come to the realization that being great requires a paradigm shift in traditional thinking, and that our day must begin with the motivation necessary to help us achieve our goals. All too often, we attempt to bite off more than we can chew and end up discouraged and with our self-esteem deflated. Brian Cane, the author of The Mental Conditioning Manual suggests we approach our daily motivation “by simply focusing on the next 200 feet.”[1] Cain wrote, “Imagine you were to hike from the base camp to the top of the Mountain of Excellence – the tallest mountain in the world. If you were to leave base camp at midnight, could you hike to the top of the Mountain of Excellence on the trail that takes you to the summit? The answer is a definitive “Yes.” It will be dark out, but you have the ability to hike the entire way up the mountain in complete darkness because of your head lamp. Your head lamp allows you to travel anywhere in the dark, because it illuminates the next 200 feet of the path. Therefore, by simply focusing on the next 200 feet, it is possible to hike through the darkness to the summit.”[2] So, if we hope to become successful, we must begin our day with the proper motivation, and that motivation begins by focusing on the next 200 feet of our journey.

The Investigation

This is by far the most crucial step in the process, but sadly one that many choose to forego. The investigation involves the who, the where, and the how, and must be completed if the recruiter hopes to securitize top talent. Much of the knowledge I have gained over the years in talent acquisition has come from reading, and more importantly in the analyzing of information that has been disseminated by those who are experts in the field. When it comes to the topic of investigation, I highly suggest following the advice Professor James Breaugh, one of the many authors used by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Professor Breaugh suggests that the HR professionals who use his recruitment model and who make informed decisions along the way can increase their chances of reaching their recruitment objectives.[3] His model of the employee recruitment process includes these four steps; (1) establishing recruitment objectives; (2) developing a recruitment strategy; (3) carrying out recruitment activities; and (4) measuring recruitment results and evaluating recruitment efforts.[4] Of the steps listed above, I believe the one most important to the investigation process is step two; developing a recruitment strategy. “This phase involves establishing a specific plan of action to meet recruitment objectives.”[5] Who will we solicit, where will we find them, and how will we accomplish our goals with the resources we have been given?

The Who

Determining the type of individuals an organization desires to recruit and the characteristics associated with those individuals is of extreme importance as a bad hire can cost thousands of dollars and countless hours that cannot be recovered. In his book entitled, Good to Great, Jim Collins shared, “The good to great leaders understand three simple truths; (1) if you begin with “who” rather than “what,” you can more easily adapt to a changing world; (2) if you have the right people on the bus, the problem of how to motivate and manage people largely goes away; and (3) if you have the wrong people, it doesn’t matter whether you discover the right direction; you still won’t have a great company.”[6] Dr. Christopher Croner and his co-author Richard Abraham believe that “great sales producers" possess three essential traits; (1) they are motivated by a need to achieve outstanding results, and are willing to do whatever it takes to succeed; (2) they love to compete, both with themselves and with others; and (3) they are optimistic, that is, they are certain of their ability to win.”[7] Regardless of the career field you work in, you must establish parameters that outline exactly the type of staff you hope to employ.

The How

This part of the equation can vary drastically depending on the type of organization and the resources available to the talent acquisition team. Because of the variances involved, I have decided to use my own experience to illustrate this point. When working as a recruiter in a call center environment, I used multiple channels to reach my target audience which included; television, radio, the local paper, billboards, employee referral programs, the local unemployment office, etc. My team and I also capitalized on the strength of driving business to our company’s website through the use of social media, especially through our company’s local Facebook page. My recruiting efforts were altered drastically when I switched to mortgage sales recruiting as most of the individuals I was tasked to hire lived far outside of my local area. I quickly learned that my cell phone would become my best friend as I tend to spend a large majority of my day sending emails and texts and in making countless cold calls.

The Where

Again, due to the vast number of variances that exist amongst organizations, I have decided to use my own experience to illustrate this point. In mortgage recruiting, especially mortgage sales recruiting, all mortgage loan originators can be found within the NMLS Consumer Access database - https://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/. A substantial number of the same mortgage professionals can also be found by networking through LinkedIn as well as other social media outlets. A third option would be to utilize a good Boolean internet search in a targeted area especially if the recruiter is unfamiliar with the territory. And finally, using Realtor type websites such as Zillow, Trulia, etc., can go a long way to providing solid contact information for the candidates you seek. The sources I listed above are good starting points and can be coupled with employee referral programs, portfolio solicitation, and even local face to face recruiting for those looking to hire in their back yard.

The Procrastination

Once the recruiter has conquered the challenges associated with the investigation process, the time comes for him or her to perform the most challenging task of the job. This is the stage of recruiting where most fall by the wayside as this phase includes the dreaded cold call. Regardless of whether one’s prospects are solicited in their own back yard or thousands of miles away, almost always the ice is broken by dangerous passage into the unknown. One of my lifelong heroes, Tom Hopkins, shared that making calls to prospects is often referred to as cold calling, partly because it can send shivers down your spine.[8] He went on to say, “Your fear arises partly because you know how you’ve treated people who have called you; now, you fear, it could be payback time. People who hate being called at home by salespeople tend to feel put-upon and interrupted. Now, as a cold-caller yourself, you’re on the giving end of the situation. No one wants to deliberately bother anyone. And no one wants to be on the receiving end of a lot of rejection, except insofar as it comes with the territory when you cold-call."[9]

Knowing that I am a recruiter myself, you can imagine that I too battle with this dilemma. I have learned a few tricks of the trade over the years that seem to work for me when the icy chills begin to emerge and thought I would share one of those here. When I begin to make calls to potential new hires, I keep and constantly review three bullet points that I borrowed from Stephen Covey’s book entitled, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which reads; (1) Be Proactive; (2) Begin with the End in Mind; and (3) Put First Things First.[10] If you have never read this book, I would suggest you pick up a copy after reading this article and digest its material. Once you have saturated yourself in its principles, you will fully understand how it motivates me to action.

The Initiation

Now that we have motivated ourselves to begin our day, have done all the leg work required to solicit qualified candidates, and have talked ourselves into picking up the phone, the fun begins. The initiation stage is the breaking of ice with the candidate, and should only be used for the purpose of selling the appointment or discovery meeting, not as a means to interview on the fly. Remember that each of us covets our time greatly, and with that thought in mind should not attempt to sell what our company has to offer during the initiation phase, as our self-assertive behavior could hurt more than it could help. Mike Weinberg, the author of New Sales Simplified wrote, “Your one objective for the prospecting call is to get the prospect to agree to the next step in your sales process – which for most of us is a scheduled discovery meeting.”[11] Allow me to stop right here and make a statement to all those who recruit for a living as I have made many comments within this article that alludes to sales…you are a glorified salesperson regardless of what you may believe! The role of a recruiter is very synonymous with the role of the traditional sales rep, and the sooner you embrace that fact, the better off you’ll be. So, that being said, the first call you make to a qualified candidate is for the sole purpose of selling the next appointment.

The Consultation and Fraternization

This next stage of the process includes two very distinct yet congruent practices, the consultation and/or pre-screen interview and the fraternization. Although it is possible to have one without the other, it is highly advised against, as it is virtually impossible to get the answers you seek without first building rapport with your candidates. I personally don’t believe that the building of rapport with potential new hires should be counterfeit in any way, but rather should be done with the company and the candidates best interest in mind. Simon Sinek wrote an entire book on this topic entitled, Start With Why, and is a great read for all who care to learn how to connect with others. In his book he wrote, “We’re friends with people who see the world the way we see it, who share our views and our belief set.”[12] In the same book he shared, “Our desire to feel like we belong is so powerful that we will go to great lengths, do irrational things and often spend money to get that feeling.”[13] The author tapped into a concept which explains why we tend to do business with others who have the same worldview that we possess, and how we can use this commonality to benefit all parties involved.

Once the recruiter has bridged the gap with the candidate and has created some initial trust, then the consultation should begin. This brief interview should summarize the most critical issues that are prevalent to the company as well as to the candidate and shouldn’t last any longer than 30-45 minutes. The goal for the recruiter is to determine whether to place the candidate in front of a hiring manager, or to move the candidate out of the process altogether.

The Interrogation

Once a decision has been made to move the candidate forward to meet with the hiring manager, the interview process should intensify and the interrogation should begin. This interrogatory type of discussion is commonly known as behavioral interviewing. Behavioral interviewing has become quite popular in the last decade and seems to pierce through several issues that used to confound the talent acquisition professional. “A behavioral question is a question that aims at learning about your past “behaviors” in specific work situations.”[14] This analytical interview can seemingly pose inquiries that have little to do with the job in question and can last well over an hour.

Another option an organization might consider in the interrogation stage of the process is that of pre-employment testing. These tests have the ability to assist companies in identifying candidates who are most likely to perform well on the job, and can lead to additional company benefits such as saving time and cost in the selection process, decreasing turnover, and even improving morale.[15] Xinnix Mortgage Academy (one of the foremost training institutions in the mortgage industry) not only suggests the use of assessments as an aid to the behavioral interview, but considers the assessments they administer as an asset which helps determine whether candidates have the most critical personality traits for success.[16]

The Negotiation

We have finally arrived at the place where most talent acquisition professionals tend to cringe the most, the offer stage. Please allow me a little latitude here as I attempt to explain the reasoning behind the apprehension that is felt by most of my peers when negotiations begin.                  

As a recruiter, we have done all the challenging work up to this point. We have researched and sourced the candidate, we have made the dreaded cold call and broken the ice, we have built the necessary rapport to keep the candidate engaged, and have asked the questions necessary to provide the hiring manager with a solid potential employee. History has repeatedly shown that in one fell swoop, the hiring manager can unknowingly destroy everything the recruiter has spent countless hours to cultivate, and willingly or unwillingly as the case may be, send the candidate packing. In my humble opinion, the relationship between the recruiter and the hiring manager must be ultra-transparent and their understanding of one another’s goals and aspirations must be aligned completely if there is to be success. No exceptions.

It would also be prudent of me to note here that in the negotiation stage of the game, things have drastically changed in the candidate’s favor. An article in the Harvard Business Review discussing the topic of job offers shared it this way, “you must recognize that receiving an offer represents a “new and different phase” of the job search process.”[17] The article goes on to say that the purpose of the interview is to get the offer, and that the next stage is about weighing the offer and then negotiating with the potential new employer.[18] The candidate is now in the driver’s seat and has some power to negotiate because the employer has shown some level of interest.

The Consideration

This stage of the process generally includes some collaboration on the part of multiple departments and is comprised of reviewing the background check and possibly even a drug screen as well as the offer that has been presented to the candidate. Due to the myriad of variables that may exist at this stage, I am going to limit my comments and leave this section open to interpretation.

The Culmination

It’s graduation day! The candidate has accepted the offer, and the final stage of the recruiting process is complete. But does it really stop there? Is it really over for the recruiter, for the candidate, or for the company? No, in reality, it’s just the beginning. Jack Daly, author of the book Hyper Sales Growth, wrote, “Let’s say your new hire shows up for work Monday morning and you get a call saying he’s in the lobby, waiting for you. You might think, “What the hell! I have a long list of things to do besides show a new employee around.” So you send him to HR for a few hours of paperwork, and then you pawn him off on whomever else you can, just so he’s out of your hair. Eventually you put a big three-ring binder in his hands and send him to a conference room, maybe with no windows, and tell him to read it.”[19] Does this sound familiar? Is the new hire perceived as a nuisance on day one or as an asset that for all intents and purposes should be celebrated?

Daly continues on and shares an alternative view of how day one should look if done correctly. His vision includes a welcome wagon fit for a king and an outpouring of gratitude for the new hire that is prominently displayed by his superiors and his peers.[20] What a contrast to the reality most candidates encounter when they enter the workplace for their new hire orientation. How many more could we retain if we just began day one with the new candidate's perception in mind?

I understand that this article has been a very long read for some of you, but I hope that I have made my points clear and my thoughts transparent. The recruiting process is an arduous one that cannot be taken lightly, but one that can be very rewarding if handled intelligently, systematically, and with the right amount of empathy for both candidate and company.

[1] (Cane, 2012)

[2] (Cane, 2012)

[3] (Breaugh, 2017)

[4] (Breaugh, 2017)

[5] (Breaugh, 2017)

[6] (Collins, 2001)

[7] (Croner & Abraham, 2013)

[8] (Hopkins, 1995)

[9] (Hopkins, 1995)

[10] (Covey, 1989)

[11] (Weinberg, 2015)

[12] (Sinek, 2009)

[13] (Sinek, 2009)

[14] (Simpson, 2015)

[15] (Quast, 2011)

[16] (Xinnix: The Mortgage Academy, 2016)

[17] (Knight, 2017)

[18] (Knight, 2017)

[19] (Daly, 2014)

[20] (Daly, 2014)

References

Breaugh, J. (2017, October 26). Effective Practice Guidelines. Retrieved from Society for Human Resource Management: https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/special-reports-and-expert-views/Documents/Talent-Acquisition-Recruitment.pdf

Cane, B. (2012). The Mental Conditioning Manual: Your Blueprint for Excellence. Quality Books Inc.

Collins, J. (2001). Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Covey, S. R. (1989). The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. New York, NY: Fireside by Simon & Schuster.

Croner, D. C., & Abraham, R. (2013). Never Hire a Bad Salesperson Again: Selecting Candidates Who are Absolutely Driven to Succeed. The Richard Abraham Company, LLC.

Daly, J. (2014). Hyper Sales Growth. Charleston, SC: Advantage.

Hopkins, T. (1995). Selling for Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc.

Knight, R. (2017, April 10). How to Evaluate, Accept, Reject, or Negotiate a Job Offer. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2017/04/how-to-evaluate-accept-reject-or-negotiate-a-job-offer

Quast, L. (2011, September 13). Pre-Employment Testing: A Helpful Way for Companies to Screen Applicants. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2011/09/13/pre-employment-testing-a-helpful-way-for-companies-to-screen-applicants/#1366b4bf2606

Simpson, M. (2015, January 19). Behavioral Interview Questions and Answers 101. Retrieved from The Interview Guys: https://theinterviewguys.com/behavioral-interview-questions-and-answers-101/

Sinek, S. (2009). Start With Why. New York, NY: The Penguin Group.

Weinberg, M. (2015, January 23). Telephone Prospecting Tip: Sell the Meeting Not Your Solution. Retrieved from Mike Weinberg: https://www.newsalescoach.com/2015/01/telephone-prospecting-tip-sell-meeting-not-solution/

Xinnix: The Mortgage Academy. (2016). Implementation Guide for New Mortgage Professionals. Alpharetta, GA: Xinnix, Inc.

---