Recruiters, go off script - get to the root!

Wow it's been a while since I've written an article. Don't expect these to be long and super detailed but I feel like using articles to expand on my monthly advice posts will be a good route to take. Anyways, here we go with January and the topic of Recruiter Phone Screens!

Why don't I follow a script? Well, I kind of do and I kind of don't. I have something written out with questions and topics. It provides me with a foundation to use and there's often some clarification questions that I want to ask to all candidates. However, every candidate is different. That's why I go off track. That's why I go down some rabbit holes. This allows my curiosity to run free and ultimately get the most of the call.

Here's what I am trying to accomplish from my Recruiter calls with candidates.

1. Have they succeeded in this type of role before and if not, why could they succeed in ours? By the way, if they haven't been in the exact role before, it isn't a deal breaker. Some of the best Managers have never managed people before but they've explained how they would be great Managers because of what they have learned from their own previous Managers. You want to know, "can this person walk into this role and have the strong POTENTIAL to be successful". This is the root of all your questions. Figuring out if they have that potential is the challenging part :)
2. What might they bring to the team that is different? Creative, outside the box thinkers are folks I gravitate towards. Diverse candidates are critical, not only when it comes to race, gender, etc, but also skills and experience diversity too. We want a diverse candidate pool for the hiring team to choose from.
3. Are they aligned? Don't forget, candidates are interviewing you! Most are considering multiple companies and multiple jobs so you need to make sure they are aligned to your opportunity and are excited about it. Be a salesperson!

Spend time preparing for a candidate call. Review their profile, search for them on LinkedIn, check out links that they have. Figure out what you want to dig in to or question, based on their profile and don't be afraid to ask the difficult questions! Asking the difficult questions will allow you to get to the root.