Top 12 Traits of the Most Successful Recruiters

Haven't you ever wondered how some of your colleagues or friends in the hiring industry manage to earn much more than you and why do they get promoted more often. It's not a mystery any more. Top recruiters share certain traits that make them exceptional at their work.

They're Great at Managing their Time

Top recruiters are juggling-maestros. They manage multiple requirements simultaneously which means that they have to manage their time most effectively. Recruiters often work with tight deadlines and every missed deadline is an opportunity loss that is hard to recover.

They're an Exceptional Story-Tellers

Successful sales professionals are great story-tellers and they outperform their counterparts by a margin. Recruitment is Sales and so the same criteria applies to recruiters too. Those recruiters that spend time crafting a story emerge as winners in the long run.

They're Masters of Networking

Recruiters are in the "people business" and deal with them all day long, all year out. Great relationship-building skills can unlock a lot of doors and tons of opportunities for you.

While LinkedIn and other on-line recruitment and networking platforms have made it much easier to reach larger number of people, nothing replaces the power of an in-person intro or meeting. Offline events help significantly, especially for executive hirings.

They always have their Elevator Pitch ready

Most candidates don't have enough time to hear lengthy introductions and company briefs. If you can't explain it in less than a minute, you might have to wait for days, if not weeks, to reach candidates again. The best recruiters always know what they want and they can explain it pretty clearly to the candidates. This helps conversations move faster and helps close deals.

They Exorcise Generic Job Descriptions

Top recruiters know that generic job descriptions do not attract superior applicants so they get rid of it and try to woo the best hires through creative job ads which make them stand out amongst the crowded job market.

Their Fingers are on the Pulse of the Market, Always

Great recruiters know their client industries thoroughly. They know who is hiring and what skills are going to be scarce in the market before the actual requirements start flowing in. They use this information well in advance to network with people with critical skills.

They're Always Hungry for More

Great recruiters share a common trait - They all are very ambitious. They never settle with 2-3 placements a month. They find themselves racing against themselves.

They Don multiple Roles effortlessly

The most successful recruiters wear multiple hats – They are part salesman, career coach, advisor and fact finder. And they need to balance both the sides of the story. They deal with multiple companies and candidates on a daily basis. What makes the best of the recruiters is commitment, patience and ability to multi-task.

They're Very Good Listeners

It is very important for a recruiter to have great listening skills. Only if you listen carefully to candidates as well as the hiring managers, you will be able to understand their needs. If you are not clear about that, you might end up finding a mediocre candidate for your client.

They're Clear, Honest and Informative

Candidates respect and trust recruiters who are clear about the job and company they are trying to sell to the candidates. Sharing the information with the candidates honestly, gives you entry to the candidates' trusted zone. You generate great word of mouth in their circle and also reduces the chances of offer drop-outs significantly.

They're Great Team-Players

Sometimes, it takes a team to find the perfect candidate for the client's need. Knowing how to manage people to get the desired end results is quite critical. Most successful recruiters are great at managing people too. Honing your team skills can do wonders to your hiring career.

They Respond Promptly

The one quality that gets you in the good books of candidates or clients is your responsiveness. Successful recruiters make responding to clients and candidates their priority.

A career in recruitment is challenging but if you try building these traits in your daily work, you will start noticing the difference.

What habits have you developed that help you find success in working with clients and candidates? I would appreciate if you can let me know your thoughts or any comments on the topic.

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Here, at LinkedIn, I regularly write about Recruitment and Management related issues and trends. Find all my LinkedIn posts here. If you would like to read my regular posts then please click 'Follow' (at the top of the page) and feel free to also connect with me via Twitter and our company's Blog.

Here are some of my other posts on LinkedIn:

• 6 Stupid Resume Mistakes every Smart Job-seeker must Avoid
• How to improve your recruitment productivity
• How to Hire Passive Candidates Faster
• Recruiting Technology Trends for 2015
• Recruiters' Guide to Making a Perfect Job-Offer
• 5 Tips for Very Effective Recruiting Cold Calls

Photo credit: Nicolas Le Gruiec / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA