What efficient recruiters do

Efficiency in recruiting is paramount in today's competitive job market. A recruiter's ability to swiftly and effectively identify, engage and secure top talent can have a significant impact on hiring success. What makes a recruiter truly efficient goes beyond merely completing job orders, it involves different skills, strategies and qualities that enable them to streamline the hiring process and ensure a perfect fit between candidates and roles.? In this article, I will be sharing insights on methods that have proven to be invaluable in my role as a recruiter.

Effective resume screening

Prior to sending any resume, I always make it a point to have a conversation with the candidate.? After careful evaluation, only resumes of candidates who align with the qualifications and requirements are submitted for review. I make sure to inform candidates where their resumes are going and what the job is.?

When evaluating resumes, I always look for stability and growth. This can look different on every candidate's resume. Stability is usually indicated by long tenures at the same company and progression within the organization. Growth can also come from company changes when candidates pursue better job opportunities.

Using proven interview questions

An efficient recruiter understands the importance of a structured interview process. This means having a clearly defined plan in place before meeting with candidates and using a set of proven questions. These questions help me to learn a candidate’s skill set, experience and personality.

During an interview I typically ask candidates what aspects of their job they like the most/like the least, the projects they’ve worked on, challenges they’ve encountered, areas they think they can improve on etc. Leveraging probing questions enables me to get as much information as possible on whether a candidate's skill set is matchable for the job, ending up with suitable candidates that meet all or a good portion of the criteria that the company requested.

Consistent communication

Consistent communication allows recruiters and hiring managers to align their expectations regarding the hiring process, timelines and candidate profiles. Reaching out to companies provides an opportunity to collect feedback on the quality of candidates presented and interview outcomes, which helps in finding candidates who are a better fit for the role.

I always maintain open communication with candidates throughout the screening process. This involves keeping them informed about the status of their application, providing timely feedback and addressing issues that may come up in the process. This transparency not only keeps candidates engaged but also helps manage candidate expectations.

READ: Communicating as a recruiter

Effective reference checks?

Effective reference checks are more than just asking about job titles and work history. An efficient recruiter asks questions that can uncover specific examples of a candidate's accomplishments, strengths and areas for improvement. It's common practice for candidates to choose references who they believe will speak positively about their qualifications, skills and work ethic.? Since it’s generally expected that references will give positive feedback, I look for consistency in what they have to say.?

While references may highlight different aspects of the candidate's abilities, I pay attention to consistent themes that emerge. For example, if multiple references mention the candidate's strong leadership skills or their ability to work well in a team, then the positive feedback from job references tends to carry more weight and credibility.