How to be a Recruiter BLOG

Recruiting Training/Recruiter Training: Sending Resumes to Clients

2011-11-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

It breaks my heart to hear stories of many novice Recruiters who do little things that undermine their success. I recommend Recruiters constantly review their methods and keep modifying strategies to increase placements and keep control of the process. It all starts, in my opinion, with understanding your role as an Executive Recruiter. Be a consultant! Find out what your client requires in a candidate. Find out how they define: poor, fair, good, great candidates and find them their dream candidate.

Don't send resumes to employers for their review! You are not a clerk! You are not their subordinate! You are a consultant who searches for the right person for the position. You interview, screen, reject, check references and select the best one or two candidates for your client. THEN, you present the candidate by using the exact words and concepts your hiring manager longs to hear. "Karen, you said you wanted an experienced XXX. This candidate has 8 years experience. You mentioned you wanted someone with a Masters degree. This candidate received his Masters from XXX University 4 years ago and on top of that he is currently working for XXX Company, your biggest competitor. He can interview with you this week Thursday morning or After two on Friday. What does your calendar look like?"

The benefits of handling your presentation this way start with you maintaining control. There is the understanding that the client has a big opportunity here and now to solve their problem in an excellent fashion. It's also implied that if they don't step up, another client will be glad to grab this opportunity. YOU are doing them a favor and all they have to do is interview for 'chemistry'. The odds of making a placement have increased dramatically and you've established a sense of urgency. Game on!

Top Recruiter Secrets If you have specific questions...Ask me! $25. for 15 minutes on the phone or $25. for up to 3 questions via email.

Reruiting Trends: Where do you think the industry is headed?

2011-09-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

Kim,

A group of us (recruiters) at lunch today got philosophical. Where do you see the industry in terms of income potential in ten years? Some in the group thought we would be a disposable commodity. Some think the industry will go the way of job boards. Their thinking is you will have two or three “big” recruiting boards like a LinkedIn that will have a Skype feature in which candidates and clients will bypass completely the executive recruiter.

Do you ever foresee something like that happening? That would be the death knell wouldn’t it?! On that happy note. Have a nice weekend. Hope you and the business are well.

Greg Moore

Guilford, CT

Thanks for the note.

I think the recruiting industry will be just fine in ten years. Your theory of social media making it easy to bypass recruiters altogether is not one I share. I think recruiters bring invaluable insight, talent, and huge cost savings for an employer, to the table. You over estimate, in my opinion, the amount of time HR depts. and hiring managers have to spend on sites like LinkedIn, let alone their ability to utilize them well.

The average hiring manager welcomes suggestions that make interviewing (and hiring ) easier. I feed my hiring managers, many who are Sr. VPs, interview questions and strategy. They love me. I know they've tried posting ads and finding people on their own. They're not good at it; we are!

The US Dept of Labor Statistics projects the staffing and recruiting industry will continue to grow until at least 2014. Thereafter there may be some attrition due to the fact that as the Boomers age, many high level or high skill niches will not have a large enough talent pool to fill those positions and competition will be fierce for those with the skills in demand. As the workforce shrinks, supply and demand economics dictate salaries will rise for people with key skills. If more companies wise up and keep training people who want to switch career tracks in their 30's, 40's and 50's, the market may be fine.

As a recruiter a lot of my value comes with saving my clients time and money by presenting candidates they will like, who meet their requirements, quickly. I deliver a dynamite service that'll be in demand for as long as I can see. Cross my fingers!

Nice discussion!

Do you let clients and candidates talk without a fee agreement in place?

2011-09-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Kimberly.

How are you? Question: Will you ever let the parties (candidate and client) talk to one another without a signed fee agreement in place? Our owner here will not permit it, but I find it would promote good will and maybe make things go smoother and lead to more placements. My thoughts are (and of course I'm still a newbie) let them talk once for free and then after that make them sign a fee agreement.

Your thoughts?

Greg XXXXXXX

Greg:

I agree with your boss. You cannot 'un-do' a conversation and neither party has an obligation to talk with you after they meet. I say for minimal brain damage, follow the recruiting process. Don't sell yourself short.

You offer a very valuable service. If an employer wants that service, they get their fee back many times over. They either have the cash to commit or they don't. I think it's best to know where you stand up front, and no hard feelings for the employers who don't want to commit to the cost for the services. Having an agreement also tells you who is sincere about hiring and those sincere clients appreciate your efforts most. They have a lot to gain by cooperating with you. Employers have the option of rejecting any candidates who they don't believe are a good match for their company. Goodwill is a big part of our service.

Just yesterday I had a 'talk' with a very good client. He runs a billion dollar region yet has messed up three interviews with candidates I sent over because of his eagerness. I asked him to promise me he would not extend an offer during the next interview, no matter how much he likes the candidate. I explained the 'psychological' reasons of how it impacts the process and advised him to 'follow our lead' as this is what we do all day long. He was very appreciative of the info and understood the strategy. As a result, that 'consultative service' we provide is filled with the kind of good-will you mention, only now he has a new employee and I have a fee! No stress, no worries if you take care of business up front. It's a mind set. Do everyone a favor, yourself the most, and get the fee taken care of up front or move on to someone who appreciates your service and recognizes the value in your fee.

Comments welcome.Want to be a Top Recruiter? Boost your career with killer communication skills

Business is Booming for Recruiters in 2011!

2011-03-07T15:17:00.000-08:00

If you didn't catch it here is a report from Daily News and Analysis (DNA). One more news segment that is reinforcing the fact that there are plenty of employers ready to pay your fee to bring new talent into their companies. Recruiters are cost effective for smart businesses who are ready to expand and who simply need to keep up with attrition.

Several sources reaffirm that the recruiting industry is still on target to grow over 30% (that's huge) by 2014. Stay focused and you're apt to reap big benefits.

http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_firms-outsourcing-entire-hiring-to-private-recruiters_1517011

Impressing Employers to Get a Job Offer

2011-03-03T09:18:00.000-08:00

As Recruiters part of our job is to help candidates stand out from the competition when they go for an interview. This tells our clients we listened to their needs and send only the best, and most qualified candidates to them. When a candidate does a great job on the interview their probability of getting a job offer skyrockets. We don't look too shabby either. : )

When we coach a candidate well before their interview they walk into that interview with knowledge and confidence, ready to 'Get that job offer!' After all, there is nothing to negotiate if no offer is ever extended, correct?

Today I read an article on MSN that confirms what we all know and I post the link below because it was a well presented reminder. Use it to refresh your 'before the interview candidate coaching'. Prepare your candidate by asking them questions and if their answers are too long or not relevant, give them the honest feedback they need. Tell them how to self edit and help them understand the employer's point of view. As the old saying goes, "Help them help themselves!" Here's the article if you didn't see it today.

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2518-Job-Search-The-wow-factor-Impressive-job-candidate-qualities/?SiteId=cbmsnhp42518&sc_extcmp=JS_2518_home1&gt1=23000

Use Industry Portals to Get Candidates Knocking at Your Door

2011-03-01T12:35:00.000-08:00

It's worth your time to find several portals that cater to the industries in which you recruit. Use these portals to place job orders. Specify the requirements and prefered skills your client wants. Include compensation and your email address. When you start receiving resumes it will be easy to screen them for qualifications and call these individuals to see who can interview within 72 hours. Make sure their resume is up to date.

Find out who they have interviewed with already. Find out their reasons to change jobs. Interview them and give them tips on how they can excel at an interview. Review how they should dress, what to say and do, and tell them as much about the company as you can to make sure they are comfortable and confident when they show up to interview. I always coach candidates on how to ask for the job. Remember there is nothing to discuss or negotiate unless the employer wants to make an offer.

If you're inclined to go the extra mile, call the candidates who don't qualify as well. They may be an excellent source of names of people who do qualify for your position. Candidates also appreciate any contact from someone who acknowledges they exist and will likely show their appreciation by directing you to someone who does qualify. That's what successful Recruiters do...they network insimple, direct ways to find the best candidate for their client of the moment.

If anyone wants to share their experience with portals, please do! I'd love to hear what you have to say!
Thanks.

Recruiters have cause for optimism!

2010-09-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

Last week the headlines gave us 3 reasons to feel good about our future as Executive Recruiters. Manufacturing orders were up in 9 of 11 sectors measured monthly; stocks were up; unemployment benefit filings were down...all pointing to increased needs of Employers to hire.

Keep in mind that while more people applying for the same job seems like employers have a stronger pool of applicants to chose from (true); that increase in applications also can slow down the hiring process and good applicants can be lost. When an employer is flooded with applicants, sorting through those piles is hard work. There is no substitute for skilled interviewing and simple qualifying phone calls to applicants who seem promising.

As always opportunity abounds and with some modification of services offered, Recruiters can be a huge asset to employers.

Recruiting and the Economy

2010-08-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

I keep forgetting to share this with anyone who may have missed this news headline, (I think it was in the Wall Street Journal, feel free to correct me!) June, 2010 was the fist month in over 20 months that MORE unhappy employees simply quit their current job without having a new job in place, than were terminated or laid off. Good news!

What does that mean? To me, it means that the stranglehold of fear we have listened to the media spew for two years is crumbling a bit. Yes, unemployment is still around 10% but more companies are hiring, maybe not in huge numbers but enough so that companies who have poor management or have placed too much responsibility on overworked staff already, are beginning to feel a backlash.

I'm glad to hear more employees are beginning to show a backbone and walk away from what they believe are intolerable conditions. During the prior 20 months, unhappy employees were staying in jobs they wanted to quit due to "economic conditions".

As an optimist I truly believe we can all lead satisfying lives. Yes, it takes work on our part, and compromise, but too many companies have crummy management and abuse their power. They have too much turnover and that always effects performance. Perhaps this quiet grassroots effort of "I am worth more"; or "I deserve to be treated better"; or "I want a different career where I can use my skills" and "Damn it, I'm going to go out and get it!" is what this stagnant economy needs.

We all hear whining about the economy every day. Sure, sometimes it's tough. So what? My attitude is I only need to make one deal at a time as a Recruiter. I can keep making deals if I get up everyday, and put one foot in front of the other, just like I do in good times.

How to Be a Recruiter - 5 Tips to Make it Easier

2010-08-24T07:57:00.001-07:00

You've decided to become an Executive Recruiter. Where do you start? In this article 'Recruiter' is defined as a contingency fee or full cycle Recruiter. Also known as Head Hunters, contingency fee Recruiters are paid when their candidate is hired by one of their employer clients.

Here are 5 tips to help you become a successful Recruiter quickly.

Learn the Process. There are about 30 steps in the recruiting process. From identifying your candidate to getting the check, the process must be learned, followed and trusted. A good Recruiter knows where she is in the process at all times. Don't skip steps. Skipping a step can kill a deal.

The way a Recruiter manages the process to maximize placements is by mastering a few Recruiting skills. Employers and candidates alike want to trust their Recruiter. Those who establish trust get honest answers and cooperation throughout the process. When there are bumps in the road you'll use your Recruiter skills to guide all parties to the best outcome.

Employers and candidates EXPECT their Recruiter to take the lead and make a deal happen. They also want to feel they're in control at the same time! The best outcome for an emloyer is hiring a candidate who has the skills a position requires and is a good personality fit for their organization. The best outcome for a candidate is accepting an offer from a company that provides what he wants and needs at this moment in his career. Ideally candidates should feel like they're advancing their career.

One of the top two recruiter skills is the art of asking questions. When a Recruiter knows how to ask questions well, they're able to manage both employers and candidates effectively. Here's a secret, Recruiters should be listening 80% of the time! When they're listening they're gathering information and information is power.

Information is what's needed when one side or the other has reservations about committing to a deal. Carefull use of information helps to close deals. It's the Recruiter's responsibility to close deals. Asking questions well creates success.

Mastering the art of Listening (skill #2) makes Recruiters money. Lots of money. When you listen well, people naturally feel heard. A by-product of feeling heard is people like you. And then they trust you. When it comes time for the other side to listen, they will. When you listen for thought process completion, the other party feels valued. Many positive results and fuzzy warm feelings can be traced back to listening. Having good listening skills is required to consistently make placements.

There are times during a placement process when it apprears the two sides may be approaching a wall and there's no way around that wall. Don't believe it! By listening you'll have the tools needed to keep inching both parties closer to what they both really want.

Recruiters' have the responsibility to keep the lines of communications open and clear. Your questions and listening skills will eliminate frustrations and create happy clients and happy candidates. Your closing ratio will skyrocket!

Be a professional at all times. Speak slowly and clearly. Use proper English, not slang. Don't cuss. Be respectful. Be a good loser if things don't go your way. Know the Full Cycle Recruiting process. Stick to that process. Keep investing in your education and skill enhancement.

Recruiting isn't hard once you know what to do and how to do it well. The more you learn the less effort it takes to make a placement and the more money you'll make. There are people in the industry who try to make the Recruiting process seem harder and more mysterious than needed. A desire to help others, common sense, the ability to follow step by step instructions, honesty, integrity, a basic understanding of business, and self confidence are what's needed to make a successful and happy Recruiter.

There's always something new in Recruiting

2010-08-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

The recruiting arena is without limit. There's always a new tip or idea we can use to overcome an objection or keep the placement process running smooth. Got a topic idea? Let me know!

Kim