Our clients want us to provide results by sending them the best talent for their openings. As a result, the recruiter with the candidate WINS! The market is slowly turning into a candidate-driven market, so it’s important that you position yourself to take advantage of this trend.
I believe in candidate rapport, not candidate control. You need to establish a working relationship with your candidates and gain their trust.
A first interview is like a first date. Your candidate is only going to be as honest as they can be with a stranger they don’t trust. During your first conversation, they must sense that you care and are listening to them. But again, it takes time to develop trust.
This is why it’s critical to re-ask pertinent questions throughout the entire placement process. Answers get more accurate as the level of trust increases.
The following will help you to establish rapport:
- How you present yourself—as a knowledgeable professional
- Your paperwork—showing them the benefits they will experience by completing your paperwork
- How you schedule the interview—offering them specific options and not saying, “When is it convenient for you?”
- How you conduct a general interview to uncover their hot buttons vs. interviewing for one specific assignment, contract, or search
You should also have accomplished the following:
- Established yourself as a trusted agent.
- Attempted to gain their trust—pre-closing as you interview, giving them pride of authorship.
- They have confidence in your abilities.
- They trust YOU to do their salary negotiations.
- They know NOT to call you during prime time, but rather after 4:00 p.m.
- If you have an appropriate opportunity, they will agree to go on the interview.
- You have reference information.
- You can close this candidate and you understand their hot buttons.
Additional suggestions:
- Use all means of communicating (phone, text, email, and instant messaging), but attempt to have a conversation on every third contact.
- Learn a personal fact about your candidate during conversations.
- Always focus on the candidates “WIIFM” (What’s In It For Me?).
- Remember that people want to buy, but don’t want to be sold.
- You must understand all details of the position and show your enthusiasm to your candidate.
- If your candidate feels you will “understand,” you did not establish candidate rapport. They should view you as an employment expert.
- If you don’t have a current job or assignment that is appropriate for your candidate, market their skills.
- Candidates like to have a choice. If you don’t provide one, they will interview on their own.
- Share testimonials—this is the best way to develop trust and shows you have provided other individuals with results.
- Join their associations and write for their publications.
- Don’t tell them what you know—until they know that you CARE.
- Be honest and provide alternate resources for candidates you won’t place!
Lastly, I want to stress the importance of becoming the best listener in the lives of your candidates. You are not listening to them to SOLVE or JUDGE, you’re listening to understand where they’re coming from.
Their credentials show you who they WERE and ARE, but not necessarily who they WANT TO BE. Become the best listener in their life and you will become the “recruiter of choice.”
You will also present the best talent to your clients the fastest, so you will be the recruiter who makes the placement!
— — —
Barb Bruno, CPC/CTS is a guest writer for the Top Echelon Recruiter Training Blog, and you can hire her for your next conference or event or for in-house training. Barb’s training techniques have guided thousands of recruiters to a higher level of sales and profits. She is best known for her methodical, easy-to-implement strategies that she shares with her audiences. Her enthusiasm is contagious! If you would like to hire Barb, please call 219.663.9609, email support@staffingandrecruiting.com, or visit Good as Gold Training online.
Leave a Comment..