As a recruiter, it’s your job to get the best talent through your company’s front door. However, when you’re recruiting the best of the best, you also need to be the best of the best.
Of course, becoming a great recruiter takes skill, practice, and intuition, but there are a number of habits and traits that you can adopt to help you become a better HR professional for your company. Let’s take a look at thirteen of the most significant habits or traits that can help you become a more successful recruiter.
Recruiting top talent is one of the most critical roles within any organization. Finding people with the perfect mix of skills, experience and cultural fit can seem like looking for needles in a haystack. It takes certain innate abilities combined with learned tactics to excel as a recruiter. Follow these tips to take your recruiting game to the next level.
Keep the Big Picture in Mind
Great recruiters always keep the company’s big-picture needs in focus when filling any position. Before hunting for candidates ensure you fully understand
- The organization’s long-term strategic goals
- How the open role helps achieve those goals
- What key skills and values are needed to align with the culture
Recruiting without understanding the broader context results in candidates that may not move the company forward
Dig Deeper into Candidate Qualifications
Look beyond just skills and experience listed on a resume. Probe to uncover info that reveals how candidates:
- Overcome obstacles
- Handle high-pressure situations
- Make complex decisions
- Motivate team members
- Deal with conflict
- Solve problems innovatively
Doing a deep dive during interviews helps assess cultural fit and soft skills not apparent on paper.
Think Outside the Box
Avoid sticking to “ideal candidate” checklists rigidly or only recruiting people similar to existing staff. Considering unconventional options can pay off.
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Take a chance on candidates with potential rather than just experience.
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Look beyond “pedigree” companies when sourcing candidates.
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Consider self-taught individuals rather than only formal education.
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Seek those eager to learn rather than narrowly focused specialists.
Continually Improve Yourself
Great recruiters constantly seek to enhance their own skills and knowledge.
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Take classes on behavioral interview techniques.
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Attend seminars on sourcing passive candidates.
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Learn new recruiting technologies and tools.
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Study other industries and functions to broaden perspective.
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Read books/articles on identifying high performers.
Make learning a habit, not a one-time event.
Nurture Your Talent Community
Leverage past recruiting cycles to build a talent community.
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Catalog high potential candidates from previous interviews who weren’t quite a fit. Reach out when new positions arise.
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Ask impressive candidates, even if not hired, for referrals to their networks.
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Follow up with hired candidates periodically. They can provide referrals or even become rehires.
A robust talent community saves time when openings occur.
Track Metrics Diligently
Measure key recruiting stats to identify successes and areas for improvement. Tracking metrics like:
- Interviews conducted per open position
- Time-to-fill roles
- Candidate drop-off rates
- 1-year retention rates
Gives recruiters feedback to refine strategies going forward.
Be Proactive Not Just Reactive
Don’t wait for roles to open before sourcing potential candidates.
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Build a talent pipeline by always networking and maintaining dialogues with prospects.
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Make recommendations to management about candidates you discover between active searches.
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Look for people who align to the culture even without specific openings.
Getting ahead of needs makes filling future openings easier.
Master the Art of Selling
At its heart, recruiting is salesmanship. Pitch your company and the open role to candidates persuasively.
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Convey excitement and enthusiasm for the organization. Passion is contagious.
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Ask probing questions about what motivates them rather than just pitching.
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Don’t hide challenges. Address concerns directly yet positively.
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Discuss growth options, not just immediate role. Sell future possibilities.
Develop Relationship Building Skills
Recruiting is about human connections. Skilled recruiters are adept relationship builders throughout the process.
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Make small talk and find common interests during interviews to establish rapport.
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Follow-up and show appreciation to all candidates, even if not selected.
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Use warmth, empathy and listening skills versus just asking robotic questions.
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Share personal career anecdotes and aspirations to be relatable.
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Bond with candidates as peers to understand motivations and goals.
Remain Ethical and Authentic
Never compromise ethics to make the sale or fill roles quickly.
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Be transparent about pay, responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities.
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Avoid “bait and switch” tactics promising things you can’t deliver.
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Don’t hide company issues or misrepresent the work culture.
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Respect candidates’ time and interests, not just your needs.
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Follow equal opportunity hiring practices.
Your reputation and company brand depends on conducting an ethical, authentic process.
Aim for Passive Candidates
The best recruits aren’t always actively job seeking. Use creative approaches to connect with passive prospects.
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Ask employees, clients, vendors, investors and others for referrals in their networks.
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Scout professional associations, trade shows, conferences, and industry events.
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Build a presence on niche sites and forums related to your field.
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Search competitors for those not fully utilized or business contacts you already have rapport with.
Tapping into passive candidates provides access to the hidden job market.
Embrace Technology, But Don’t Rely on It
Use recruiting technology to enhance efficiency, but avoid overdependence.
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Automate administrative and screening tasks to focus energy on personalized outreach.
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Use data analytics to identify high potential sources of candidates.
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Enable mobile communication for convenience.
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But always prioritize human interaction, not just digital.
Technology supports recruiting efforts but can’t replace human judgment.
Becoming an elite recruiter requires innate abilities enhanced by learned skills. Master these tips to attract top talent and gain a competitive edge for your organization. Recruiting done right delivers outsized rewards.
Similar definitions you must know:
Sourcing
Screening
Onboarding
Talent pipeline
Passive candidates
Candidate experience
People also ask:
What are the 5 basic steps in the recruiting process?
What are the most important recruiting skills?
How do you stand out as a recruiter?
Focus on the candidates
We have said it before, but the candidate experience is more important than ever when it comes to recruiting.
While technology makes it easy to connect with talent all over the world, if you’re not properly considering the experience throughout the entire interview process, you may miss out on attracting that top candidate.
Focus on what the candidate needs while you’re screening, interviewing, and making your final decision. Remember, the decision to work with you is just as big for the candidate as it is for your company. Especially in today’s world where a thousand more options are just one click away, it’s crucial to think about and optimize your Candidate Experience.
Create an environment where both of you can thrive.
Tip: Keep in mind that reciprocity is one of the six Principles of Persuasion as identified by Robert Cialdini. Give a little in order to receive a little. This works in many fields and is applicable to recruitment as well. Use your imagination!
The state of diversity recruiting in 2020 Defining the path that corporate diversity and inclusion will follow in the near future, The State of Diversity Recruiting white paper dives into relevant emerging trends and discusses example cases throughout every stage of the recruitment funnel.
Learn the ways of the business
Great recruiters know what their company will need before they even need it. In order to know what is needed, you have to be knowledgeable about every business unit in your organization.
Monitor your company’s processes, patterns, and strategic decisions. Talk with every employee to get an idea of where needs and pains lie. Being curious this way helps you work proactively to get the right talent exactly when your team is ready for it.
Staying on top of trends and focusing on the future instead of the present can get your business in front of the right applicants at the perfect time.
How to be a RECRUITER with no EXPERIENCE?! Explained by Recruiter
How do you become a successful recruiter?
Becoming a successful recruiter involves more than just screening and hiring. It requires a deep understanding of job roles, effective communication with hiring managers, and the ability to write clear job descriptions. They need to be efficient in sourcing and screening resumes, and adept at conducting interviews.
How can a recruiter improve a candidate experience?
Consider adding an analytics tool to your funnel to measure what candidates think about the process. This way you can work on providing the best experience, get better reviews and more engaged candidates. Good recruiters can place a perfectly qualified candidate in an open position.
What makes a successful recruiter?
To be a successful recruiter and fill open roles quickly, you’ll need to have a strong talent pipeline that you can draw from. To build a talent pipeline with candidates, you’ll need to ensure that you’re always networking. Respond to as many people that reach out to you as possible.
How do you make a good recruiter?
To take it a step further, you can even have prospective candidates leave a review on your LinkedIn page or write you an email where they can provide honest feedback. As a good recruiter, your focus should always be on professional relationships. But you might be able to build those professional relationships if you’re empathetic.
