4 Key Traits of a Successful Recruiter

I wrote about this on LinkedIn last year and it’s been my most popular article so far.  So, I thought it only sensible to share my thoughts here too.  These are 4 Simple Things You Can Do To Rock At Recruitment

I have read many articles over the years about the Biggest Complaints Candidates Have About Recruiters or Why Recruiters Suck.  I’m sure there a few suckish recruiters out there but being a great recruiter is only a few simple steps away.  If you can’t be bothered to achieve these 4 simple things then you deserve to be on the cowboy list!

1) Always give feedback to candidates.  This has got to be the NUMBER ONE complaint about recruiters.  If you’re an agency recruiter working with a client who won’t give you feedback on a candidate they’ve interviewed then ditch that client. Don’t get me wrong I really hated giving negative feedback when I was a recruiter and I probably cried more than the candidates but I always always did it.    If you don’t know how to give feedback check out this useful debrief form and if you have a client who doesn’t know how to give you the feedback to pass on suggest they read Giving feedback after job interviews.

2) Tell the truth.  I still see candidates complain that recruiters are posting non existent jobs – honestly why would you when you can find everyone in the whole working world by doing a few simple LinkedIn searches 😉  So, assuming that’s not a crime you’re committing what are you being untruthful about?  The salary the client will stretch to, the amount of overseas travel, how many other candidates are in the frame or one of these Top Five Recruiter “Lies”?  I have to admit I did used to use number five quite a lot myself…  But anyway, please don’t.

3) Return calls.  Recruitment is a relationship business.  Return calls to clients, candidates, possible candidates.  Don’t feel you have to do any of the non urgent ones during your peak “sales time” but do please call people back. Many recruiters say “if it’s important they’ll call back” – well let’s hope so!   Want to know the importance of returning calls?  In the long term, honestly, you will be remembered for manners such as these.

4. Know your niche.  Number one tip really for being a successful recruiter is to pick a niche and to totally own it.  If you want to know how check out my article on How to Become a Niche Recruiting Ninja.

Sadly recruitment is a little more complicated than just grasping these simple rules, you must listen more than you speak, effectively sell, be a marketing guru (especially around job descriptions), have tenacity, patience, compassion, empathy, oh the list goes on.  In fact we did a #RecHangout recently on What the Best Recruiter Do Better. However, if you are already a recruiter who is fairly successful why not double check you are following the guidelines above to help our industry shake off that horrible cowboy/double glazing salesman/used car sales stereotype and to personally REALLY ROCK AT RECRUITMENT.