A while back, I presented four great tips for working with a recruiter . . . and now I’m back with three more!
As I mentioned previously, at certain points during this yearlong series of blog posts, I’ll be presenting tips like the ones contained in this post. These tips are meant not only to pass along valuable information, but also as a way to summarize the topics that I’ve addressed to this point.
Below are three more great tips for working with a recruiter:
- Ask potential recruiting partners to describe the process they’re going to use to identify potential candidates. If it only includes social media recruiting, job boards, and resume banks, you may want to talk with other recruiters. While these are effective tools and can be part of a great search, if you want the cream of the crop, you need someone who is able to identify and entice the best in the field. These individuals are not actively looking for work. These top performers need to be contacted directly and have the opportunity presented in a professional manner.
- You will improve accuracy and speed in the search process by giving the recruiter access to the hiring manager, even in a limited way. Recruiters who have spoken with the hiring manager have more credibility with prospective candidates. Therefore, top prospects who may be hesitant are more willing to listen. Seasoned recruiters know how to work with integrity with both hiring managers and the Human Resources departments. If you find a recruiter who continually circumvents your process or fails to keep HR in the loop, find another recruiter. That recruiter lacks integrity.
- Developing a long-term relationship with a recruiter saves you time because you will not have to explain your process and culture repeatedly. Having a long-term relationship with a recruiter normally increases speed and productivity, as the recruiter typically improves accuracy with multiple hires and builds a list of contacts that can be re-used.
This final tip dovetails nicely into our next several blog posts, which deal with “dirty little secrets” about recruiters. If you’re looking to get the “dirt” on recruiters, then be sure to stay tuned!
(For more information about maximizing the benefits of working with a recruiter, download a copy of Dan Simmons’s e-Book, Hunting the Headhunter: Your Guide to Debunking Myths, Cutting Costs, and Changing the Way You Play the Recruitment Game.)
