What separates a good recruiter from a great recruiter? Obviously, a good recruiter has knowledge, skills, experience and connections. But if two recruiters were identical with respect to these assets, what would put one above the other?
They’re prepared.
Great recruiters ask questions and anticipate needs, so they’ll be ready when a job opening becomes available. They develop strong relationships with hiring managers and keep their fingers on the pulse of their recruiting trends and responsibilities. Great recruiters also research, learn and absorb as much as they can about the companies and the hiring managers they serve.
They work collaboratively.
Great recruiters take a consultant-type approach to filling a position. They meet with the hiring manager to make sure they understand the role they are looking to fill. They also train, develop and teach other recruiters.
They devote time to the full employee lifecycle.
Great recruiters don’t simply fill positions. They maintain relationships with their hires and placements long after they’ve placed them.
They focus on all candidates.
Great recruiters serve as a resource for job seekers who haven’t yet found a job opportunity, in addition to focusing on relationships with hiring managers and candidates they’ve placed. They know that developing candidate pipelines is a long-term strategy, and that they’ll provide better value to both clients and candidates when they build community.
They truly enjoy working with people.
You would think this would be true of all recruiters, but great recruiters are great at networking because they have a strong interest in people. They like to meet new people and seek out opportunities to do so even when they’re not on the job.
They can sell, persuade and influence others.
Great recruiters work to get candidates interested in the work, project, and hiring manager by identifying and communicating their positive aspects as well as pointing out challenges. They “pre-sell” well-vetted candidates to hiring managers. And they target their networks for specific functions and sometimes even for specific hiring managers.
It’s not only expertise, but commitment to clients, candidates and continued hiring success that differentiates between good and great recruiters. Great recruiters take a holistic approach to recruitment and hiring and can execute that big picture vision. And they make smart moves that create less risk and more success because they see recruitment not as individual placements but as a body of work.
At Smith Hanley, we think you’ll find some of the best recruiters in the industry. Put our years of industry experience to work for you and give us a call and see for yourself!
