There is nothing more key to a company’s success than finding the right person for the job. This can also be the most challenging part for many business leaders.
This is where recruiters step in.
What makes a successful recruiter?
Recruiters need to be aware of what skills make a successful recruiter so that they can see where they need to improve or up-skill.Whether you are a seasoned recruiting professional or new to the industry, the ever-changing nature of the labour market make this a highly challenging role. Particularly in recent times with the shift towards a more candidate-driven market, recruiters are required to up-skill in more and more areas.
In order to remain competitive, recruiters must be creative and proactive in attracting candidates that are in demand. They must thrive in a fast-paced competitive environment and acquire a sharp intuition when managing candidates and clients. They must develop efficient processes and leverage innovative recruiting software to streamline their recruitment strategy. And ultimately, recruiters need to be great people-people.
What makes a good recruiter
Above all, good recruiters must have a strong work ethic. That means they’ve refined their process over the years through trial and error and found more effective solutions to recurring problems. As an example, they’ve implemented automation across their process in order to accelerate quality work.
Plus, they know exactly what makes a good candidate and will strive to find them.
How to be a good recruiter?
- Understand the company and its culture: Get to know the company you are recruiting for and its values, mission, and goals.
- Understand the role: Learn the job requirements and qualifications needed for the position you are recruiting for.
- Network: Utilize professional networks, job fairs, and social media to reach potential candidates.
- Screen resumes: Quickly and effectively screen resumes to identify qualified candidates.
- Conduct initial interviews: Conduct initial phone or video interviews to further screen candidates and determine their qualifications.
- Provide clear expectations: Clearly communicate the job requirements and expectations for the role to potential candidates.
- Build relationships: Build a positive relationship with candidates and keep them informed throughout the recruiting process.
- Hire the best fit: Choose the candidate that best fits the company culture and job requirements.
- Onboarding: Make sure the new hire has a smooth transition into the company by providing an effective onboarding process.
- Follow-up: Keep in touch with new hires to ensure their success and satisfaction in the role.
What Qualities Make a Great Recruiter?
Some of the essential qualities of a good recruiter include:
- Being great listeners
- Being patient enough to seek the perfect candidates for the right positions
- Constantly practicing soft skills such as empathy
- Welcoming innovation (such as brand new tools)
- Being able to improve their relationships with people
What makes a successful recruiter?
A successful recruiter is one who has a deep understanding of the industry and can build relationships with employers and talent. They must also have strong communication, problem-solving, research, and organizational skills. Lastly, a successful recruiter will have excellent interviewing skills so that they can quickly identify the best candidates for an organization’s needs.
Recruiters must practice wearing multiple hats or roles to become better in their jobs. Generally concerned with what to look for in candidates but it also pays when the recruiter themselves are equipped with the necessary qualities and skills to be successful. Here are 6 of the many qualities or hats recruiters must wear to get the job done:
Marketer – Quality #1
To attract candidates recruiters must constantly be thinking of creative new ways to engage job seekers and promote open positions. On top of this, it is essential to project a strong and dependable brand image to your clients.
Most of the time, they will be recruiting candidates through ads. For this reason, their copywriting and graphic design skills must be sharp and appealing to the people who will be seeing the ad.
Salesperson – Quality #2
Recruiters are accomplished salespeople in the true sense of the word – you must understand a job seeker’s underlying motivations and goals. Likewise, you need to understand your clients exact needs in order to best position your candidate.
Note that selling isn’t about being pushy. A great salesperson is empathetic, instead. When you reflect their needs right at them and present them with a valuable solution, you will prove that you “get” them.
Networker – Quality # 3
Building a steady client base involves growing your brand reputation. Successful recruiters are skilful networkers, spotting opportunities for referrals and future partnerships. Work on your business relationships now to reap the benefits down the line.
Whether you are meeting potential clients in-person or online (through LinkedIn outreach, for instance), you should ideally have a framework to guide your conversation. Frameworks like PAS (Problem, Agitation, Solution) or AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) work well. This way, you will know how to keep people engaged and increase your chances of getting a “yes.”
Strategist – Quality #4
Not only do recruiters need strategies for individual roles – where to advertise and who to target – but a plan for the long game is also essential. Building a pipeline of talent is key to staying competitive, as is tracking employment trends in-demand skills.
Recruiters are also strategic partners for their clients. They offer pointed solutions and valuable consulting throughout the relationship, guaranteeing customer satisfaction along the way.
Psychologist – Quality #5
Understanding how to read potential candidates is essential to finding the right fit for the role you are hiring. Working with candidates on finding their ideal job involves being a practical and emphatic listener.
What is their personality like? What issues are they currently dealing with? What are they looking for? And how does all of that match the position they seek?
To answer those questions, recruiters must have a good understanding of human behaviour and how it affects the people they are working with.
Project Manager – Quality #6
There are countless things for a recruiter to keep track of so success depends on polished organisational skills. Ensure you have comprehensive processes for tracking candidates, managing your database, organising your CVs and scheduling interviews.
From the planning to the execution of a project, do your best to follow a habitual process. Once you have implemented it enough, it will become second nature. The key is to follow a process that is both easy for you and brings measurable results for your company.
In a nutshell, recruiters need to be accomplished at a pretty extensive list of things. In our infographic below, we show the 6 different hats that a recruiter must wear to be at the top of their game. This can be a useful guide for new employees, or even for guiding an employee up-skilling programme. Share it with your team!
What Is A Qualification That All Recruiters Must Have
While there are many skills that can make a recruiter successful, one essential qualification is the ability to build strong relationships. Effective recruiters must be able to establish trust with candidates, hiring managers, and other stakeholders, and maintain open lines of communication throughout the hiring process. This involves active listening, empathy, and a customer-service mindset.
Additionally, recruiters should be skilled at sourcing and screening candidates, negotiating offers, and staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends and best practices. By mastering these core competencies, recruiters can add value to their organization and help build high-performing teams.
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