When it comes to recruiting there’s an obvious advantage to using several different mediums to attract the right talent. We all use email to reach out quickly and conveniently and hey, if it comes from a real person (no email blasts), with a real job offer, it can even feel really personalized. Social media connects with candidates from another platform. It can come off as less intrusive and more friendly, especially when you share a networking or social group with the candidates you’re reaching out to. Then there’s the old-school recruiting tool- the trusty phone. Recruiters have been using the phone for quite some time now but believe it or not it’s really easy to forget some of the basics that can make you a very successful recruiter over the phone.
Here are a few tips on successful phone recruiting:
- Get in the right mindset- As recruiters, our approach can sometimes come off as more of a sales pitch than a job offer. Remember to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. You don’t want to feel like you’re being solicited and neither do they. Remember you have a real opportunity to share and open the conversation with that in mind.
- Focus on building a strong rapport first- Mirroring a candidates conversational tone and even the loudness and speed of their speech will help them feel more connected to you. This is a quick way to get someone to open up.
- Remember- As Dale Carnegie will tell you, people love talking about themselves- If you want someone to talk, just listen. Well ask a question first, and then listen. You may lean something that’s not on paper. Getting a candidate to open up and discuss his/her own career objectives can save everyone time. Often the things you learn from simply talking to an individual give you a lot more information than what’s written on their resume.
These tips aren’t going to seal the deal every time, but they sure will help you to open a few more doors and have a few less hang-ups.