We don't get paid to find candidates!!

Wow… stop and think about it. Anyone can find a candidate – that is, anyone with a computer and a little know-how about Boolean searches. Simply put in some key words and "voila”… out pop dozens of candidates. Or how about putting a half decent posting together and sticking it on some job boards. Easy – right?????


Here’s where we differentiate ourselves as professional recruiters (yes, I did use the term professional!)….


Adding Value – a commonly misused phrase. What does "adding value” really mean? So many of our clients (or potential clients) think that all we do is to grab resumes from job boards and flog them. No wonder we get objections about having candidates submitted who are already on the boards. What we fail to do is to EDUCATE our clients on the PROCESS of what we do as professionals.


Think about it… we can find a resume, chat with a candidate and even get them interested in going to an interview. However, that is not what makes a PLACEMENT!! Here’s where our expertise comes in.


The ability to assess the appropriate "fit” of the candidate to your client’s particular position is paramount. No matter how "technically qualified” the person is, if they are not a fit, the placement won’t fly. You don’t just need to know, "Can they do the job?” but "Will they do the job well?”


Ask yourself, "How well do I know this candidate?” The more information you have about the candidate, the higher the chances are that you will have a successful placement. You know how many times you have presented a candidate – only to find out that they turn the job down. 
Did you stop and examine, "What could I have asked or learned about the candidate to mitigate the potential of a turndown?” Sometimes we fool ourselves into believing that they will say "yes” when it was a "no” all along.


You should be asking for more info about the candidate – things like… what motivates them? 


Why would they consider moving from where they are? What’s missing in their career now? 


What do they value (as opposed to what you value)? How long have they thought a potential career move through (people don’t tend to change careers overnight… it takes time!)? So many questions we fail to ask and yet it really is part of the overall process of making a successful placement. Is there a "favorite” question you like to ask, no matter what? I tend to close the interview with… "Name three things that are important to YOU as you consider moving from one career to another.” Expand on each thing and write them down… go back and reflect on this as you work through the recruitment process because that is the benchmark that the opportunity will be measured against. 


Restate this wish list to the candidate throughout the process to remind them of what they said was important to them. Draw parallels between your job opportunity and what they consider to be important to them. As you work through the process you will find it easier, the more information you are armed with!


So you see… we don’t get paid for finding candidates and submitting resumes! We get paid for our ability to bring the placement to a successful close