Saturday, April 13, 2013

Traits / methods of a good headhunter

From the link: http://www.slideshare.net/nehagandhi1/traits-should-a-recruiter-posses-to-become-a-good-a-head-hunter

  • Understand job profile
  • Map appropriate industry according to the client requirement
  • Searching from job portals
  • Trace suitable CV
  • Convince the right candidate
  • Headhunting is an art and a science
  • No fixed procedure or process
  • Needs research
  • Market understanding
  • Understand vertical
  • Better client servicing
  • Understand industry, client and position
  • Have confidence
  • Determined
  • Be good at talking
  • Approaching candidate:
  • Job posting
  • Bulk mailing
  • Job fairs
  • Campus hiring
  • Advertisement
  • Reference check
  • Follow up with candidate after placement

Types of Sales Funnels



Various tyes of Sales funnels for generating useful leads:
  • Technology Funnel
  • Online Funnel
  • People Funnel

Screening: Hard Skills
Assessing: Soft Skills

Professional Associations in Canada for Recruiters

The following are some professional associations in Canada for recruiters:

  • HRPA: Human Resources Professional Association
  • APRC: Association of Professional Recruiters of Canada
  • CCHRA: Canadian Council of Human Resource Associations
  • ACSSES: Association of Canadian Search, Staffing, and Employment Services
  • CASPR: Canadian Association of Staff Physician Recruiters
  • Directory of Canadian Recruiters
  • Canadian Payroll Association
  • More info at this link: http://www.hrreporter.com/articleview/11988-hr-designations

Friday, April 12, 2013

How to be a good headhunter

From the links:
Here are useful tips:
  • Headhunting is an apprentice business
  • It is ALL about information and communication
  • Be diligent
  • Be a strong networker
  • Control your business or the business will control you
  • Work close to the money -- do what you NEED to do, not what you WANT to do
  • Create a sense of urgency
  • Do not become complacent
  • Set deadlines
  • Part olympic athlete, part gladiator, part olympic athlete
  • Do the Math: Rely on numbers / stats
  • Be excited about making sales / deals
  • Have been successful in something
  • Be resilient - bounce back quickly
  • Aim for a win - everytime you pick up the phone
  • Combine hardwork with smart work
  • You can not have a 40 hour work week -- you have to work more
  • Hit it hard in the morning, break, work hard, lunch, work hard, break, work hard -- 4 bursts in a work day
  • Learn from the best
  • Probe for answers - be inquisitive and persistent
  • You learn how to do it by working with seasoned professionals
  • You can't learn it by reading books alone
  • Headhunting can pay well, but it is a lot of hard work
  • Learn to accept rejection. Learn to hear a LOT of "No"s
  • Even companies that are firing people / laying off people are hiring exceptional candidates
  • Headhunting is not a boiler room type of business
  • Head hunting is not dialing for dollars
  • Don't waste your time
  • Don't divulge confidential information to the wrong people
  • Don't develop false hopes
  • The cost of entry is low
  • It is not easy to make a quick buck
  • Understand the culture of the client company
  • Keep information confidential
  • Collaborate with the client
  • The HR departments of many companies do not know how a business is run - Use of agencies is common when the companies can not fill positions on their own
  • Good headhunters search for living resumes, not dead resumes.
  • Be findable -- advertise yourself
  • Don't look for key words, look for key people.
  • Attend industry events.
  • Don't gather dead resumes
  • Some of the best headhunters work on contingency
  • Contingency = getting paid only if a position is filled.
  • Job boards are not always the best source of resumes
  • Substance should matter more than the sizzle
  • Develop strong long term relationships with companies
  • Get access to jobs that are not advertised in public
From the link: http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-a-headhunter.htm
  • A headhunter is a job recruiter who specializes in matching highly skilled professionals with corporate clients.
  • He or she might be an independent contractor or work through an agency where each agent specializes in particular areas of employment and possibly also in geographic areas.
  • Corporations benefit from using a headhunter or a headhunting service in two ways.
  • It eliminates the need to place an advertisement for the open position and then address the inevitable list of applicants, most of which will be unfit for various reasons.
  • A headhunter does the tedious work of finding good candidates, providing an initial screening mechanism that saves the corporation valuable time.
  • In turn, the recruiter is paid a fee if he or she is able to find the right candidate, typically a small percentage of the annual starting salary of the filled position.
  • This payment arrangement encourages headhunters to build lasting, tight relationships with corporate clients. The more successful someone is in filling recruitment positions, the more likely the client company will look to him or her for other job placement opportunities. Both parties benefit mutually from this relationship, as do those seeking gainful employment.

Here are some points from the link: http://dougleschan.com/the-recruitment-guru/singapore-headhunter/singapore-headhunter-the-7-factors-you-need-to-be-successful/

7 factors to be successful as a headhunter (I do not endorse all the points; Am just relisting them):
  • Good understanding of the market
  • The right age -- especially if you are dealing with senior executives
  • A good company brand
  • Good office address
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Never say die attitude
5 steps to becoming a headhunter. From the link: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/become-headhunter-companies-2541.html
  • Select an industry or area with which you are familiar
  • Research specific companies you would like to work with
  • Write a letter of introduction and follow by a phone call
  • Follow up and request for an interview with the company
  • Look for candidates and start collecting resumes / contacting people

Time Management : Self Management : Fill up your funnel GOOD !!!


More info: What does an Account Manager do?

From the link: http://www.freshgigs.ca/blog/account-manager-inside-jobs/
  • Account managers are seen in industries such as fast food to high tech, advertising to banking, and everything in between. More than ever, companies demand account managers that get the job done.
  • An account manager is a liaison between the company and its customers.
  • An account manager is essentially the face of the company. She is a salesperson through and through. She is a big-picture client manager and a consummate people person. She talks, but most importantly, she listens.
  • An account manager’s overall mandate, in broad strokes, is to acquire new business and maintain old business. There’s no real way to get around this point, and to drive it home here it is again.
  • An account manager is a salesperson. You will have to sell
  • The account manager needs to have exposure to a wide variety of fields.
  • Due to the nature of account manager compensation, you can significantly grow your income without significantly changing your role.
  • Knowledge is your fundamental value proposition. It’s what drives sales and strong client relationships. You simply must be a master of your field.
  • Communication, as fundamental as it sounds, is one skill that came up again and again. The account manager’s most fundamental job is to communicate. You will communicate daily with clients, creative, and various managers and stakeholders within your company. Driving and building relationships is the crux of communication. It’s really what this job is all about.
  • Whether you work with outbound leads or, conversely, with established customers, you are building relationships, providing value, and above all, listening. Though you will be talking most of the day, listening is really the most sought after quality of communication.
  • Organization. As the account manager is the bridge between the client and the company, they must be sufficiently organized to handle requests from both sides simultaneously. The account manager is the go-between, but also a person of knowledge. It is a very active position requiring proper organization skills.
  • The business of an account manager is more than just sales. Their business is customer relationship management. Account manager’s are successful if they are good at networking, and building and sustaining relationships. Their business and potential to make money depends on how well they manage in those areas.
  • A typical day for an account manager involves putting together sales proposals for clients, communicating with your team regarding logistics, and handling client complaints, concerns, and feedback. You will manage your sales pipeline, make calls and take meetings. And don’t forget to make the sale. Presentations and pitches are the crux of this job.
  • This is a high intensity, high pressure, important position for any company. It is stressful. But it is also, as spoken to me time and time again, a very rewarding position.

How to ask open and closed questions for recruiters


How to market a candidate for recruiters


How recruiters prepare a client before interview


How to become a good Account Manager? Applies to any field - Recruiting / Sales / Marketing / Not for profit etc.

From the links:



Here are some of the qualities of a GOOD ACCOUNT MANAGER:
  • Ability to manage your own accounts
  • Have good writing skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Communication skills
  • Management skills
  • Mentor people
  • Manage juniors
  • Write reports
  • Make presentations
  • Be good at public speaking
  • Conduct meetings
  • Participation in work events
  • Be good at planning
  • Be good at executing tasks
  • Good at negotiations
  • Ability to form relationships
  • Ability to ask the right questions
  • Ability to listen
  • Ability to do Analysis
  • Persuation skills
  • Ability to Organize
  • Forecasting accuracy
  • Tight budget control
  • Creative business development
  • Thorough business planning
  • Realistic - in touch with economic reality
  • In-depth product / service knowledge
  • Fact-based selling
  • Strong customer relationships
  • Love team work
  • Smiling face
  • Sense of humour
  • Responsibility
  • Sincerity
  • Persistence
  • Not taking failure personally
  • Creativity
  • Industry knowledge
  • Good education helps
  • Be strategic
  • Understand client needs
  • Honesty
  • Integrity
  • Friendly
  • Good networker
  • Contstantly connecting with target stakeholders
  • Be visible
  • Make a difference, an impact -- not just exist
  • Gather information constantly
  • Be part of industry groups
  • Understand competition and competitors
  • Make clients feel important
  • Maintain professionalism
  • Charisma can not replace quality work
  • Output, not just input -- show results, not just give ideas
  • Know the target market
  • Be subtle
  • Dress well
  • Be well groomed
  • Have a niche
  • Know use of LinkedIn well
  • Know use of Social Media well
  • Know how to do research
  • Know how to gather leads
  • Good at follow up or monitoring
  • Know benchmarking
  • Know metrics
  • Understand trends
  • Love challenges
  • Build a personal brand
  • Maintain high visibility
  • Understand your role
  • Understand your expectations
  • Persistence
  • Have a rolodex
  • Have a calendar
  • Grow your contacts regularly
  • Follow up with your contacts regularly
  • Manage time efficiently
  • Face outward? -- Firm's representative to the client
  • Face inward? --  Client's representative to the firm
  • Know the short term and long term goals
  • Understand the market
  • Be good at Accounting and Billing
  • Have good client and candidate control
  • Select clients and candidates carefully
  • Take an interest in the client's business
  • Listen
  • Take notes
  • Confirm in writing
  • Put the client's interest first
  • Treat the client's money as your own
  • Deals with issues
  • Never badmouth a client
  • Take initiative
  • Get agreement on Strategy
  • Build bridges at multiple levels
  • Put dates on your work
  • Maintain a to-do list of tasks
  • Be good with technology
  • Dedicate time for professional development
  • Be enthusiastic, positive, and loyal
  • Re-invent constantly
  • Stay fresh
  • Get high level buy in
  • Find the right people for the right task - internally
  • Curiosity
  • Initiative
  • Enthusiasm
  • Diplomacy
  • Drive
  • Initiative
  • Strong desire to succeed
  • Strong desire to convert ideas to action
  • Division of labour
  • Passion for work
  • Being specific
  • Quick decision making ability
  • Maintaining a cool head
  • Profitability Management
  • Account Planning
  • Gap Analysis
  • Needs Analysis
  • Good hunting skills
  • Good phone skills
  • Making high volume phone calls
  • Organizing work day in advance
  • Know how to open doors
  • Create a coaching plan
  • Know key industry terms
  • Create action plan with steps, resources, metrics and milestones
  • Have clarity
  • Creative selling abilities
  • Discretion
  • Build short term and long term strategies
  • Have patience
  • Avoid impulsive behaviour
  • Resource Allocation
  • Value creation
  • Meet customer needs
  • Product and Service portfolio
  • Exceed expectation
  • Help grow income
  • Become a partner, not just a supplier



Recruiter Cartoon -- MUST Watch


"The Newbie" - a funny recruiting video


"The Agent" - a funny recruiting video


Sunday, April 7, 2013

SAP professionals (and recruiters) have a BRIGHT FUTURE!

Links:
  • There is going to be a LOT of demand for SAP professionals in the future. 
  • There is going to be a lot of SAP implementation in the future
  • However, there are not enough SAP professionals available in the market right now.
  • Thus SAP recruiters shall have a great future !!!
Here are some areas that will be in demand, in the future:
  • Core HR (Payroll, Time, Benefits, PA, OM) 
  • Enterprise Compensation (ECM)
  • eRecruiting 
  • Learning Solution (LSO)
  • Talent Management and Nakisa
  • Performance Management
  • ESS/MSS 
  • SAP HCM Technical 
The future of SAP consultants. Areas in demand in the future:
  • BW on HANA
  • Combo innovations 
  • Upgrades 
  • Visual Intelligence 
  • SuccessFactors + SAP HR
  • Automated Testing
  • Enterprise Information Management
Article from "The Hindu" (April 2011) reproduced here from the link: http://www.hindu.com/2011/04/24/stories/2011042459880200.htm

‘Bright future for SAP consultants'
Staff Reporter
The demand for SAP consultants in India is tremendous but the supply is nowhere matching it. “SAP (Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing) was earlier used only by large-scale industries. But now it is extended to small and medium businesses also, which is one of the reasons for the high manpower demand for SAP,” said Garikipati Sridhar, a leading SAP consultant and winner of Abdul Kalam award.

Addressing mediapersons at E-Academy here on Saturday, Mr. Sridhar said SAP had become the most promising career course in today's world and major companies that implemented SAP were successful in achieving a turnaround in their performances because of the best practices adopted. Unlike other software, SAP provides an opportunity for people from different domains. Technical graduates such as B.Tech, B.Sc Computers could opt for technical or programming side by learning ABAP in SAP.

Bill Vick: Big Biller Mentor

From the link: http://www.slideshare.net/BillVick/big-biller-audiobook-how-some-recruiters-bill-one-million-dollars-per-year

How do some recruiters bill one million dollars a year?

  • Attitude
  • Focus
  • Discipline
  • Control
  • Relationships
  • Telephone sales and personal meeting sales focus (rather than just emails or use of technology)

High demand future areas in recruiting

Some of the high demand areas in the future -- w.r.t. candidate search:

  • SAP
  • Healthcare IT
  • Business Intelligence

Maximizing Recruiting Performance Using Pareto Principle Tools And Techniques

ATS, and CRM software help improve performance of recruiters

Modern recruiters have help from technology to improve performance:

  • ATS: Applicant Tracking System
  • CRM: Customer Relationship Management
  • Dashboard -- Measurement and display of metrics 

Pareto Activity of Recruiting + Performance Management Dashboard

From the link: http://jonbartos.com/Home/News/TheClockandTheCompass.aspx

  • 20% of your efforts gets 80% of results. 
  • Do the right things to increase your chances of success
RPM (Revenue Performance Management) dashboard:



Theme:Selling and Recruiting is a Science - not an art.
Purpose:Provide clients tools that enable them to easily identify and analyze data, allowing them to develop their skills and release their potential within.
Mission:Provide our clients with products that provide value to support better decision making, tools that allow for immediate improvement and coaching strategies to help them to be successful. 
Products:Affordable business intelligence, immediate results.




Secrets of Million Dollar Billers

From the link: http://www.fordyceletter.com/2006/09/01/secrets-of-million-dollar-billers/

Learn by reading the full article from the link above!
  • Characteristics of a Million-Dollar Producer
  • Competitors
  • High Activity Levels
  • Ambition
  • Focus
  • Sacrifice
  • Persistence
  • Fear
  • Passion
  • Above-Average Selling Skills
  • Individual Pathways to Million Dollar Success - learn from successful people
  • Make Million Dollar connections - develop networks in the industry

Turns problems into solutions !!!

Turn the frustration of a problem into a fascination for the solution ! - Tony Robbins

Learning and Comfort do not go hand in hand


In your comfort zone, there is no learning, and in your learning, there is no comfort zone!

Battles are won on the ground, by hand to hand combat


Tips for Telephone Mastery

How to Make More Phone Calls -- Pick up the phone and CALL continuously in batches !!! Don't worry about rejection or failure. Increase your number of calls.




Wars are won on the ground by hand to hand combat.

Active Candidates vs Passive Candidates

Active candidates: Those who are looking for jobs
Passive candidates: Those who are not looking for jobs.

A good headhunter can turn passive candidates into active candidates, and hook them up with attractive opportunities.

Image from the link: http://www.chalre.com/hiring_managers/active_vs_passive_candidates.htm


3 MUST have qualities in recruiting

From the link: http://www.greatrecruitertraining.com/blog/recruiting/three-core-competencies-of-recruiting

Do read the complete article from the link above.

3 qualities of good recruiters:

  1. Influence
  2. Resilience
  3. Achievement

Be stingy with your hours and minutes

From Steve Love.


  • Be selfish with you time. 
  • Do not waste time on unnecessary activity
  • Dedicate time to activities that make you money.
  • Focus on what builds your practice and help you produce. 

Hard work is not just a personal quality -- It is a Competitive Advantage

From the link: http://www.greatrecruitertraining.com/blog/recruiting/hard-work-is-a-competitive-advantage

  • Hard work is a competitive advantage. 
  • Hard work is a must, even though smart work helps. 
  • Hard word + Smart work is the best way to go 
  • Most people believe that technology is the secret that will give them leverage in their careers. But it’s not. 
  • Relationship building through hard work is important
  • It’s about planting seeds, tending them, putting in the time, and doing the work. There is no way around that. Think of it like relationships. We would like to think that we can call someone a ‘friend’ by linking to them on a social media site. 
  • But friendships, authentic and meaningful ones, take time to build

The Making of a Million Dollar Producer

By Jon Bartos (who made 10 million in 10 years as a top producing recruiter).
Link: http://www.jonbartos.com/Home.aspx

He says that anyone can do it. You can do it too. It is not black magic or good luck. It is hard work + smart work.

He followed 2 principles:
  • Set a goal and be willing to do whatever it takes to attain it.
  • Relentless Pursuit of the metrics
More useful tips by JON BARTOS (do check out his website above!):
  • Whether you are a professional baseball player, a company CEO, a world class sprinter or an Account Executive in recruiting --> Your success or failure will ultimately lie in the numbers. 
  • Know the importance of knowing and paying attention to all key metrics and ratios in recruiting. 
  • The Quantity metrics told us how much time we were spending in the market place 
  • The ratios told how well it was being done. 
  • Recruiting is not an art, it is a science. 
  • It is a numbers game
  • The better you understand the performance metrics and how to make adjustments to the numbers the faster you can see improvement and make an impact to your bottom line.
  • It is not enough however to just track the metrics. 
  • To reach the higher levels of performance, it is also necessary to be able to evaluate the data in a timely manner to quickly spot trouble areas and to be able to make immediate corrections. 
  • Develop RPM, Revenue Performance Management. 
  • RPM is an interactive dashboard system that gives recruiters the ability to track, evaluate critical areas and tweak performance on the spot. 
  • It’s not complicated to become a Million Dollar Producer. But from most people’s perspective, it isn’t easy either. 
  • Setting a goal is only the beginning
  • You then have to be willing to do what you need to do to achieve that goal and really pay close attention to your metrics. 
  • Good advice to all who want to take on the challenge:
  • Be a student of the game – set your goals, align yourself with the top producers to be familiar with what they do to be successful, develop a thorough knowledge and understanding of the metrics and take advantage of the tools and resources that can make an impact in your performance over night. 
  • The rewards will be worth it!

Recruiting = Business Development


"Recruiting is a Personal Development
Opportunity Disguised as a Business" 
- Scott Love. Recruitment Trainer. 

RECRUITING IS A CONTACT SPORT -- There is no substitute to direct, 2 way conversation.


Useful online resources for recruiters -- USA specific (Useful for Canadians too)

From the link: http://www.billradin.com/recruiting_resources.htm

Check out the information at the link above. Wonderful information!

There is info about:

  • ATS (Application Tracking System) and automation tools
  • Tools for finding active and passive candidates
  • Recruiter training and professional services
  • Split networks and collaboratives
  • Recruiter blogs
  • Print publications
  • Directories

Gerry.

Bill Radin -- Learnings from Warren Buffet

From the link: http://www.billradin.com/recruiters_digest_2006-11.htm

Go narrow or go wide?

  • Narrow is like pin-point focus -- investing all money in few stocks -- how Buffet made his money
  • Wide is like investing in mutual funds 

So where can a recruiter make his money?

  • Even one single account can make you money, if it gives you good business -- going narrow.
  • Some business from multiple accounts can make you money -- going wide.
Few more gems from the Warren Buffett playbook that directly apply to recruiting:

1. Focus on what you understand. It's not necessary for you to be able to perform your candidates' work, but if you can't visualize or explain in plain English what their job entails, it'll be difficult for you to match up jobs and people.

2. Make decisions with your head, not your heart. We sometimes maintain relationships that are no longer (or were never) useful. By breaking dysfunctional attachments, you'll do yourself a favor.

3. Sidestep problems that are beyond your control. As recruiters, it's our job to fill positions. And by so doing, we solve personnel problems. But if the company is unwilling to pay a competitive wage, or can't put together a realistic set of requirements, or make decisions in a timely manner, it's no longer a personnel problem. Rather, it's a structural problem.


Buffett learned an important lesson from the failure of the textile mills (BH), which he summed up this way:
"After 25 years of buying and supervising a great variety of businesses, I have not learned how to solve difficult business problems. "What I have learned is how to avoid them."

In other words:
Sometimes, it is important to AVOID difficult, unnecessary problems, rather than waste time in trying to solve it. It is like divorcing a difficult problem, rather than fixing it. 

Gems by Bill Radin -- Recruiting Guru

Here are some gems by Bill Radin (modified):

  • Recruiting is a contact sport
  • Recruiting is like dating
  • Phone calls / personal meeting is better than email or voice mail alone
  • Engage with the candidate / client, not just ogle at them on the internet :) 
  • Now get back on the phone !!!

So you want to be an Executive Recruiter? -- A MUST read article!

From the link: http://www.searchconsultants.com/recruiting


All That Money for Making a Few Phone Calls
By Paul Hawkinson - Published in The Fordyce Letter, 6/98
Originally published in the National Business Employment Weekly

So what makes for a successful executive recruiter, aside from the basic knowledge gained through training:
  1. A glint in the eye
  2. Patience
  3. Money motivated
  4. Creative
  5. Resourceful
  6. Familiarity with the business segment or functional discipline where they plan to work 
  7. Empathy
  8. Observant
  9. True grit
  10. Resilience
  11. Ability to negotiate

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Tips for new recruiters

From the link: http://toprecruitertips.blogspot.ca/2008/07/how-to-be-recruiter-5-tips-to-make-it.html

Here are 5 tips to help you become a successful Recruiter quickly.

1. Learn the Process. There are about 30 steps in the recruiting process. From identifying your candidate to getting the check, the process must be learned, followed and trusted. A good Recruiter knows where he/she is in the process at all times. Don't skip steps. Skipping a step or taking a step for granted can kill a deal.

2. The way a Recruiter manages the process to maximize placements is by mastering a few Recruiting skills. Employers and candidates alike want to trust their Recruiter. Those who establish trust get honest answers and cooperation throughout the process. When there are bumps in the road you'll use your Recruiter skills to guide all parties to the best outcome. Employers and candidates EXPECT their Recruiter to take the lead and make a deal happen. But they also want to feel they are in control at the same time!

The best outcome for an emloyer is hiring a candidate who has the skills a position requires and is a good personality fit for their organization. The best outcome for a candidate is accepting an offer from a company that provides what he wants and needs at the moment in his career. The outcome also makes the candidate feel like they are taking a step forward.

3. One of the top two recruiter skills is the art of asking questions. When a Recruiter knows how to ask questions well, they are able to manage both employers and candidates effortlessly. Here's a secret, Recruiters should be listening 80% of the time! When they are listening they're gathering information and information is power.

Information is what's needed when one side or the other has reservations about committing to a deal. Carefull use of information helps to close deals. Deals that should be closed and deals it's the Recruiter's responsibility to close. A large part of a Recruiter's job is asking questions.

4. Mastering the art of Listening (skill #2) makes Recruiters money. Lots of money. When you listen well, people naturally feel heard. A by-product of feeling heard is people like you. And then they trust you. When it comes time for the other side to listen, they will. When you listen for thought process completion, the other party feels valued. There are many positive results and fuzzy warm feelings that can be traced back to listening. Having good listening skills is required to consistently make placements as a Recruiter.

There are times in many a placement process when it apprears the two sides may be approaching a wall and there is no way around that wall. Don't believe it! By listening thoughout the process you'll have the tools needed to keep inching both parties closer to what they both really want. Recruiters' have the responsibility of keeping the lines of communications open and clear. Your questioning and listening skills will eliminate frustrations and create happy clients and happy candidates. Your closing ratio will skyrocket!

5. Be a professional at all times. Speak slowly and clearly. Use proper English, not slang. Don't cuss. Be respectful. Be a good loser if things don't go your way. Know the full cycle Recruiting process. Stick to that process. Keep investing in your education and skill enhancement. Recruiting is not hard once you know what to do and how to do it well. The more you learn the less effort it takes to make a placement and the more money you'll make.

There are people in the industry who want to make the Recruiting process seem harder and more mysterious than it is. A desire to help others, common sense, the ability to follow step by step instructions, honesty, integrity, a basic understanding of business, and self confidence are what's needed to make a successful and happy Recruiter.


How to serve candidates well / become a good recruiter in the eyes of candidates?

From the link: http://dougleschan.com/the-recruitment-guru/recruitment-consultants-stories/how-to-become-a-good-recruitment-consultant-in-the-eyes-of-the-candidates/


1) Try to respond to every CV/resume that you receive. Even an auto-response is appreciated. Candidates will not want to send their CV to you if there is zero response.

2) Only ask them for an interview when you have a job that is a really good fit. If you are a consultant and ask the candidates for an interview, but if you give them the impression that you have nothing on hand, it will be a total waste of time for them. Usually, candidates do not like consultants who do this.

3) Give more professional advice to them in their resume writing, interview skills, and how they ought to dress. If you show them sincerity, they will appreciate it.

4) Follow up with them if possible, once you receive their CV. Give them a ring or drop them a short note via email; it is a good start in this professional relationship.

5) If you have arranged the interview, and the client does not feel good about it, it is always best to advise them about the situation, even if it is bad news—it is still news. If you were to keep quiet about it, the candidate will feel even worse.

6) Advise them on the actual job duties in as much detail as possible. If you are unsure, please make an effort to find out from the client. If you were to talk “rubbish” and bluff your way through, you will lose this candidate forever and your name will be ruined in the market.

7) Never sell the job for the sake of closing the case. I do really understand that there are always KPI and targets to hit, but things will get even worse if you were to sell the job and then things did not work out well for that candidate and the company. If that were to happen, not only will you not hit the KPI, your manager or your boss will grill you upside down!

8) Be honest, be real, and be what you are. Pretending and acting will not get you too far….


7 Habits of Highly Effective Recruiters

Link: http://www.tlnt.com/2013/03/28/with-apologies-to-covey-here-are-7-habits-of-highly-effective-recruiters/
  1. Begin With the End in Mind
  2. Think Win-Win
  3. Be Proactive: The direct way and the indirect way: 
  4. Put First Things First
  5. Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood
  6. Synergize
  7. Sharpen the Saw





How to Become a Headhunter: The Recruiter - Cecilia Wan Sze Kong

How do you find a good professional recruiter?

From the link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/career-advice/experts/how-do-you-find-a-good-recruiter/article4242842/

Useful article. Check out the article from the link above. Worth a read.

Cheers,
Gerry.

Hallmarks of Top Professional Recruiters

Link: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/7-hallmarks-top-professional-recruiters/

  1. Will work for the company with the best name 
  2. Are very good listeners
  3. Will find you
  4. Let you make your own decisions
  5. Are clear, honest and provide full information
  6. Will have references ready for you to review
  7. Will be happy to keep you on the books



You owe it to yourself to be the BEST

Best scene Pursuit of Happyness, Will Smith gets hired full time!

Pursuit of Happyness - Cold Calling

Keys to being a successful recruiter

From the link: http://letznetwork.blogspot.ca/2007/04/10-keys-to-being-successful-recruiter.html

  1. Focus on relationship-building rather than on resumes 
  2. Establish a network of top-notch candidates 
  3. Use technology in as many ways as you can 
  4. Understand the need for speed at all levels of the recruiting process 
  5. Recruit all the time 
  6. Develop and in-depth understanding of your company and the jobs you need to fill 
  7. Get everyone involved in the recruiting process 
  8. Measure your efforts 
  9. Develop strong, sales, marketing, and communication skills 
  10. Use multiple recruiting resources

Qualities of a Good Recruiter

From the link: http://www.alleywatch.com/2013/04/5-ways-to-spot-a-good-recruiter-in-the-rough/

1) Good recruiters are relationship oriented.

2) They don’t send mass, form emails. Ever.

3) You can ask them for references, and the feedback will be consistent and positive.

4) They have an actual mandate from a company or an actual relationship with the candidate.

5) Good recruiters could do their job if LinkedIn didn’t exist.

How to Break $300K -- for recruiters -- 4 tips -- Focus, Intention, Intensity, and Execution !!!


4 things you have to do to make $300,000 a year:

Have the right:
  • Focus
  • Intention
  • Intensity
  • Execution
In other words,
  • Think the right way
  • Go in the right direction
  • Do what you are supposed to do, with good work habits
  • Doing the right things

Useful interview questions

From the link: http://www.tlnt.com/2013/04/02/12-interview-questions-that-will-reveal-the-very-best-candidates/

A – Questions relating to identifying, solving real problems

1. How will you identify problems and opportunities on the job? 
2. Can you identify the likely problems in this process?
3. Solve a real problem that you will face. 

B – Questions that show you are forward looking

4. Forecast the evolution of this job. 
5. Forecast the evolution of this industry.

C – Questions about a candidate’s ability to innovate, adapt, learn

6. Show us how you would be a continuous learning expert.
7. Show us your adaptability when dramatic change is required.
8. Show us how you will innovate. 

D – Help us better understand you

9. List and rank your job acceptance factors. 
10. List and rank your job motivators. 
11. Tell us the most effective approaches for managing you. 
12. List and rank the capabilities that you bring to this job. 

What separates good recruiting from bad recruiting

From the link: http://www.tlnt.com/2012/07/25/three-good-reasons-good-recruiters-are-good-at-recruiting/

  1. Good recruiters have the ability to change your mind about an opportunity before money is even discussed. 
  2. Good recruiters know your rejections before you know them and address them as such. 
  3. Good recruiters know how to dig and love to get dirty.

How to Become a Successful Sourcer or Recruiter

From the link: http://booleanblackbelt.com/2012/07/how-to-become-a-world-class-sourcer-or-recruiter/#.UWC9PJOThNQ

#1 Deliberate Practice Improves Performance by Design
#2 Deliberate Practice Requires High Repetition
#3 Deliberate Practice Involves Continuous Feedback
#4 Deliberate Practice is Mentally Challenging!
#5 Deliberate Practice is Hard Work
#6 Deliberate Practice Focuses on the Process, Not the End
#7 Deliberate Practice Requires Meta-cognition
#8 Deliberate Practice Involves Continuous Improvement

How to become a good recruiter?

From the link: http://www.ere.net/2002/10/28/eight-simple-rules-for-becoming-a-great-recruiter/

Here are 8 useful tips to become a good recruiter. Please read the complete article at the link above.


  1. Read everything. Scan everything you can get your hands on that relates to a) recruiting, b) your industry, c) business in general, and d) HR in general. It will make your conversations with prospects richer and your candidate assessment questions more productive. But most importantly, it will provide you with names of key leaders and up-and-comers that you can use to use for referral sources.
  2. Build a learning network. Identify a few other recruiters who want to become the best in their field. Together, build a “learning” network to share ideas and best practices. Take advantage of technology to make it work with recruiters from around the world.
  3. Use metrics. Great recruiters follow the numbers in order to continually improve. They track precisely what works and why. You, too, should track the best sources, tools, selling techniques, and learning sites. Treat recruiting as a business and track your business impact and ROI everyday.
  4. Get a mentor. Identify other great recruiters and excellent managers. Then ask several to mentor you. Recruiting is one field where it’s hard to grow without contacts.
  5. Rely on referrals. In a fast-changing world, you can’t keep up with the latest changes and the key players on your own. Great recruiters rely on others (referrals) as their primary “finding” tool. Once you realize that top performers always know other top performers, you are home free.
  6. Recognize that you are in sales. Finding the very best candidates is only half of the game. Selling candidates (on the job and on your firm) and convincing managers (to read resumes, to interview rapidly, and to trust your judgment) is what separates the best recruiters from the rest. Take a sales class and build relationships with top salespeople to learn how to get candidates to listen to you and accept your offers.
  7. Do your market research. You can’t sell anything if you don’t know what candidates and managers expect. Hold surveys, interviews, and focus groups to identify what candidates and managers want. Research is the key to any recruiter’s success. What you absolutely must know is: a) when top performers are ready to shift jobs, and b) what it will take to get each top performer to change jobs (in other words, their job-switching criteria).
  8. Focus and prioritize. There isn’t time to do it all, so focus on top-performing candidates who are currently employed. These candidates are harder to land, but worth the effort. Next, focus on a) helping top-performing managers, b) filling key jobs, and c) top-performing business units. This will increase your impact, visibility, and learning speed. Do not,under any circumstances, listen to anyone who tells you to focus on the average. Focusing on the average will just make you average!

Talent Acquisition Staffing and Recruiting blog

1st post.

This blog shall be about Human Resources -- Staffing, Talent Acquisition, Recruiting.

Gerry.