Recruiting does not require a PhD, it requires common sense, work ethic, ability to be with and read people and determination. My perspective is the ability to read and be with people is where the rubber hits the road. If you want to magnetize people to you, make your conversations about them, not about the job you are touting and what you need in terms of the best candidate.
Recently, I am reading tons of blogs, articles, comments and what I am seeing and hearing is many people’s triggers being tripped about the “right” way to do recruiting and the “wrong” way to do recruiting.
Some well known Talent Acquisition thought leaders are hell bent on the perspective that the only way to find good talent is to head hunt and source working candidates doing similar type work, others are committed to the point of view that mining the referrals of internal employees is the right way. And then there is LinkedIn, the number one source for finding and reaching out to talent used by today’s recruiters.
The funny thing about talent acquisition, like all areas of work and life; is the more things change the more they stay the same. Recruiting is a people business and no matter how you find people to connect with about career and work opportunities the key to being effective is your mode of being with people.
What is new is the time in the world in which we live in. We are at the beginning of the wisdom age, an age in time where human beings are awakening to a bigger purpose for living. Workers, both contract and full time want and need meaning in where and what they spend their ‘precious’ time doing. Due to the speed at which we get information, the growing awareness among every generation that “life is short” and the global disenchantment with governmental and big leadership; people are looking for purpose and meaning from within and to contribute to their immediate and larger community.
That being said, whether you are a hiring manager or a recruiter, when you speak to candidates, it is so important to find out about them and what they want and need in a role. Ask candidates what their ideal work opportunity looks and feels like. Ask your candidates where they want to go and what they want for their overall career. Beginning your relationship with candidates with a personal touch provides access to a connection that most likely would not have happened and it gives you a view into who this person, your candidate really is. Even if your opportunity is not a fit for your candidate now, you have established yourself as a resource concerned for to what is important to them.
This touch point connection differentiates you from the sea of other ‘calls’ for jobs and allows you reason for staying in communication with those who you deem worthy of your time.
So, what’s up with Recruiting? What is the best way to gain traction? Care about people. Show people what they want and need matters to you. Find the purpose and meaning in the roles you are recruiting for and share those, when the time is right with appropriate and interested candidates. Recruiting is relationships.