The Magic Formula to Being A GREAT Recruiter

What makes a recruiter great? For that matter, what makes a person great at anything? It seems everyone in the recruiting world is<a title=”top recruiter” href=”http://www.recruitingtools.com/wp-content/upl

oads/2010/01/top_recruiter_tshirt-p235065729740470340f7w81_210.jpg”> focused on Social Media as the end all, be all. Let me be the first to declare my love for social media, while also understanding my love is just a tool and not some mystical entity that drives my revenue.

Recruiter revenue is still driven by the same thing it always has been, the recruiter! In my opinion you will fall into one of these three categories;

1. Sucky; thanks for the negative reflection on our industry. Most likely you see this as a job, not a career.
2. Good; you are average and have the ability to make a solid living. Contributions to your organization meet minimum or slightly above standard expectation.
3. Great; this is where everyone wants to be (supposedly), the proverbially “next level”. We hear getting to this “next level” all the time, though few have a real plan. You are the cream of the crop. You don’t just work hard, you also work smart and make the most out of every opportunity.

So what is the magic formula? What does it take to be a great recruiter? I can sum it up in a few points.

“Just Get It” mentality (JGI).

In my 13+ years of being a recruiter (corporate & agency), manager and trainer of many recruiters, you could always tell the one(s) that “just got it”. Whenever you had training sessions, or exercises, they were the ones that figured it out and applied it immediately!

Thirst For Knowledge (TFK).

This person is always seeking out new resources and avenues to hone their skills and abilities. Like a sponge, this person soaks up knowledge (not energy) from everyone around them. He/She not only soaks up this information but applies it on a daily basis!

Quality Driven (QD).

Not every great recruiter is money driven (gasps, what?). Quality is a mindset; you are concerned about the entire recruiting process and want to do a great job. Your motivations run deeper than a paycheck.

Focus on Candidate User Experience (CUX)

You are in it for the long haul and understand that the candidate user experience (what I like to call the CUX) is a critical piece to your success. Your candidate interaction is with a purpose, providing critical and timely information, addressing hurdles as they occur, having open, honest and direct conversations and guiding your candidate through the recruiting jungle.

Not every candidate turns into a hire, but you turn them into an advocate for you, which in turn is an advocate for your company! Your motto is “CUX received or SUX I will be perceived”

Consultative (C).

Hiring managers, candidates, clients whichever environment you are in (corporate or agency) you are the knowledge center. You provide concise information even in the face of adversity. I remember sitting in a room of Fortune 500 executives (I was a corporate recruiter at the time) and we were making a roundtable decision on a hire. They had all voted “yes”, including the President. It was my turn and I said “no”! The room was quiet and I explained my position. We hired the candidate and 6 months later they were dismissed (among a variety of complaints). My prediction rang true and my stock went up! Because I was consultative and explained my position (while taking one), my job was a lot easier down the road.

Magic Formula: (JGI + TFK + QD + CUX) x C – SUX = GREAT RECRUITER

OK, so the magic formula is not exactly “magic”. Bottom-line, if you are the type of recruiter that is satisfied with being average; this formula will have little meaning. However; if you are a recruiter that has an insatiable internal drive to be the best, implement this formula and witness the magic.

A few of these attributes are innate to a potentially great recruiter. Where are you on this scale and do you have the desire to embrace these points, work towards them and be great?

For those recruiters out there who are asking, “what about daily planning”, and “what about phone time”? All these basics still apply, this formula embraces and expands on the fundamentals of recruiting, not replaces them….even a “sucky” or “good” recruiter can bang out 100+ calls. A great recruiter ensures that every little thing they do is magic (why is that song by The Police singing in my head?).

About the author:

Alex Putman has been involved in the Recruiting and Human Resources business since he graduated for the University of Alabama in 1996. His recruiting experience includes executive search, retained search, corporate recruiting, human resource consulting and management. He has managed many aspects of corporate Human Resources including; Recruiting, Immigration, Organizational Development and Employee Relations.

Currently, Alex manages the Talent Acquisition team at Synergis, an Atlanta based IT staffing firm. He is developing and building the Workforce Solutions group targeted at building a consultative relationship between staffing and clients.

The consummate family man, Alex enjoys spending time with his wife and 4 children. He is active in his church and community. A sports enthusiast, he coaches his daughter’s basketball team, enjoys golf and Alabama Football.

He is the author of “The Social T-Rex ™” blog, best defined as a creative, fun and informative approach to recruiting and human resources. Recently, he was asked to be a contributor to HR Toolbox, and started a human resource blog titled “HR Bits and Bites from a Social T-Rex”

By Noel Cocca

CEO/Founder RecruitingDaily and avid skier, coach and avid father of two trying to keep up with my altruistic wife. Producing at the sweet spot talent acquisition to create great content for the living breathing human beings in recruiting and hiring. I try to ease the biggest to smallest problems from start-ups to enterprise. Founder of RecruitingDaily and our merry band of rabble-rousers.