The Recruiting P.I.M.P.

The job of a recruiter ain’t for suckas. You are either runnin’ things, are they are running you. You gotta be P.I.M.P.  (Geeze, I hope my mother the reverend’s wife is not reading this…) This article is to remind you on some great recruiting best practices but can also act as a guide bringing some articles to your attention in case you missed them.

The use of P.I.M.P. is not meant to be crude, but to encourage you to remember the best recruiters have implemented the following stages steps to their daily workflow:

• Preparedness
• Investigation
• Metrics
• Persistence 

Preparedness:

Know what the job requirements are. Not just the skills, what type of environment they will be working in. What type of pipeline do you have? How long will it take you to fill the position? That is information that you should be able to give the hiring manager. For the candidates that you are sourcing, be able to know the company’s and the department’s story. Candidates will want to know (whether they know it or not) why the position is open, what types of projects the department is working on and what are the key skills that are needed to fill this position. Because you may be the first person that they talk to, your professionalism and ability to answer questions are a direct reflection of the company you are recruiting for whether internal or external recruiting. Also, check out my article on RecruitingDaily, From Good to Great: How to Become a Bad Ass Recruiter.

Investigation:

Don’t just sling resumes. Be thorough and recruit with intention. To alleviate mistakes and surprises, go through a vetting process like your candidate is running for mayor. This may include testing, in-person interviews and background checks. And don’t forget to check social media outlets. Not in a discriminatory way, just to offer a bit of insight. I most recently as Senior Recruiting Manager for a large company had the Director of Recruiting insist on recruiting for a particular position. He was an idiot, which is part of why we “separated.” In any case, he made the hire and ended up hiring a gentleman that was on CNN because he was labeled the meanest man in the US for some videotaped cruelty for his treatment of an employee at a fast food restaurant. He filmed it himself…

It is also important to work with internal HR whenever possible to understand about whether or not a position is requiring any type of prehire background check, credit check or drug testing. This is just to let the candidate know that these are coming up so you don’t find the perfect candidate that either refuses to allow you to perform these checks or someone who wants to let the company know something in their background that may be red-flagged. Just try to save yourself from any surprises. For more information about Pre-Hire Testing, read my article 3 Tips for Pre-Hire Testing.

Metrics:

They suck when you have to turn them in but make they can help you in setting expectations. I usually do the 25% rule. Find 20 candidates, 15 will look good, 12 you will have some form of contact with, 8 you will do a full interview with, 6 you submit, 4 will have in-person interviews one will be hired. That means that you will need a minimum of 20 qualified sources to make one hire. Relatively new to the game are metrics regarding social media ROI. For more information on what metrics to check on when recruiting via social media, check out my article, 4 Important Metrics for Social Recruiting.

Professionalism:

Don’t be an asshole. I don’t care how sucky the candidate is. Always maintain professionalism, you never know if the person you are interviewing one day may be the person you will be working with or dependent on for a position you are seeking. Give feedback to candidates, any note will do, just don’t leave them hanging. Do not stalk them. Email them to ask permission to call them at work. Ask for the best way and time to communicate. Don’t rush when interviewing; allow them to tell you their story. My article, on RecruitingDaily, From Good to Great: How to Become a Bad Ass Recruiter has some great tips that can help sharpen up your professionalism.

So now you have the skills to make sure you ain’t coming off like no sucka.  You gotta be gangsta.  True recruiters are P.I.M.P; now you can be too.

About the Author: An international trainer, Jackye Clayton has traveled worldwide sharing her unique gifts in sourcing, recruiting and coaching. She offers various dynamic presentations on numerous topics related to leadership development, inclusionary culture development, team building and more.Her in-depth experience in working with top Fortune and Inc 500 clients and their employees has allowed her to create customized programs to coach, train and recruit top talent and inspire others to greatness. Follow Jackye on Twitter @JackyeClayton  and @RecruitingTools or connect with her on LinkedIn.

By Jackye Clayton

Jackye is an acclaimed thought leader and inspirational speaker on recruiting and DEIB topics. She brings years of experience recruiting across a variety of industries including tech, HR, legal, and finance. In her role as VP of Talent Acquisition and DEIB, she leads all related work at Textio, provides critical expertise to customers, and serves as a leading voice in the products Textio creates for the broader ecosystem. Jackye has been named one of the 9 Powerful Women in Business You Should Know by SDHR Consulting, one of the 15 Women in HR Tech to Follow by VidCruiter, and is on the Top 100 list of Human Resources Influencers by Human Resource Executive Magazine.