The recruitment and selection process has many steps. And the recruiting step is just one of them. In fact, there are things that a recruiter or talent acquisition professional must do before the recruiting step. And that would be referred to as pre-recruitment. (Makes perfect sense, does it not?)
Now, there are two different aspects to pre-recruitment. That’s because you might be a professional recruiter or you might be a corporate (on internal) recruiter. So the pre-recruitment steps that you take will differ, depending upon who you are and what role you fill.
With that in mind, we’re going to address the search consultant side of the equation. And to help us do that, we’ve enlisted the help of recruiting and staffing trainer Barb Bruno, CPC/CTS of Good as Good Training. Barb is one of the most popular and renowned trainers and speakers in the industry.
Pre-recruitment process for search consultants
According to Barb, there is one thing that clients expect from search consultants. That one this is results. Clients want their recruiters to help them identify and hire the best candidates available.
“Technology has greatly impacted our profession, but the best candidates are still the passive candidates who are currently working,” said Barb. “But who will make a change for the right opportunity?”
Barb believes that you can represent top candidates through effective recruiting presentations. However, before you can make these presentations, you must go through a pre-recruitment process. This will help you prepare so that you can execute at a high level.
According to Barb, these are the 10 steps of the pre-recruitment process for search consultants:
#1—Knowing your current search assignments inside and out
You need to be able to talk easily and fluently with candidates about the job description (and everything else about the opportunity). The more you know, the better you can “sell.” And considering how tight the market is for talent right now, “selling” to candidates has never been more important.
#2—Knowing the selling points of each company
Speaking of “selling,” it involves more than just the job. It also involves the organization attempting to fill it. And these days, candidates want more than just a job. They want a well-rounded career opportunity, bursting at the seams with possibilities. Company culture, core values, and advancement potential are all critical components.
#3—Knowing the “hot buttons” of the candidates in your specialty area
When you’re making a fit, it’s best to know everything you can about both sides. You have to know what top candidates want in a new employment opportunity. That way, you can align their motivation with what your client is offering. This is especially important when dealing with members of the younger generations.
#4—Representing the right companies
First, you have to know which organizations candidates have identified as the hottest companies in the job market. Once you’ve done that, you must find a way to build a relationship with those companies. (At the very least, you want to be able to market MPCs to them.)
#5—Targeting the right companies
Now that you know which companies you should be representing, what about the companies you should be targeting?
“Always ask your clients if there are companies they would like you to target for your networking efforts,” said Barb. “Often, they will identify your recruiting list. They have even been known to provide you with a specific name.”
#6—Writing out scripts
You can’t “fly by the seat of your pants.” Instead, you must have various scripts written out in advance. These scripts should stress your expertise and experience. You can read them at first, but you should be able to memorize them eventually. You want to sound natural as you describe the value that you can provide.
#7—Identifying the greatest probability of success
You only have so much time in the day. How a recruiter handles their time usually dictates how successful they will be. According to Barb, it’s critically important to place your recruiting efforts only on your hottest job orders or search assignments.
#8—Getting excited about your opportunities
How can you expect a candidate to be excited about an opportunity if you are not excited about the opportunity? You might think that it’s not your job to be excited. But do you want to make the placement . . . or not?
“You need to get excited about the opportunities you are representing,” said Barb. “Your excitement will show in your voice.”
#9—Anticipating objections
You’re going to encounter objections in recruitment. There is no way around it. What’s important is how you respond to these objections. Once again, the more prepared you are, the more successful you will be.
“Prior to your recruiting presentations, you need to anticipate any and all objections and be ready to overcome them,” said Barb.
#10—Auditing your final plan
The plans that you create during the pre-recruitment process should be the best plans possible. They should be thoughtful, meticulous, and as original as they can be. In other words, don’t just copy lists and plans off the Internet.
Remember, you need to be strategic. Do what will give you the greatest chance for success. That’s what pre-recruitment is for, to set yourself up for success during the recruiting and hiring process.
Pre-recruitment starts with your recruiting software
The good news is that you can create a stellar pre-recruitment process with the help of your applicant tracking system. Top Echelon’s recruiting software has been designed and built to keep you organized so that you can save time.
Our ATS is a candidate management and job management system. It offers powerful features and functionality for professional recruiters and search consultants. These features include activity tracking, automated data entry, custom fields, recruitment pipelines, and hotlists.
You can use these features and this cutting-edge functionality to help create your pre-recruitment process. And then, once you start recruiting, you can use them to execute your plan. That’s because creating a plan and a process is just the beginning. You must execute your plan in order to experience success.
Right now, you can test-drive Top Echelon’s applicant tracking system FREE for 15 days. The best part is that you do NOT need a credit card to do so.
Click HERE to start your free trial of Top Echelon’s recruiting software.
You can also request a live demo of our top ATS and recruitment CRM. One of our account representatives would be glad to show you the software and answer your questions.
Click HERE to request a live demo of Top Echelon’s recruiting software.