By Barbara Ling
What does it take to become a successful Internet recruiter?
Time, patience, and a love of making things right.
Seriously. Consider the facts. There are a gazillion recruiters and
companies out there posting jobs - why the heck should someone, if all they
know of you is a job post, even consider your services? Who are you? What
do you do that will make the candidate's life easier/better/more fulfilling?
Now more so than ever, it's a candidate's world out there! Who *cares*
about finding hundreds of resumes, even free, even targeted, on the
Internet, if after you contact them, they go (Yawn...Next!)?
Successful Internet recruiters become part of their community in which they
place. If they're recruiting for Unix folks, they pick up a "Unix for
Dummies" book (the Dummies series, btw, are most excellent for newcomers)
so they have an understanding of their candidate's passion and career. If
they're recruiting for Wall Street stock brokers, they've taken the time to
learn what drives their candidates, what helps their candidates succeed, and
more.
It makes sense! Candidates much prefer dealing with an individual to whom
they can relate. When you show an appreciation for their skills and
industries, you're connecting on a *personal* level. And that is an
excellent first step!!
Successful Internet recruiters have their candidate's interests at heart,
ahead of their own. You'll receive more good vibes by Bambi being
surrounded by vultures than by placing someone who quits 30 days later! If
your candidate isn't a match, don't force the issue. Even recommend said
candidate visits another recruiter if you discover you possess no positions
that would make their day!! Remember, candidates talk and network
incredibly - being known as someone who does the right thing will fly faster
among their colleagues than the Concorde does nonstop.
And if you do pass on a referral, you generate a split fee! You're
benefiting both monetarily and personally. How could things be better?
Successful Internet recruiters view finding candidates as a long-term goal.
Once they're found, if you treat them right, your name will continue to be
spread! You want to generate a network upon which you can depend. Thus,
the next time you're asked to uncover NT systems administrators or CEOs or
Mold Injection Engineers, all you have to do is send a help message to your
network and see what bubbles to the surface.
Recruiter is a customer service industry. Two words! Customer! Service!
Gone are the days when high-quality candidates will stand in the driving
snow for 3 days to request your help in finding a job!
Put yourself in the candidates' shoes. What would *you* like to see best?
What would help your candidates make more money? Certification? Point them
in the direction of certification exams like
http://www.gocertify.com or
http://certification.about.com. Relocation?
HomeFair has excellent salary/cost-of-living tools. NJ town information?
http://www.nj.com has tons of region-related forums and more.
I cannot emphasize this enough. Finding resumes is only the beginning!! A
successful Internet recruiter also knows how to get their candidates to come
back for more, and bring their friends.
*That* is what Internet recruiting is all about.
Article courtesy of Barbara Ling. For more information, please go to:
RISE seminars at:
http://www.riseway.com or
The Internet Recruiting Edge at:
http://www.barbaraling.com/recruiting.html.
