What Makes a Great Recruiter?

If you want to excel in the recruiting industry, here are some things to take note of. Whether you are kickstarting your career in recruiting, or you are an experienced recruiting professional, these will help you sharpen your recruiting skills. Hiring the right people for the right seats on the bus is no small feat, so make sure you’re ready.

Great Listeners

The most effective and highest-performing recruiters harness the power of careful listening, which far better ensures that they fully understand the details of the exact job description. They are aware of the client’s preferences and expectations, and accurately assess ‘the match’ between the job position and potential candidates. They are opened-minded and not afraid to ask tough questions.

Know What Questions to Ask

The best recruiters dive right into the detailed, and exact, job description before beginning to recruit candidates – they do not settle on standard and basic job descriptions. They are equally as detailed when interviewing candidates, gaining an in-depth understanding of each candidate, including experience, values, beliefs, characteristics, and goals.

Incredibly Persistent

The best recruiters have great perseverance and will do what it takes to fill the job with the right candidate, often before or after the workday begins and ends. They are not hesitant to schedule interviews after hours to accommodate candidates who are currently employed, as those are often the very best candidates. These recruiters also tirelessly follow up with candidates, thereby building long-lasting and more meaningful relationships.

Highly Organized

The best recruiters employ exhaustive organization practices to stay ahead of the curve and focus on the right corresponding priorities. While applicant tracking systems provide some help and support, long-term recruiting success is achieved through more than just software. Setting clear, specific, and prioritized objectives require extremely thorough organization skills.

Awesome Networkers

Outstanding recruiters are extremely good at relationship building. They easily build rapport and relationships that last a very long time. An outgrowth of this characteristic is trust, both with the hiring organization and the job candidates. Great recruiters firmly believe in personal relationships, and as a result, earn the undying trust of everyone involved. In addition, these amazing recruiters possess strong communication skills and simply love to network with others.

Like In-person Meetings

While emailing and texting is now the norm, superior recruiters take the time to speak with candidates directly to better and more accurately assess whether there is the right fit. Furthermore, this personal touch creates more meaningful and long-lasting relationships. They are not afraid to try new things and willing to get out of their comfort zone in order to obtain the best possible talent.

Don’t Feel Pressed Easily

They are not afraid to pull out of an agreement if it does not feel right. This attribute is a great one since it is not uncommon for some recruiters to panic and feel pressed to make the deal just to get it over with. Great recruiters give much scrutiny to pairing candidates with open positions, thereby avoiding recruiting for the same position again a few months down the road.