9! Ways to Restore the Human Recruiting Experience

“Send me a text!”
“I’ll text you!”
“Visit my webpage.”
“See the attached file…”
“Please electronically sign the contract and email it back to me.”
“Apply online.”
 “’Like’ me on Facebook, Twitter, blah, blah, yada-yada…”
“Join my “GoToMeeting.”

These days, it’s not at all foreign for new technology to produce unsavory outcomes. As a matter of fact, new technology is opening the door to weak communication skills. It's almost as if we have completely forgotten how to communicate with one another as...PEOPLE.

Few stop to consider that all these impersonal communications may be endangering our work! Social media, blogging, mobile, and Internet technology (in general) are hobbling opportunities that once were most fulfilled face-to-face or ear-to-ear. When we venture out to meet someone many of us are filled with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension and for what reason? Apprehension because part of the experience of meeting a particular person lies in the unknown and anticipation because underneath all of our human natured-ness (do you like that created word?) lies a social beast.

It’s the apprehension that’s winning out in this techno race of assumptions. Reasoning behind that is because for many of us it serves as a security blanket— that veil — between others and ourselves. The fear of rejection and failure is (greatly) diminished with technology. Face it, if you get electronically-rejected, it may not be the greatest feeling in the world, but it is far better than being casted-off face-to-face.

Now many of us seem detached and withdrawn in our dealings with one another and the bottom line is — candidates WILL notice! When we’re communicating electronically only, there is almost no obligation to the receiver of all your good news to reciprocate anything to you — is there? How many times do you send emails to someone, expecting a reply (or response — any kind of response!) and receive nothing? It happens far too often doesn't it? The same thing can go with text messaging. Highly easy to write off and ignore. Blog entries — who’s reading them? Really? You? How many times do you read your own blog entry? I read mine probably more than anyone else does. (this kinda contradicts why I am even writing blogs...but apparently I'm making headway with some of our readers out there...so THANK YOU!)

So how do you make an impression?!

Return a candidate’s calls. You’ll likely be the first (and only) one to do so! Call a potential candidate and surprise them. You’re more than likely to be the first (and only) recruiter to have ever done that in their experience. How's this for a blast from the past; walk in to a company’s main lobby and ask to speak with the head of staffing. I’ll guarantee you’ll be the only one who’s done that in the last 10 years! Granted that won't always work in every situation because (duh-duhhhh), technology has halted such things. You need to set up meetings and interviews via email these days (thanks tech-Gods).

STOP sharing everything openly online — enough with that stupid word “transparency.” We’re not doing anyone any good with all our goody-two-shoes FREE banter. We’re oversaturating the market with information and misinformation. We’re part of the problem — leading others to believe getting a job is a matter of comparing this one and that one to that one and this one online.

Recruiters (and some sourcers) are routinely texting and emailing information that is sensitive and precious — made much less so in the public’s eye (and experience) by its cheap distribution.
We give candidates (and potential candidates) the idea they have all the information they need to make one of the most important decisions in their lives. They don’t and they can’t. They most assuredly can’t without your help.

When meeting face to face with someone; here's some advice from author Maureen Sharib:

Consider your appearance. Some “casual” has become far too casual in the last few years. Lose the flip-flops and pajama pants. Dress seasonally and respectfully for whomever you’ll be meeting with.
Schedule in-the-flesh meetings. when you can meet face-to-face. When you can’t use a service like GoToMeeting. It’s an electronic solution, sure but you have the opportunity to “see” and be “seen.” It’s an opportunity to sell yourself and your abilities.
Forget meeting at the local Starbucks. Too noisy, too little privacy, too many distractions, too impersonal.
Schedule your time (and theirs). Set your expectations for the time you’d like to spend with them before you meet.  People are less reluctant to meet when they understand the time commitment.
Share your market knowledge in person at first. They’ll pay more attention to your emails and texts later.
Insist on commitment. Explain you’re running a business — not a charity. They’ll respect you more.
Qualify the candidate. Don’t be afraid to ask if they have a non-compete. Explore their feelings about relocating. Talk about salary. Get the scary stuff over fast and first. They’ll welcome your interest and this will help create commitment, loyalty, and trust in you in your candidates.
Phone calls and follow-up. Set yourself apart from the madding crowd with this one.
Almost nobody else is doing it! Once your relationship is established, call them regularly (once a week is good.) It only takes a few minutes — less than five, usually.
Do Not Be Afraid of Rejection and Failure.
That is all.

The Hiring Manager's Guide to Working WIth Recruiters

If you have dealt with recruiters or if you yourself is a recruiter, then you are well aware that recruiting is a team effort. It works the best when the parties that make up the team move quickly and effectively through the tedious process to get the job done. No doubt that this is much easier said than done, but why don't we take a look at the three primary members of this brilliant team:

1. The CANDIDATE
2. The RECRUITER
3. The HIRING MANAGER

Any of these three parties fails to perform as expected, then this "decorated" process turns to suffering - and can break down completely under certain circumstances. This can lead to all types of problems and frustrations that relate to the successful acquisition of a new employee.

On top of that, you risk wasting time and money — as well as creating bad blood with respect to the candidate — if the hiring process is mishandled. Fortunately, most recruiters I come in contact with understand the necessity of driving the process forward and making things happen as quickly and as smoothly as possible. On the other hand, most candidates are simply looking to explore a given opportunity. But because candidates exist outside of the company, they do not fall under the expectations of organizational processes or expectations. Oh boy. This leaves us with the hiring managers, who can be a real problem if you are looking to be a more successful recruiter. If you the recruiter want to be more effective, you will need the full and ongoing cooperation of your hiring managers. Those individuals, in conjunction with the interviewing team they appoint, will be the people who will most influence your ability to be successful in building great organizations.

Hiring Managers: Here’s How to Get the Most Out of Your Recruiting Partners
According to Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One Minute Manager, “None of us is as smart as all of us.” This is the essence of teamwork, and that is just what recruiting has become — an exercise in teamwork, with people working together to hire the best employees and build the best companies. With this in mind, and in order to be assured that we are operating in a smooth and effective manner, ask the following:

• Let me know when you have a position open as soon as it has been approved. The sooner you let me know that a position has been approved, the sooner I can meet with you, the sooner I can clearly understand what you are looking for in the candidates you want to hire, and the sooner I can begin my work in sourcing these candidates. Good candidates are not easy to find, so the more running room I have to develop an intelligent sourcing plan, the better off we’ll be.
• If I call or email you, please respond. I understand you are busy. So am I. What I’m probably most busy with is trying to do all that is required to fill your position. I know that running your organization is a top priority, but hiring is a major part of running a business, and I need you to be responsive to me when I reach out. That’s how a good and productive team works.
• Please respond to resumes quickly. Most candidates have a very short shelf life and little patience for organizations that do not respond quickly. Talent is tight and good people can go to a number of other employers in a flash. If I get a resume in front of you, please respond as quickly as possible so I can move the process on to the next step. I am not just concerned about whether your answer is “yes” or “no.” What makes my life very difficult is no response at all, and being stuck between a hiring manager who is not reactive and a candidate who is calling me looking for an answer to a simple question: “Does the manager want to see me or not?” Please do not put me in that position, because it makes all of us look foolish.
• Please see that your interviewing team is ready. The candidate interviewing experience is critical to the ongoing success of the organization. Remember that prospective employees of today can become the customers or partners of tomorrow. They can refer others to your jobs. Be sure your interviewing team is ready to do a world-class job in all candidate-facing activities. This means they should have reviewed and understood the position for which they are interviewing and read the candidate’s resume before the candidate arrives. The team should be prepared to discuss the candidate with you after the interview is completed.
• Inform me as to what you see as the next step in the process. Please get back to me with your thoughts, ideas, or questions right after the interview has taken place. Be advised that I can, in most cases, keep the candidate warm for a reasonable time, but I can’t say or do anything without hearing from you. Once again, make us all look good by being responsive and moving quickly as this is in everyone’s best interests.
• Be sure to only ask questions that relate to the position. We live in a highly litigious society, and as your partner in the hiring process, it is my job to see that we never have a legal problem as a result of inappropriate questions being asked. Please remember that all questions asked should pertain only to the candidate’s experience as it relates to their ability to perform the duties of the position for which they are interviewing.
• Remember to sell the company. Whether or not the candidate joins our organization is far more in your hands than in mine. But if you want to have the candidate join our company, you will have to sell it to the candidate. If the candidate is interviewing elsewhere, that is exactly what the competition will be doing. Be sure to let the candidate know why they should be seeing us as their next place of employment, and what some of the advantages are at our company. Remember, we always want the choice about whether to move forward or not to be our choice, not the candidate’s.
• Please help me to close the candidate if I make that request. Landing a candidate is not always an easy thing to accomplish. As the marketplace tightens and top talent becomes harder to find, candidates will very often have multiple offers. I will do whatever I can to pre-close the candidate, get them prepped for an offer, and everything else necessary to make things happen. However, at times I will need a bit of help to make things happen and close the deal. If I call you to set up a meeting or phone call to lay out a capture strategy (see my article entitled How to Develop a Capture Strategy), please work with me on this. Together, as a team, we have a far better chance of successfully landing the candidate.
• Leave the offers to me. Extending offers is a big part of my job, and I know exactly how to do it. Extending an offer is asking for the sale, and it has to be done at the right time, in the right way, and under the right circumstances. Please let me handle it as I see fit. (By the way, if you are the one who determines compensation, let’s talk, because low-balling the candidate is a catastrophe of major proportions!).

RECRUITMENT - Countercyclical Hiring: The Greatest Recruiting Opportunity in the Last 25 Years

Although budgets may be tight and hiring freezes are taking place, this may be an optimal time for companies to take advantage of recruiting top talent. While your competitors are laying low and waiting for things to turn around, experienced individuals in management positions are being let go and now within your reach to build your dream team. The upside of taking this approach is that demand is rising for job seekers, and supply is down on the employer's end-meaning companies have a broader spectrum to recruit the top experienced candidates. Ere.net makes a good point when saying this is not only a time to recruit the unemployed, but employees at your competitors company are probably overworked, stressed out, and are likely open to looking at other employment options. Those hired to take their place, may feel like you have "saved" them from the current economy situation and be quite loyal. Dr. John Sullivan at ere.net wrote a good article that goes into further detail: Countercyclical Hiring