You may be listening to what others are saying to you, but are you really HEARING them? This is extremely critical for recruiters or talent acquisition professionals. You’re under tremendous pressure to fill open jobs, but we can’t rush our conversations or sell too quick. It’s important to fill jobs with the BEST candidates who become engaged and retained.
If you are currently doing more than 1/3 of the talking during recruiting presentations, interviews, presentations of opportunities, preps or debriefs – you are simply talking too much! As a result you may experience ghosting, no-shows, counter-offers, or offer turn downs.
Great candidates are being bombarded with email, voice mail and InMail from recruiters and unfortunately they often don’t see the benefit in talking to us. They think we all sound alike and believe we are much more focused on filling a job, than on what is most important to them. Hopefully, this does not describe you!
Candidates don’t care about you or what you want or need. They only care about how you could benefit them or help them advance in their career! That should be the focus of your approach with candidates, in this extremely competitive job market.
When you listen to candidates, don’t judge, agree or disagree or attempt to provide a solution. Listen to understand where they are coming from. See the world thru their eyes, walk in their shoes and you will do a much better job of making a great match for them as well as your hiring managers.
Ask open ended questions, where someone cannot respond with a simple yes or no. Uncover the achievements of your candidates and the impact they had on past employers. Understand what MUST be there for your candidates to accept a new opportunity without hesitation. Know what offers they’ve been extended and turned down, so you don’t present a similar opportunity.
Strive to become the best listener in the lives of the people you represent and you will place or hire more candidates, receive more referrals and be perceived as a Knowledgeable Career Agent vs. someone merely interested in filling a job!
As a result, you will attract the top talent your hiring manager will hire and elevate your level of success! Would love to hear your tips on becoming a better listener in the comments below.