The demand for management staff is systematically growing every year. Therefore, executive recruiters dealing with the acquisition of directors, managers, and high-class specialists also have more and more work. Recruiting such candidates is a difficult and time-consuming job. The work is very dynamic, and the requirements for this profession are high. If you are an executive recruiter, we present the 5 most important things to better do your job.
Who is the headhunter?
An executive recruiter, also known as a headhunter, deals with the Executive Search recruitment method, which consists in acquiring management staff and specialists. These are people with rare, unique skills as well as high personal and substantive competencies. Such candidates have several professional successes, are currently working, and do not plan to change their employer. They also often do not respond to classic forms of recruitment. Finding such a candidate is the basis of the recruitment process, but only convincing them to accept a job offer in a given company can be considered a success. Appropriate presentation of the employer's image and presentation of the advantages of a specific offer is, therefore, of key importance. What features should a good executive recruiter have? He definitely has to like people and be able to talk to them. Social and soft competencies related to interaction are essential. Equally important is the ability to think analytically and synthetically, as well as knowledge of the industry. An experienced recruiter knows which companies are competitive and which companies are cooperative, which operate based on procedures, which allow more freedom.
All of the above skills are important but are general theoretical determinants of a good headhunter. So what should you do in practice to become better in this profession?
Be available
Recruiters should always give the impression that they are available to candidates - both in face-to-face contact during recruitment meetings or at fairs and events. In the case of e-mail and telephone communication. If possible, answer calls from candidates and reply to their messages. Be open and helpful in doing so. This will make the candidate gain trust in you, as well as beliefs about your professionalism.
Look at the candidate from a broader perspective.
When recruiting a candidate for a managerial position, the obvious task is to carefully analyze the course of the current career, completed projects, and experience in being a leader. However, hard competencies are not everything. Contrary to appearances, soft skills, often difficult to notice immediately, can play a greater role in a managerial position. Be a good observer and adopt different, sometimes distant points of view. Please take into account the candidate's values, point of view, or personality type and evaluate them against its vision, principles of operation, and organizational culture. An applicant may have very high qualifications, but if his work style does not correspond to the one prevailing in the company, he will not work. An ideal executive recruiter's task is to catch these dependencies while recruiting to prevent wrong decisions.
Pay attention to your surroundings.
A headhunter must know the industry and market in which he works perfectly. First of all, information about the availability of candidates and their skills is important. The recruiter will also be helped by a global view of the environment, considering such aspects as technological changes, cultural and political factors, or upcoming trends. Those headhunters who can notice these conditions have a much greater predisposition to become the most valued specialists in their industry.
Treat each candidate exceptionally.
In the recruitment process, it is necessary to create a positive atmosphere based on mutual sympathy. High interpersonal skills characterize a good recruiter - the ability to establish contact and maintain relationships is, after all, the key to success in negotiations. So if you talk to a candidate, try to deviate from the pattern as much as possible - try to establish a bond with him by asking about hobbies or looking for common interests, and above all, showing genuine interest in what he says and has done so far. Don't forget that the person you are talking to should be the center of attention. Listen to what she says, her questions and answers, and conduct a dialogue accordingly. Thanks to this, you will present yourself as a partner and make him/her form a positive opinion about you, and thus about the company for which you are recruiting.
Maintain contacts
The relationship between the recruiter and the candidate built during the recruitment process should not end when the candidate accepts the job offer.
It is often a perfect idea to keep in touch throughout introducing the candidate to new responsibilities. This approach will help you follow his career development and make new friends in the company where he was employed. Gradual expansion of the network of contacts will be useful in conducting future recruitment projects.
Most of the tips described above are related, and all of them together will undoubtedly help you be a good recruiter. Their development is complicated and requires a lot of time and dedication. However, it is worth taking up this challenge, especially when acquiring competent employees is becoming more and more difficult. By approaching your work with full commitment, you will quickly be noticed and appreciated. After all, thanks to your efforts, the company will acquire a valuable employee, keep them for longer, and save time and money on recruiting.
Posted on Dec 11, 2020 by Anna
