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Recruiting
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by Bill Radin
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The
Recruiter's Digest
Recruiting
News, Training & Commentary by Bill Radin |
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March, 2005 |
Your Recruiting
Script: One Size Fits All?
Many recruiters use
the same cold-call recruiting script, regardless of the situation. This
could be a mistake, especially when dealing with passive candidates who
don't know you, don't know your company or don't have the patience to
listen to another cookie-cutter sales pitch.
While there's no way to predict whether a prospective candidate might be
interested in your job opening, there's a simple way to improve your
chances of success.
Before you pick up the phone, try to understand the nature of
your candidate population and adjust your script accordingly. If your
candidates are skill-centric (that is, their skills are commoditized or
in demand by many different employers), you might want to approach them
with the "agent" script, as in:
"Hi, Ed. My name is Bill Radin, and I'm a recruiter specializing in
the IT market. I'd like to learn about your background and what you
might be looking for in your next position, so if the perfect job comes
along, I can act as your agent and give you a call. Is this a good time
to talk?"
Many recruiters who place accountants, nurses, paralegals, loan officers
and niche positions in technology or IT (to name just a few job
titles) have found that it's more efficient to stockpile like-kind,
in-demand candidates for future distribution than it is to write job
orders and then look for qualified people. On the other hand, if your
candidates are market-centric, their value is based on their
knowledge of a specific industry. I've found that market-centric
candidates usually respond more favorably to the "job opening" script,
as in:
"Hi, Susan, this is Bill Radin, and I'm a recruiter
specializing in the construction industry. An incredible project
management opportunity just opened up, and I wanted to tell you about
it. Is this a good time to talk?"
See the difference? Skill-centric candidates often view recruiters as
their agents, and as such, prefer the
"put-me-in-your-database-and-call-me-when-you-have-something" approach,
as opposed to the "tell-me-about-the-job-now" script that's
generally preferred by market-centric candidates. In either case, your
objectives are the same:
-
Build a
relationship with the candidate over a period of time and stay in
touch;
-
Alert the candidate whenever a suitable
job opportunity becomes available; and
-
Ask the candidate for referrals to fill
jobs or grow your network.
More often than
not, your script's success depends on how well it's matched with the
candidate's self-image, not necessarily how beautifully it's crafted or
delivered. The more you understand your target population, the more
you'll know which approach works best for you.
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