Q&A: How recruiters can deliver value and differentiate themselves
Here’s my response to a recruiter asking how to deliver value and differentiate himself when delivering candidates to his clients:
Find out if the hiring manager is willing, sit down with the recruiter (either over the phone, or in person — not over lunch, food is too distracting!)
Go over the req line by line BEFORE the meeting. If the recruiter doesn’t understand the requirement, get clarification from the hiring manager.
As a recruiter, to understand why each requirement exists and to what degree that capability is truly required. Are “nice to haves” actually a hidden “one of the following is required”? Does the hiring manager place more weight on one specific trait/skill over another (for example: candidate technical skill vs. management history.)
Attempt to understand the management style to be applied for this candidate and try to find a good fit for the client company. Is the manager more directive or empowering? What does the candidate prefer?
Ask the hiring manager for a short list of basic questions you can ask the candidate before introductions are made. Then ask the manager to explain what the answers should be. These questions should be something simple that the recruiter can understand and decide whether the candidate gave a correct answer. Some examples: What does the acronym T&M stand for? When do you use NFS vs. CIFS? What is an Abandonment Option?
Think about the candidate as if you were going to hire them yourself. If the candidate has very short periods of employment, ask the candidate in advance; you can bet the hiring manager will. If The candidate has been unemployed for a while, find out why; again, the hiring manager will ask. If anything stands out to YOU, perhaps it’d be best to question the candidate in advance.
Find out if the job has special requirements, for example: if the job requires 24/7 on-call, find out if the candidate has issues with this.
Find out if the candidate has ever previously been submitted to an organization.
Also, understand the client company’s culture. Ask the hiring manager what the culture is like; Is it more like a startup or a bank? Narrow down the candidate’s interest in culture and identify the ones that require more structure vs. unstructured work environments.
Make -sure- the candidate’s salary requirements fall into the range specified by the hiring company. There’s nothing more frustrating than finding the perfect candidate to meet sticker shock! If you happen to find the perfect candidate with a higher price, talk to the hiring manager before submission.
The hiring manager and interviewing staff will [hopefully] take care of the big/technical questions, it’s the little things that matter most and often get overlooked until everyone’s time has been wasted — including the candidate’s.
If you own or manage a recruiting/talent acquisition company, assign junior recruiters that actually know a little about the hiring area — even if they’re only hobbyists in the area.
Finally, I believe that to truly add value to your services — customize your services for your client (within reason, of course.) Value comes from meeting client needs -and- desires. Clients can get what they “need” from just about anyone, not everyone will give them what they “want”.
As a hiring manager, I believe this was a good question, too bad more recruiters don’t ask their clients this in advance!
Thank you!
I was then asked, “Is there a particular format in which you like to see the presentation take place?” Here is my answer back:
Absolutely. But I think it would be different between clients. I personally prefer a template format for candidate submission, similar to the following:
———-
Pre-screen:
H1/TN Visa requirements (if known) or “Candidate has been pre-screened and is eligible to work in the US for any employer”
Candidate has [held | currently holds] a security clearance
Candidate answered all questions on the pre-screening questionaire with the exception of the following: [notes on pre-screen] (some wrong answers are usually ok)
Candidate is currently [(un)employed, contracting, attending school, etc.]
Candidate is available as of: [start date] and would like to give [2|4] weeks notice.
Candidate is currently making a salary of [salary, plus bonus] and [meets | falls below | exceeds] the salary range requirements for this position.
Work History:
Candidate shows a gap in his/her work history between 2002-2004, he/she has clarified that they took time off due to
Candidate has similar experience to this job req from the following employers: [employer 1…n]
[Resume | CV] [and cover letter] is attached.
———-
…
I think you can get the drift. Like I said though, every client will be different. You can always add value by establishing a protocol for interfacing with a hiring manager — and SAVE your notes from dealing with them.
In the past I have worked with many recruiters who have high turnover of their own. I do not like having to re-establish the process with every new account manager. Keep notes in a CRM or a client file! Should the hiring manager leave the client company, having those notes to re-engage with him at his new company is a precious commodity your competitors do not have.
I hope I answered your question…
Thanks for asking for a clarification!
