I’ve had the privilege of interviewing thousands of people and working with hundreds of companies in my 15+ years in talent acquisition. Here’s some of the biggest recruiting lessons I’ve learned:
1. Be kind – Hiring and job searching is difficult, stressful, and filled with rejection. Be a bright spot in a not-so-enjoyable process.
2. Recruiting is a sales function – It’s a very competitive market and companies need to do everything they can to set themselves apart.
3. Recruiting is all about communication – A recruiter doesn’t need to be a subject matter expert on each role they’re working on, but they need to be an expert communicator to articulate each role’s employee value proposition.
4. The most qualified candidate on paper isn’t always the best hire – Soft skills and fit are equally if not more important than technical skills/experience.
5. The difference between a good recruiter and a great recruiter is often asking one additional question – The best have the experience and intuition to know what question(s) to ask that ultimately help ensure the best possible outcome.
6. Trust your gut – It’s right most of the time.
7. Role players can be invaluable – In a world where it seems like everyone wants to be the CEO, there’s a lot of value in the dependable person that wants to show up, contribute, and leave work at work.
8. Recruiting isn’t rocket science and The Golden Rule applies – If you treat your clients and candidates the way you’d like to be treated, you’ll always have a place in this industry.
9. Not having a plan is planning to fail – Candidates have a discerning eye and it’s very important to have all the pertinent job details figured out before you start your recruiting process.
10. There’s no perfect candidate, but there is a perfect match – We’re all people with our own quirks and the beautiful thing is there’s a job for everybody.