Focus On Relationships Not The Transaction
Are you a task orientated recruiter or a relationship orientated recruiter? Working out which one you are is crucial not just for your effectiveness as a recruiter, but also for your own career development. Let’s start with some definitions:
– Task orientated people focus almost exclusively on completing the task at hand (the transaction)
– Relationship orientated people focus on the bigger picture and where the task sits in the larger relationship with the client
If you find yourself simply focusing on the end result (filling a vacancy) you’re task orientated. If you find yourself focusing on the end result AND the steps you take to get there, then you’re relationship orientated. You may not see the importance of this differentiation, but if you want to get to the top of your company and be the best recruiter you can be, then it’s important that if you’re task orientated, you start developing as a relationship orientated recruiter.
Why become more relationship orientated?
Recruitment is all about people, and it’s vital that you understand that people make businesses, not transactions. Recruitment is also one of the most competitive industries in the country, and it’s important that you differentiate yourself from the competition. One of the best ways of doing this is be a relationship builder and provide real value, unlike many of the cut price recruiters that simply place bodies into jobs.
How to become more relationship orientated
Ask questions
When you get a brief from the client, don’t just rush off and start searching for candidates. Take the time to understand the job spec and ask lots of questions so you can focus on what really matters to the client. This sort of attention to detail will mark you out as a professional who wants to do their best for the client.
Provide updates
Communication is key in recruitment, so simply providing your client with a selection of great candidates isn’t enough. You need to be updating them regularly up to this point. The idea is to give the client a fantastic service and charge them a handsome fee. Regular updates will assure them they are getting value for their money and ensure they come back to you in the future.
Follow-up
Once you’ve placed the candidate, the transaction is done. Do you move on to your next vacancy? Of course you do, and remember to follow-up with both the client and candidate. The client will appreciate the after-sales service you are giving them, and you never know, you may have another vacancy for you to work on. Talking to the candidate is useful too. You can iron out any concerns they may have and ensure they are happy in their job. Depending on the role and sector, always keep in mind that your candidate may one day be a client, so developing these relationships is always useful.
Once you’ve made the move to being a recruiter who is more focussed on relationships, you’ll find yourself working much more effectively, winning more clients and retaining the ones you have.
Till next time,
Cheryl