How To Make Candidates Fall In Love With You This Year

It’s never been so important to create a great relationship with your candidates. The skills shortage is gripping the UK and set to get worse, which means that the best passive candidates will need some coaxing to move away from employers who already reward them well.

You’ll also need to be a master of persuasion to convince sought-after candidates that the opportunity you’re presenting them with is the one they should pursue.

As a recruiter, you must be able to influence your candidates’ decisions this year if you want to be a top biller. Being their recruiter of choice can make all the difference to how much they’ll listen to you and respect your guidance. So how do you become their recruiter of choice……………?

By following a game plan.

The good news is over the last 15 plus years we have seen first-hand how the top billers in their sector attract the candidates everyone wants and we have listed them below.

1. Ask about them before you talk about their CV or possible opportunities.

Creating a real human relationship just takes curiosity and the willingness to listen. You’re busy, but the difference you’ll make to this person’s experience by having a genuine chat is what makes the difference between them deciding you’re the recruiter for them, or if it’s Shelley, your arch-rival at the recruitment firm down the road.

You probably got into recruitment because you’re great with people, so let that shine through! When you do get around to talking about their CV, the ice will be broken, the conversation more natural—and you’ll have a far better sense of the person sitting in front of you.

2. Play for the long-term with passive candidates.

Your relationship can either be over in a flash, or it can endure for a career: it depends on how you set the tone. Your introductory call or email must pique their interest in some way—whether because of the opportunity you’re selling, because you’ve tapped into a sense that they want more, or are curious about what you might offer.

To appeal to the passive candidate, lead with a strong proposition, but never forget that the person at the other end is exactly that: a person. So don’t use formulaic clichés like ‘reaching out’ or ‘touching base’, avoid weakening your proposition with weak language like ‘I’m sorry, I know you must be busy’, and certainly don’t be pushy. (They don’t need you, remember?)

Be very clear that you want to build a relationship rather than push them into anything, and if you can meet with them in person for a friendly, no-pressure chat, all the better! If you’re emailing, then cast an eye over it before you send it and think: would I like to read that email?

3. Be careful with people’s dreams.

Never forget that the person before you is taking a risk to change their life. Sometimes, you’ll know at a glance that their experience isn’t going to get them the role that they’re dreaming of, but the way you phrase this can either make them understand you’re here to help them work towards that goal…or bristle defensively and decide never to speak to you again.

When facing a CV by an otherwise talented candidate that is simply not qualified for the role they seek, we thoroughly advise that you use the word ‘yet’ when telling them why you can’t put them forward. For example, ‘You don’t have the necessary experience for the job’, and ‘You don’t have the necessary experience yet, but we’ll get you there’ are worlds apart.

Show that you’re genuinely invested in helping them reach their career goals, and try to generate enthusiasm in them about the steps they’ll need to take (whether courses or interim roles) to add to their CV.

4. Find out what makes them tick.

This goes for all candidates, but particularly passive ones, as this is where you can discover what pressure points will lead them to move roles. It might be flexibility so they can manage their family life better, it might be a higher salary so they can afford that dream flat, it might be the status or purpose of working for a large multinational. The better you know them, the more opportunities and arguments you can present to sway their decision.

5. Keep them informed—at all costs.

Recruiters are time-poor, but the brutal truth is that top candidates in this skill-short market can’t be expected to know, or to care how busy you are. They’re waiting for the answer to a life changing proposition. If you want to be loved by your candidates, you must keep them informed about the progress of their application. It really is that simple. This is especially true if you’ve approached a passive candidate- you simply cannot leave them in the cold after asking them to apply in the first place.

6. Go the extra mile to get some feedback.

Wherever you can, get detailed feedback from the hiring manager about how your candidate performed during the interview process. This gives you valuable material to coach your candidate towards greater success next time.

This may seem like an awful lot of effort to go to for each candidate, but it might cheer you up to remember that this loyal candidate may return to you for new roles throughout your career, with increasingly impressive placement fees each time! Not only that, but they might refer you to their friends, to the hiring manager in their new role— or they might become one themselves! This relationship with a top candidate may well pave your way to success, as well as theirs.

Until next time

Cheryl