The evergreen truth is that “Recruitment is all about relationships!” and a bitter truth is that “A qualified and talented candidate stays in the job market for an unimaginable short period”. If there is a coincidence between your customer’s need and the time when the talented folks are looking for a new position, you can submit a quality candidate. That’s not the case most of the time. No successful recruiters can be unaware of these two truths. Just the smart folks can survive!

Would you prefer to make hay before the sun shines? Does it work? Is it a good idea? Does it make sense to approach a candidate before the opportunity pops up? Yes of course! The name says it all “Relationship Recruiting.” It is one of the evergreen successful strategies to hire a quality candidate. If you wait till the consultant steps in to the job market or the client comes up with a requirement, trust me, it might too late for you to catch the right talent.

Let’s understand the 7 Steps to practice Relationship Recruiting.

D.E.L.I.G.H.T is the key. DELIGHT is an acronym which abbreviates to Desire to check the credibility, Educate the consultant, lend your ears and listen, Identify the skills, Gain Trust, Handle queries/avoid escapism and Treat the consultant equally.

Step 1: Desire to check credibility

Everything starts with one small step in our life. Similarly, the first step is to connect with the consultants whose profile looks promising. You may use email or social media platform like LinkedIn to connect with the potential candidates.

It is very true that most of the promising talents are engaged in a project while we approach them for a job opportunity. However, keep him/her informed about your experience as a recruiter and kind of positions you work on. You should also check the consultant’s level of interest in grabbing new opportunities.

Step 2: Educate the consultant

Eventually, educate the consultant with the complete knowledge on the requirement, about the company, about the recruitment process and the general expectation in his/her relevant domain, during your conversations. Transparency is one of the core elements of positive relationships.

Step 3: Lend your ears and listen

Everyone in this world wants a trustworthy person to share their thoughts. Become your consultant’s listening partner. Make them feel acknowledged so that they share their inner thoughts about their future career plans.

Step 4: Identify the skills/needs

By now the relationship should have become stronger. You can ask the consultants about their existing roles and responsibilities. It is advisable to understand their needs and challenges in the current role. If you could give them a solution through a new opportunity, your job is half done.

Step 5: Gain Trust

Express the knowledge you possess in consulting mode. It is positive, if you have gained the position of a consultant. You should become a go-to person of your consultant to find a solution for the challenges in their career/current role.

Step 6: Handle queries with care

Do not ignore any questions. Answer all the questions with loads of patience and compassion. If you do not possess the knowledge to answer the query, find someone who can answer the consultant’s queries. Do no lose your credibility!

Step 7: Treat them equally

Treat both interested and uninterested candidates, equally. Your consulting should continue as a free service to the consultants in your digital proximity. As a successful recruiter, your primary objective is to create a massive talent pool even before the need could arise. This can help you connect the deserving/quality candidates with your clients within the agreed turnaround time.

Let’s not forget the basics while we embrace the new methodologies in recruiting.

By KRG Team