| I have often heard that a good plan is essential for | | | | dislikes, preferences in climate if he were to relocate, |
| success, and for the most part I agree. That being | | | | social activities outside of work, what his spouse did |
| said though, a good plan was definitely something | | | | for work, special needs of his children, where he |
| that I was lacking when I entered the recruiting | | | | grew up and where the majority of his family still |
| industry. I began my career as a recruiter out of | | | | lived, etc. This was important information to know if |
| necessity. Why necessity? Well I had just lost my | | | | my plans were to eventually place him in a new job. |
| job, and it was necessary that I have money to eat, | | | | From a business standpoint, the small details that I |
| pay bills, and ultimately survive. A new career was | | | | forgot to ask could later result in a deal breaker. |
| not in my game plan by any stretch of the | | | | More important was that each candidate left our |
| imagination, and recruiting was foreign to me in every | | | | conversation knowing that I actually cared enough to |
| aspect. Sure, I knew what was meant by the verb | | | | listen, and that I had their best interests and |
| recruit, but I had no clue how the job was | | | | concerns at heart. Looking back, it was the practice |
| accomplished or anything else beyond the root | | | | of really knowing my candidates that contributed the |
| meaning. Just to make sure that all the odds were | | | | most to my success. The worst thing that will ever |
| working against me, I also began my recruiter career | | | | come from knowing a candidate is their trust. |
| by recruiting for an industry that I had absolutely no | | | | Ironically, trust is something that some recruiters |
| interest in or experience with- video games. So unless | | | | struggle to earn throughout their entire career. |
| my idea of a good plan also involved starting a new | | | | Lesson #3- Get on the phone. In today's society the |
| career in an area that I lacked knowledge or even | | | | majority of our communicating is done electronically. |
| interest, I was going to need a good plan quickly! | | | | We are sending emails, tweeting, posting, texting, |
| The first item on my "to do" list was to align myself | | | | and whatever else I may have forgotten. |
| with an experienced recruiter who knew the industry | | | | Communication is most effective when the person |
| well, and most importantly someone who enjoyed | | | | trying to communicate something knows that they |
| their job! It's easy to find someone to teach the | | | | are being heard and understood. People like to |
| "doings" involved in the work, but to find someone | | | | experience being heard, or put simply, everybody |
| who is passionate about what they do and the | | | | wants to be "gotten". Obviously we can't have every |
| service they provided was key for me. I found that | | | | conversation in person, so the next best is to |
| passion and experience in one of the client managers | | | | communicate often and effectively over the phone. |
| at the firm I worked for, and I immediately aligned | | | | That's not to say that the phone is the only way to |
| myself with her. Her name is Maria Barton, a no | | | | communicate, but instead of building a relationship |
| nonsense Brit with a work ethic that most people | | | | that only exists over emails, tweets, posts, and |
| could only aspire to achieve, and the people skills akin | | | | texts, throw in the occasional phone call as well. No |
| to some of the world's greatest leaders. She knew | | | | matter how it gets delivered, the written word quite |
| how to talk to a complete stranger, be it over the | | | | often leaves a lot of room for interpretation. The |
| phone or in person, and she could quickly build a bond | | | | reader may not always conclude with your desired |
| of trust that would serve as a foundation for years | | | | message either. When a candidate (active or passive) |
| to come. It seemed as if there wasn't a single person | | | | speaks to their recruiter on occasion they will begin |
| in the Video Games Industry that didn't know of her, | | | | to see that there is actually a partnership being |
| and they all had nothing but good to say about their | | | | forged and that the recruiter has their best interests |
| experiences with her. Maria was my new mentor and | | | | in mind. Keeping up with a candidates changing |
| ultimately she became a great friend as well, but she | | | | concerns and desires will build a relatedness between |
| also had a lot of work in front of her if she hoped to | | | | recruiter and candidate that will truly stand the test |
| turn me into a recruiter! I had a lot to learn about | | | | of time. Communicating involves much more than |
| recruiting in general, like learning how to build my own | | | | speaking though, it also involves listening. When a |
| network for referrals, knowing how to use the many | | | | candidate knows that their recruiter is actually |
| different social networking sites to source, cold | | | | listening to their concerns, those same concerns will |
| calling, etc. This list of things to learn and master was | | | | fade away or disappear altogether, because they |
| a long one, but there were a few key lessons that | | | | know that the recruiter understands them and will |
| Maria taught me which in hindsight was key to my | | | | handle them. |
| success. | | | | Lesson #4- Know when to move on. My step-father |
| Lesson #1- Know your client. Maria stressed this to | | | | had a hobby that involved looking at houses that |
| me from the minute we first talked! Knowing who | | | | were for sale, and to this day I still don't understand |
| the client is, where they have come from, and where | | | | it. On each family vacation he would pack us into the |
| they hope to be in the future is important. Sure, | | | | car and spend several hours looking at homes that |
| anyone can read a paragraph or two about a client | | | | were for sale. He wouldn't look at places that he |
| and regurgitate the information to a prospective | | | | couldn't afford to buy or couldn't qualify for, rather |
| candidate, but I didn't want to be anyone, and Maria | | | | he would look at each as if he were really buying it |
| certainly wasn't going to allow me to "be" an anyone | | | | and we were moving. I can't count how many I was |
| either! Great details were given to me about the | | | | convinced we were actually moving, and I can only |
| "environment" of each one of our client's studios and | | | | imagine the frustration the Realtors went through |
| what a candidate could expect. The product lineup | | | | each and every time! Well everyone has a hobby, |
| and company vision where also important pieces of | | | | that was my dad's, and we never moved. The moral |
| information that I was to know. Knowing how the | | | | of the story? Some people are professional "lookers", |
| client handled promotions and acquiring new talent | | | | just as my dad was when he looked at property for |
| was key, as was knowing the general background of | | | | sale. If you really listen to a prospective candidate |
| each person that made up the management staff. I | | | | when you speak to them it's easier to spot the |
| can go on and on here about what it really meant to | | | | professional "looker". The professional looker is usually |
| Maria when she said "Know your client", but the real | | | | just fishing for information or checking out the |
| message is just as simple as the phrase implies. | | | | market, but he really has no intentions of switching |
| Knowing as much about a client as possible will | | | | careers. The "looker" may even go as far as the |
| always translate into higher placement percentages | | | | offer stage before backing out of the role. Knowing |
| and stronger candidate relationships. | | | | that these types are out there, and learning how to |
| Lesson #2- Know your candidate. This phrase | | | | spot them and walk away is important. There is only |
| sounded simple enough to me when I first heard it. | | | | so much time in one day and it needs to be used |
| After all, I was going to be interviewing each person | | | | wisely. Of course, the "looker" might someday |
| anyway so wouldn't I end up knowing them by | | | | become a "mover", or a great bird-dog, so treating |
| proxy? Yeah, I was in for another surprise. When | | | | each person with respect and kindness is always key. |
| Maria told me to "Know my candidates", she really | | | | The lessons I learned from Maria Barton are such |
| meant to know them! There was one time that I | | | | that they will be an asset to me no matter what my |
| spent 45 minutes on the phone interviewing a | | | | career. As far as recruiters go, I think she is the best. |
| candidate just to make sure that I knew everything | | | | She taught me more than I could ever hope to |
| there was to know. I knew where he worked, what | | | | capture on paper, and more than she will ever realize. |
| he earned, and all of that other stuff, but it turned | | | | I believe that it is her passion for her job and the |
| out that I didn't really know anything about him at all. | | | | humanity that she brings to it that makes her a huge |
| I didn't take the time to learn the candidate's likes & | | | | success. |