| Third-party recruiters have a huge competitive | | | | discover that the best haven't been looking very |
| advantage over their corporate recruiter rivals. For | | | | long. Of course, these are also the hardest ones to |
| one thing, they can cherry-pick their assignments and | | | | recruit since they're more discriminating. At first, they |
| thus don't have nearly as many assignments to work | | | | won't even call you back, so persist. If you somehow |
| on. For another, they can market their best | | | | get them on the phone they'll quickly say they're "not |
| candidates to multiple clients. In many cases this | | | | interested" as soon as you begin your pitch. This will |
| allows them to present high potential candidates with | | | | be followed up with the classic, "what's the |
| comparable, but not identical, experience. Retained | | | | compensation?" to finally get you off the phone. |
| recruiters also have open access to their hiring | | | | Don't succumb to these temptations. For one thing, |
| managers, spend a great deal of time understanding | | | | these people don't really mean "no," they mean you |
| real job needs up front, and 100% of their | | | | haven't said anything that would get them to say |
| candidates are interviewed. Of course, since there's a | | | | "yes," and everything they do next is to get rid of |
| fee involved, their candidates are put under the | | | | you. So in the future if someone says "no" or "not |
| microscope, and repeat business is a function of how | | | | interested," just say "that's exactly why we need to |
| well their candidates perform on the job. This actually | | | | talk" as your default comeback. Then go on to |
| is a good thing, since candidate performance is how | | | | suggest that wouldn't it make sense to talk 5-10 |
| external recruiters are evaluated, not cost per hire. | | | | minutes under the chance your job offered a true |
| Despite the fee, if the external recruiter delivers top | | | | career move. |
| people on a consistent and timely basis they get | | | | While you mustn't take "no" for an answer, it's |
| more assignments. A case can be made that the | | | | actually best to ask questions that can only be |
| corporate recruiting department should more closely | | | | answered by a "yes." This way you determine if |
| model the external recruiter in both process and | | | | you're interested in your candidate, rather than the |
| technique. To move toward this end objective, here | | | | candidate determining if she's interested in your job. |
| are some techniques you might want to try on your | | | | This is what applicant control is all about, and is the |
| next assignment: | | | | key to becoming a corporate headhunter. |
| Throw away the job description | | | | Use the phone screen to convert your job into a |
| I've probably only made this point about 1000 times | | | | potential career move |
| this past year, so here's number 1001: a traditional job | | | | Start the phone screen by conducting a work history |
| description listing skills, duties, experiences, and | | | | review going through the candidate's background in |
| competencies will not help you to find top | | | | some detail. Spend 15 minutes on this. Then use the |
| performers or screen them accurately. Instead, you | | | | One-question Performance-based Interview to |
| must ask your hiring managers to define exactly | | | | review the candidate's most significant |
| what the person taking the job must do to ace the | | | | accomplishment in great detail. This will take another |
| first performance review. If the hiring manager says | | | | 15 minutes, but you can stop the interview if you |
| he doesn't have time to do this, ask him what he'll be | | | | determine the candidate is too light for the job. Use |
| saying to an outstanding candidate if she asks a | | | | fact-finding probes to look for voids and gaps in the |
| similar question. Alternatively, you can ask the | | | | candidate's background by benchmarking what she's |
| manager when he'll be telling the great person he's | | | | done in comparison to the performance objectives |
| hired what she'll be doing. Strong prospects, especially | | | | listed in the Performance Profile. These gaps can then |
| those who aren't looking or who have multiple | | | | be used to present your job as a true career move. |
| opportunities, will be asking you these same | | | | For example, a top person will see a job with a |
| questions before they agree to go out on an | | | | bigger staff or a bigger budget or more visibility or a |
| interview, and if you can't confidently answer them, | | | | broader impact as a career move. Don't be surprised |
| they'll say they're not interested. | | | | when the candidate then starts selling you on why |
| The two following tips require that you know the | | | | she's a strong candidate, despite these shortcomings. |
| top 4-5 performance objectives of the job in order | | | | As long as the gaps aren't too big, you can move |
| to maintain applicant control and convert your job | | | | forward without compensation being the primary |
| openings into career moves. These are important | | | | driver. This will help increase your close rate if the |
| skills if you want to source and convince the best | | | | candidate is ultimately offered a position, especially if |
| people when you first contact them to consider your | | | | she's comparing it to other jobs that are more lateral |
| opportunity. Your hiring managers must also know | | | | transfers. |
| the performance objectives of the job if they want | | | | Becoming a corporate headhunter will become more |
| to see more top performers and then accurately | | | | important as the supply of strong candidates declines |
| assess their ability and motivation to do the real | | | | as the economy recovers. In the early stages of the |
| work required. (We call these performance-based job | | | | recovery, external recruiters will have a field day, |
| descriptions Performance Profiles.) | | | | snatching some of your best employees for their |
| Another huge win: you'll quickly discover that some | | | | best assignments. Corporate recruiters will then be |
| of your best prospects, including diverse candidates, | | | | faced with the double challenge of filling both new as |
| have a slightly different mix of experiences that | | | | well as these just-vacated positions. While these tips |
| might have been overlooked using traditional | | | | will help you become a better headhunter, the bigger |
| screening measures. Most managers will want to see | | | | task is getting your whole team on board, getting |
| these candidates if they've accomplished tasks | | | | your hiring managers actively engaged, keeping your |
| comparable to those listed it the Performance Profile. | | | | best people engaged, and using the latest sourcing |
| Don't take "No" for an answer | | | | techniques to find the best talent available. The |
| Sometime during your first call with a candidate, ask | | | | worst thing you can do is nothing. |
| the person how long she's been looking. You'll quickly | | | | |