Qualities of a Good Recruiter

Among the necessary qualities of a recruiter is to be able to see the bigger picture to ensure long term benefit to the enterprise. Recruitment must be thought of as part of a larger engine that will drive the company forward.

Human resources put all other resources to work and, therefore, excessive care has to be exercised in the recruitment process. To ensure that hiring is in line with the company’s strategies, some points must be considered. The following qualities of a recruiter are more or less non-negotiable when it comes to talent acquisition.

1. Good communication skills

The most crucial skill that a recruiter must have is good communication – both verbal and non-verbal – to ensure better talent acquisition. Remember this:

• The recruiter must avoid asking standard, repetitive questions and instead focus on more probing ones
• Reading in-between the lines is extremely important
• There must be proper voice modulation to avoid monotony
• Always address the person by name to make him/her more interested in the conversation
• During a telephonic conversation, the tone should be positive and enthusiastic

2. Acquaint candidate with organizational policies

As some in-charge of hiring requirements, it is extremely important for the recruiter to be on the same page as the applicant to build trust and create a better understanding. Follow this:

• Share insights regarding the job, along with some information about the organization’s culture, goals, growth plans, etc.; it makes the applicant feel keener
• Make an effort to understand the needs and objectives of the candidate
• Acceptance must be shown through patient listening and respectful behaviour

This will lead to a mutually beneficial collaboration between both the company and the candidate.

3. Manage expectations

A valuable recruitment skill to possess is the ability to manage the expectations of both the company as well as the candidate. On one hand, the candidate will have a prefixed notion regarding the salary, responsibility, and culture they expect from the job. Whereas, on the other hand, the company will have expectations about the candidate’s skill set. The idea is to be upright and balanced with everyone included in the process. The expectations must be laid out clearly to avoid any future tensions.

4. Include hiring managers in the process

The involvement of the C-suite in the talent acquisition process is extremely important. Usually, the hiring team and leaders of the company do not get involved in the hiring procedure. It is, although, the right thing to do as the prospective employee’s reporting manager will get an insight into the kind of applicant he or she is.

5. Strong networking

Recruitment is essentially a people business. It is about meeting and networking with as many qualified people as possible. These connections come handy during talent acquisition. It helps with building industry connections and facilitates meeting potential candidates to either pursue immediately or add to your pipeline.

6. Foresight

Among the necessary qualities of a recruiter is to be able to see the bigger picture to ensure long term benefit to the enterprise. Recruitment must be thought of as part of a larger engine that will drive the company forward. For this, the hiring decisions must be based on longer-term talent management processes. The recruiter must always envision the future in the context of hiring.

7. Marketing skills

Recruitment is all about marketing and selling the company to potential candidates looking for a career change. Hence, it is necessary to do the following:

• Recruiters must develop advertising and web analytics skills that marketers use for their lead generation programs
• They must focus on developing their ability to pitch the benefits of working for their company
• Make use of the right marketing tools and platforms to look for great candidates more effectively

The better one is at promoting the company and the job, the more effective he/she will be at landing the best candidate.

8. Integrity

One of the essential virtues that are necessary for any recruiter is integrity. Recruiters are the point of contact for any individual trying to join a company and advance their career. The recruitment process is highly consequential for both parties involved. Therefore, ensure that no significant information is deliberately hidden from them and that the information shared is accurate. Also, the recruiter must try to earn the trust of the candidate by attending to any queries that they might have.

9. Critical Thinking

Among the more important qualities of a recruiter is the ability to think critically and evaluate the information presented by the candidates. It ensures that the decisions are based on facts rather than the gut.

10. Technical Know-How

In talent acquisition, a versatile recruiter must combine his recruitment skills with the ability to effectively use hiring technologies, for instance, performance management platforms, applicant tracking systems, etc. Good technical skills assist in leveraging these platforms to one’s advantage.

Bonus tip: Be a Team worker

Generally, a recruitment team consists of many people who might differ in their opinions. Therefore, an outstanding recruiter is expected to act as a team leader and bring everyone on the same, unanimous page. Knowing the art of managing people helps in finding the right candidate without wasting much time on pacifying differences and misunderstandings.

It is a known fact that hiring the right candidate has become more important than ever due to the increased specialization in various streams. A lot of time, energy and finances are spent on talent acquisition. Therefore, special care must be taken of the aforesaid points to ensure that the interests of both the organization as well as the candidate are taken care of.