Recruiting as a Career: Three Must-Have Tips That Can Lead to Success

As the General Manager at FootBridge, Joe Squires leads the recruiting, sales, and development teams while also providing strategic direction towards the staffing firm’s overall growth. One moment he may be working on pivotal initiatives to attract new clients, while the next, he’s evaluating tools and procedures to improve processes, and he’s worked hard to get where he’s at.

Squires started as a recruiter almost 20 years ago and since then worked his way up to a technical recruiter, lead recruiter, and recruiting manager to where he’s now at in his current role. To say he knows recruiting is an understatement and if you’re considering a career in energy recruiting, here are just a few tips to keep in mind. Meanwhile, if you’re interested in applying for a recruiting position at the FootBridge Company, please reach out to: JSquires@FootBridgeCompany.com.

Tip #1 Work Hard and Smart

Squires says it’s essential to work hard but doing so without being strategic also won’t cut it. “You have to work hard AND smart as doing one without the other will not result in success.”

All the hard work in the world won’t get you anywhere if you’re talking to the wrong contacts. “They are two separate things. If you’re calling a hundred people a day, but they’re not the right people, it’s wasted effort. You are essentially spinning your wheels. So, you have to have a combination of smart work ethics and effort. That’s the only two ways you can improve.” We spend time teaching our new recruiters not just about recruiting but also about the industries we serve and the clients they will help during their careers. Recruiting practices can change from industry to industry and understanding this helps our teams work smarter.

Tip # 2 Be Open to Change

Recruiting and staffing has evolved significantly in the past ten years. “Some of it is the tools and knowing what the most effective communications are,” says Squires. For instance, nowadays, he’s finding in addition to leaving voicemails for candidates texting is also an effective tool.

Many candidates are responsive to text messages, and recruiters get faster responses about a candidate’s availability to follow up with a phone call by doing so. As evidence, 90 percent of people are said to open a text message within three minutes of its receipt.

To be sure, text messaging isn’t replacing an eventual conversation. It does, however, facilitate a smart discussion, according to Squires. “We’re finding we reach more of the right people and engage in more targeted conversations if we can touch base with them through a quick text message in advance of speaking with them.”

Tip # 3 Recognize Recruiting Strategies are Always Evolving 

In addition to simple communication tools like text messaging, another key area Squires has seen change is traditional job boards. Many candidates are using LinkedIn since it’s a platform where everyone can post a resume without it being obvious, they are open to a new job. Squires is seeing more and better qualified passive candidates as a result.

Another change has to do with the candidates themselves. Specific industries such as nuclear have a workforce reaching retirement age. Therefore, more and more clients who traditionally wanted years of direct nuclear experience must be more open to looking for people early or mid-career.

Want more must-have recruiting as career tips? Stay tuned for our ongoing series of must-have tips from Joe Squires. Here’s part 1!

Are you looking for your next challenge? The FootBridge Company believes in creating an energetic, fast-paced atmosphere with uncapped earning potential. We offer:

• A flexible work schedule
• Unlimited PTO
• Tremendous opportunities for growth

Call or email us if you or someone you know is interested at (877) 807-8400 or jsquires@footbridgecompany.com