If you’ve read our previous article, “Recruiting as a Career, Three Must-Have Tips that Can Lead to Success,” you know Joe Squires, the FootBridge Company General Manager, has a keen insight into the recruiting industry. In this article, he presents even more guidance about thriving in the profession.

Whether you are new to the field or an industry veteran—interested in applying for a a recruiting or sales position at the FootBridge Company? Contact Joe at JSquires@footbridgecompany.com or call 877-807-8400.

Tip # 1 Be on the Alert for Red Flags

“Look hard for any potential red flags, then address those issues directly,” says Squires, who explains how ignoring them will never work in the long run. “It’s a mistake plenty of new recruiters tend to make because they hope the candidate will work out, regardless of any warning signs to the contrary. According to Squires, the sooner you address issues with a candidate, the sooner you know whether they will work out, and it’s an opportunity to spend time with other potential candidates as well.

“Value your time and value whether a candidate is qualified,” Squires says. “If they aren’t serious about a job or location, move on and find someone who is—wishing and hoping are never a good strategy.”

 

Tip # 2 Build Trust

You want the candidate to trust two integral things. Do what you say you’re going to do and trust you are working hard for them and not yourself. “The person on the other end of the phone has no clue who you are, and building trust takes time. Therefore, when you say you’re going to do something, DO IT,” says Squires.

As a recruiter, you must be responsive, and the only way you can do that is through your word, which means you send an email when you say you are and call a candidate when you say you are going to call them.

“I want a candidate to remember that when ‘Joe’ says he’s going to call me, he does. Once you build that trust factor and a candidate knows they can count on you to be true to your word, they’re more open to talking to you,” he says.

Tip # 3 Communicate

Let your candidates know when an opportunity falls through for any reason. Do this EVERY TIME. In addition to being a simple professional courtesy, this is an easy way to build strong relationships. Finding people is the hard part, so calling them and letting them know they didn’t get a job is simple.

Alternatively, inform your candidates if your client isn’t communicating with you. Be transparent about the situation, whatever it may be. Maybe a job fell through, or the client passed on the candidate.   Contrarily, calling a candidate with no news is better than not calling them at all. “Sometimes people don’t like giving bad news, so they avoid it – but it’s ridiculous because avoidance only makes things worse,” says Squires.

Candidates don’t expect to get every job, but they expect good communication. “I can’t tell you how many times over the years I had to tell someone a job didn’t work out, or the job got canceled, and the candidate is really surprised that I called to tell them. The feedback I got was most recruiters don’t call back if they have bad news. Doing so makes you stand out,” adds Squires.

In addition to being courteous, polite, and professional, you may have something that is the perfect fit for the candidate the following month or even next year. But if a candidate doesn’t hear back from you the first time, why would they trust you down the road? It’s such an easy thing to do, and you set yourself up to have a much easier time in the future. Plus, they are much more likely to answer if you call the person again.

Tip # 4 Hold Candidates Accountable

Sometimes recruiters who are new to the business get steamrolled by candidates, letting them dictate everything. However, according to Squires, you must form partnerships to succeed in this business. “You’re offering something of value to your candidate, and to do your job as a recruiter, you need participation from the candidate. Just like a recruiter needs to call a candidate when they say they will, candidates need to qualify for your time too.”

To put it into perspective, if someone says they are sending references and don’t, call them out on it, explains Squires. “It’s part of the process. If a candidate isn’t an active participant in the partnership, then there’s a good probability they will not work out.” As a recruiter, you can’t be the only person supplying all the effort. If so, it’s one of those major “red flags” Squire mentioned, and they aren’t interested in the opportunity.

Tip # 5 Have Fun

“Find a way to have fun doing what you do. It’s the only way to sustain success over the long term,” says Squires. “If every day you say to yourself, okay, I’m going to reach this goal, and you don’t meet that mark. That’s not fun.”

According to Squires, you have to find a way to make it, so you are engaged in your work every day. For him, it’s setting goals along the way and treating recruiting like a game or competition. He sets up the same guidelines for his team members to keep motivation and morale at a premium.

To summarize, recruiting can be an exciting career with high earning potential. At FootBridge, we are willing to train the right candidate too! Our team is well informed, knows the market, and delivers top-notch candidates. We are also honest people who are always ready to support our clients. To learn more about salary and commissions, not to mention career growth, don’t hesitate to contact us. For a complete description of recruiting requirements, hop on over to our job page.