Here is a question we often receive from hiring managers:

“I’ve identified someone who I think would be a great addition to my team, made initial contact with that person, but realize that the timing is not quite right for them to leave their current job.  Now what?  How do I stay in contact with this person over time in a way that will eventually result in a hire?”

This is where a lot of people get stuck.  They make the initial contact with enthusiasm, but there is not enough substance in the relationship to initiate further contact without feeling awkward.

Over the next couple of days, I’m going to share some things that we’ve learned on this topic from some of the best recruiting companies in the country.  Hopefully, you’ll be able to take some of these ideas and apply them to your talent pipeline.

There are two basic rules that I recommend you follow when working with your candidates:

1.  Ask for permission.  Seth Godin made his debut into the consulting/marketing world by figuring  out that people like to be respected in the marketing process.  In fact, they respond much better when they are treated with respect.  In his bestselling book Permission Marketing, Godin makes the point that respect is shown by asking a person if it is OK if you market to them.  By the way, this is where the concept of the “opt-in” email originated.

Recruiting is marketing.  When you make initial contact with a candidate and you believe there is some potential for the future, ask a simple question:  “Would it be OK if I followed-up with you occasionally?”  It is a natural question to ask, and most people will say yes.  By dong this, you show respect and you set an expectation for future contact.

2.  Add value with each subsequent conversation.  John Sumser, a recruiting expert and author, often makes the point that any communication with a candidate must provide the candidate with something of value.  More specifically, the value of what you provide in the conversation must exceed the value of the candidate’s time and attention to take the call or answer an email.  If this does not happen during each conversation, the candidate will no longer want to talk with you.

Think of it like a scale that rests on a center fulcrum – If you’re extracting value from the candidate (you want their time and attention), the scale tips towards you.  You’re getting something, but not giving something in return.  Only dysfunctional people put up with this type of imbalance.  Good hiring managers make sure the scale is always tipped toward the candidate, and not just a little bit–a lot.

In the upcoming articles, we’ll offer some ideas to help you get the scale to tip in your candidates’ favor…