In our last discussion, I outlined two of the five steps
that allow you to connect your previous sales expertise to the
recruiting process.
The first two steps—developing a relationship with the
candidate and identifying the candidate’s needs are critical to the
process. If this important groundwork is
not laid at the beginning of the recruiting sequence, the remainder of the
interaction with the candidate will feel “sales-y.” Talented candidates shut down and run the
other way when they detect an interview heading down this path.
Assuming you’ve laid the proper groundwork, here are the
remaining components of the recruiting strategy:
Preventing/Overcoming Objections: Although
objections are inevitable in any sales process, the key for successful sales
professionals/recruiters is actually preventing objections. By asking the right
types of questions in step 2, many objections that would have occurred in the
process are addressed before the candidate has an opportunity to bring them
forth. Keep in mind that some objections are inevitable, that they are often
training responses, and that most are emotional and not practical.
It is not uncommon for candidates to
experience “buyer's remorse” at some point during the recruiting process. After the initial attempts to build a
relationship and share information, candidates often get cold feet. If this should happen after an interview (during
the follow-up process), reminding your candidates of why they started down this
path in the first place may help them get back on track.
Filling
the Need/Providing Benefits:
Identifying the need (step 2) is considered the most crucial skill in sales or
recruiting; filling the need (step 4) is
the second-most critical step to ensure success. Often recruiters and sales
professionals alike pay little attention to step 2, and focus solely on step 4.Like many sales
professionals, recruiters often focus on what is commonly known in sales language
as their “product knowledge.” They have an in-depth understanding of the
organization they are recruiting for, they understand every detail of the
position and its function, and they completely understand the requirements of
the role.Armed with all of this
product knowledge, these untrained recruiters contact potential candidates and
attempt to “tell” them about every benefit of the position and company they
represent, never addressing the real needs of the candidates. This is a common mistake
that is made by most sales professionals and is illustrated further in this
article.
Most of our recruiting coordinators (ie. the
individuals who first make contact with candidates) have been advised to not
over-share information. While many of them
do have the “product knowledge,” that information is best shared by the hiring
manager later in the process (if it even needs to be shared at all). If a candidate is told everything about the career and company, there is little reason
for the person to invest time in an interview.
When a hiring manager is face-to-face with a
candidate, it’s important to only address the unique and specific needs
identified in step 2 of the process. At
this stage of the hiring process, the candidate’s needs are the primarily
concern. Product knowledge and information
overloading just muddies the water and makes it difficult for the candidate to
gain clarity in an important career decision.
Advance/Close
the Sale: In recruiting and
sales, advancing the sale is the final objective throughout every step of the
process. By filling the need in Step 4, you are in a position to advance the
sale to the next step.In recruiting, closing
is most commonly compared to presenting the offer and gaining acceptance from
the candidate. At this stage recruiters often focus on the practical aspects of
the offer being made: compensation, benefits, perks etc.Effective recruiters
and sales professionals alike understand the importance of re-emphasizing the
emotional drivers identified in Step 2 of the sales process prior to presenting
the practical aspects of the solution.
In the real estate recruiting process, there
is often more “advancing” and less “closing” required. After learning about the candidate’s unique
situation, figure out a reasonable first step (or next step) in the hiring
process and attempt to get the candidate to commit to that step. Mutually select a date when the next step
will be completed and then hold the candidate accountable to the target
date.
Without “closing” a candidate on the next step,
the hiring process will not gain and maintain momentum. Seemingly great interviews result in
disappearing candidates—i.e. individuals you never hear from again after the
interview is finished.
Knowing what to ask, when to ask, what to
share, and when to listen is fundamental to both the sales and recruiting process. Here’s to becoming an expert at both!
Note: Note: Quotations (italicized text) are excerpts from a great article written
by Stephen Lowisz. Read more of Stephen’s article by visiting
his author page on Electronic Recruiting Exchange.
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Editor's Note: Lee Gray is the Senior Account Manager at Tidemark Inc. Lee is a guest contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. .
