Recruiters – Don’t get stressed out! Use these Tips
Straight to the point. The expectation from Hiring Managers and prospective Candidates are much higher and they look forward to the Recruiter for a solution for every problem they have. This is a good situation but not always. Though every company has its own process and reporting structure, Recruiter is mostly assigned to a Manager or Lead BUT in practical Recruiter generally answerable or interface directly/indirectly with multiple points like Reporting Manager, Hiring Manager, end Customer, HR Head, Business Head, Employees, Prospective Candidates, Corporate Office, Vendors, Auditors and surprisingly at some companies any passerby for that matter. This makes the life of a Recruiter miserable and some get burned out easily and wish to get transferred to some other role. How will you bring common sense to this senseless situation? Recruiter role is the most interesting and creative one always so no need to worry, you can. Try to adopt a few tips detailed below-
1. Being an Influencer – Unlike other roles, Recruiters need to influence internal and external stakeholders – something similar to sales and service-oriented roles. If you need to be a successful influencer in the Team or in the Company, you must have an in-depth understanding of the domain, technology, business, system and processes you are engaged with. Little tough to gain but not impossible. Have a good rapport with your colleagues, peers and seniors across the Company. Demonstrate a passion for what you do and always communicate in an authentic manner. Be on top of the things and never believe hearsays and in assumptions. Be very methodical what you do and create visibility pro-actively – e.g. sending status updates, reports, attending meetings etc.
2. Being a Listener – Listening is most important in all interactions with people – face to face, telephone or in any type of meetings. I am mentioning people because this is a habit which needs to be developed consciously. Better listening is achieved by practising patience and this capability enables the other person to detail the thought in an uninterrupted natural way or even vent out (happily ?). While listening, try to be in their shoes and understand the subject contextually without attaching any emotion; and most importantly never be in defence. Good listeners can smartly influence others with any opinion in an assertive way.
3. Being transparent – Never try to create stories OR lie in any situation. There will be enough bad news coming your way all through the day. Informing the bad news properly with justification and solution is an art. Recruitment has multiple steps and it is important to correct status is updated very frequently to all stakeholders at every step. This will reduce anxiety among people involved and avoid escalations.
4. Being a Child – You would have observed children can always seek attention in every situation. They are also able to create positive energy in and around you. Everyone enjoys playing with and helping a smart child. Children never leave a task easily and attempt it continuously without counting/worrying about the failure. I would say bring in these qualities in you in every situation. Failure is inevitable. The only solution is to try hard till you succeed as a child. Therefore, celebrate every situation and have fun!
The last and most important quality is being a good negotiator. This will naturally come to you when you are able to practice the above-mentioned qualities.
I welcome your views and comments!!