Ten Steps To Becoming A Top Billing Recruiter

 

What does it mean to be a top billing recruiter?

To be a top billing recruiter, I believe the most important thing you can do is to stop focusing on your billings and instead focus on providing the best service possible to both candidates and clients. When you give the best service the billings follow.

Here are 10 steps that, if implemented every day that will put you on the path to becoming a top recruiter in your industry.

1. Build confidence and rapport with your candidates and clients

Build confidence and rapport by being genuine and having a good relationship with your candidates and clients. Don’t ever talk to someone with the goal of simply making a placement. Your goals should be based on finding out what the client needs and wants and getting a feel for their company culture and leadership team so that you can find the right candidate to meet their needs. This is the same for candidates, determine what their goals are so that you can find them the job that’s right for them. and go from there. If you build a great rapport with a candidate and get a feel for their skills and experience, there is a strong possibility that you will place them.

2. Be real, not mechanical

This seems obvious. But when making many calls we can sometimes begin to repeat ourselves and become boring. If you follow step 1 you can easily use the rapport and relationship you have built with either candidate or client to keep the conversation unique and tailored to that specific organization or person.

3. Prep your candidates 

All recruiters interview candidates, but not all recruiters go that extra mile to prep their candidates. As recruiters, we don’t want to waste anyone’s time. A prep session helps improve the candidate’s interview skills and chances of getting a job offer. For more information on this tip click here.

4. Be consistent

Consistency is key. If you do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it, you will develop a dependable reputation. Always follow through on your word.

5. Handle the rejection

A top recruiter doesn’t allow themselves the privilege of wallowing in self-pity. Recruiting is a tough industry. You often have to hear no one hundred times to get to the one Yes! That one yes, though, can translate into tens of thousands of dollars. Recruiting is filled with highs and lows. Some days you love your job, other days you hate it. Every interaction you have can go well or not-so-well. Like sales, it’s the constant possibility of rejection or reward that motivates or breaks you. So much of a recruiter’s job depends on the decisions of others—clients and candidates. You have to stop taking it personally and waste no time moving onto the next candidate r client. Never give up, just develop a strong sense of persistence and perseverance.

6. Follow candidate acquisition trends 

Social media recruitment is relatively new. And maybe in the future, like job boards such as hotjobs.com, their popularity will decrease and be replaced by the newest trend. You need to know where the candidates are, and you need to follow them, otherwise, you’ll just be reactive, waiting around for people to come to you and top billing recruiters are proactive, and make things happen.

7. Networking is essential

Networking works because it motivates you to do a good job. If you are referred by a candidate or client to someone else, then you know you are on the right path. The more people you know, the more resources you have.

8. Self-awareness/improvement 

Even if the feedback is good, you don’t know it all and there is always room for improvement. Aim for constant personal growth and even reinvent yourself from time to time.

9. Write excellent copy for your job postings

I recently attended the Indeed Interactive conference in Austin, Texas and what became most clear is that when writing job descriptions, make sure that they drive home the message to the candidate of WIIFM – What’s in it for me. Candidates also respond better to job postings that include the salary and benefits.

10. Don’t just work hard, work smart

Value your time. Don’t spend an hour with a candidate you know you won’t place because you feel sorry for them. Get to the point and keep it friendly and professional but don’t let it get off the topic. You will make a lot more placements if you speak to 5 people in an hour vs. one person in an hour.

Nadia Gruzd