15 Mar I want you! 3 things you can do to become a great recruiter

We all know that old poster of Uncle Sam pointing at the reader, exclaiming how they’re needed for the war effort. In fact, it’s probably one of the most famous recruitment posters of all time. But could you imagine your company using this as its recruitment strategy? Probably not. Today’s organisations need to rely on far more sophisticated methods to attract and retain the best talent. Arguably one of the best ways to do this is to have top minds seek you out, rather than the other way round. Mark Berry recently produced an amazingly in-depth article on what the best recruiters do, so I thought I’d take what he learnt, and use it to show you how talent assessment can make you the recruiter that candidates will be fighting over to get the nod:

• Coaching: The recruiters who are going to be remembered are the ones who can provide a service to their candidates, and coaching will make candidates feel as if they’re improving themselves throughout the job hunt. Fortunately, talent analytics is one of the most effective means of doing this. Talent assessment allows you to produce bespoke reports on each individual candidate’s personality and abilities, and use this to show candidates exactly where they can improve. Although this occasionally reveals some harsh truths, in my experience most people appreciate the chance to improve themselves and become a more viable candidate in the future, even if they don’t get the job.
• Knowing your candidates: Berry suggests that the best recruiters make an effort to get to know their candidates. Taking the time to read over their CV or check their Linkedin profile is one way to do this, but this will only give a superficial history. Really, what can two hundred words about a person’s previous employers, hobbies, and school really say about them? Instead, a far more effective means is to use talent assessment to gain a complete personality profile. Knowing how outgoing, conscientious, and driven a candidate is will tell you how they’ll work, and how well they’ll fit into your company culture.
• Show that you are invested in each candidate: Candidates appreciate you making them feel like they’re not just chaff to be separated from the wheat. One way to do this is simply by making a phone call, but this isn’t by any means the only way to make candidates feel valued. Having an in-depth, enjoyable candidate assessment experience will make them feel as if they’re respected throughout the recruitment process.

By treating your candidates well, you’re going to position yourself to be the best in the business. And even if they don’t become hirees, you can never forget that today’s candidates may just be tomorrow’s clients. With just minor changes to your recruitment structure you might find the top talent lining up outside your doors with posters exclaiming ‘I want you… To be my employer!’