1. You ask a lot of questions
You’re curious by nature, which means you’re attentive. You enjoy making assessments about individuals and determining candidates’ suitability for the roles you’re recruiting.
A candidate’s suitability for a role is dependent upon several variables. How would this person fit into the team/organisation? How likely is this person to stay in a temporary position if what they are ultimately seeking is a permanent role? Communication is key, and you know that asking these questions is crucial to you placing the right candidate.
2. You know that a candidate’s experience on paper does not always determine whether or not they would be suitable for the role they have applied to
You’re thinking about bringing a gun candidate in for a job interview after they applied for one of the jobs you advertised. They possess all the relevant experience and systems knowledge. You’ve already taken the candidate through an in-depth phone-screen, and it seems that they fulfill all the requirements of the role. However, this person does not drive. They would be required to take two trains and one bus in order to be able to get to the job location. They assure you that they are still happy to be considered for this role, because ‘any job is better than no job.’
Despite the fact that this person is potentially about to commit to a daily commute time of over 2 hours, the candidate is almost overly enthusiastic about the role. Red flag territory? Potentially. It is possible that this person will leave if they are offered a role closer to home. Do you progress with this candidate post-interview? Possibly but guardedly. You might prefer to invest more time sourcing a suitable candidate whose commute time is shorter and less taxing from a logistics perspective.
3. You’re a networker
Cultivating relationships and building rapport comes naturally to you. You know that not every opportunity will fall on your lap. You know that candidates can potentially turn into clients, and you approach every candidate that you interview with a high level of professionalism.
4. You’re a good listener
The more attentively you listen to your candidate, the easier it will be to place them in the right position. You need to take into consideration their strengths, motivations, areas where they need to develop/ build on their skills, and the type of working environment that they’d be best suited to. If they have only worked in very large teams in an autonomous environment, you need to consider how they will adjust to a small business with few employees.
5. You always have a back-up plan
Recruitment requires the ability to deal with an ever-changing landscape, never more so than currently. Hiring and candidate intentions change constantly, but that’s what keeps it interesting. If you can be adaptable, and take into consideration a range of variables that may affect the end outcome, then you will succeed. If you are currently in the job market or know someone who is, feel free to get in touch with the team.