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Tips for Recruiters
Table of Contents
Strategy & Tactics
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Make Placements --
FAST!
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Voice Mail &
E-mail: Eight Simple Rules
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Job Orders --
Better, Faster, Smarter
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How to Switch Desk Specialties
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Who Makes the Most
Money?
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Retainers: Look
Before You Leap
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How to Add Value, Not Redundancy
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Intelligent Online
Recruiting
Skill Building
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Counteroffers: Can You Spot the
Signs?
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Resume Makeovers: Quick Tips
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Is There a MAGIC to Closing?
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Finding the Right Recruiting Script
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Storyboarding for Maximum Impact
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How to Stimulate Candidate Referrals
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Expand the Supply of Candidates
Candidate Management
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Playing Softball
with Your Candidates?
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The Power of Interview Preparation
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Control: The Key to Recruiter Success
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How to Fight the Counteroffer Bug
Employer Relationships
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You’re Worth the Money You Charge!
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Negotiate for Higher Recruiting Fees
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Anti-Discount Tactics for Recruiters
For Candidates &
Employers
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Graceful Exits for Job-Changers
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Advice for Engineering Candidates
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What’s Your Capture Strategy?
Q & A
for Recruiters
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Answers
to Your E-mail Questions
Bill Radin answers letters from recruiters around the world.
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Expand the Supply of
High-Quality Candidates
By Bill Radin
No advantage is too
small when faced with a difficult search, and there’s simply no reason not to ask for
as much help as possible before you begin—especially from your client. Not only do I
want to know the sources of all candidates interviewed to date, I also want to know where
candidates with the requisite skills might be found, such as competitors, companies with
similar products, non-profit organizations, universities, research centers and so on.
It never pays to be shy when gathering useful information.
On one search assignment, I asked the employer to run a computer printout of his
company’s direct competitors, complete with their addresses and phone numbers, and
then circle the ones most likely to harbor suitable candidates.
On another assignment, I had the gall to ask
the HR manager from my client’s competitor to send me all the resumes his
company received from a recent ad for a similar position. To my amazement, 300 resumes
arrived at my office via UPS the next day, and from the pile of unwanted candidates, I
recruited one who was ultimately hired by my client. I can’t recall any special technique I used to solicit
the resumes; I guess the HR manager was in a good mood the day I asked for them. But if I
hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have received.
Thirteen Additional Sources of Referrals
There are a number of vehicles for increasing your candidate flow other than the
investment of your personal phone time. These include:
1. Networks. Many successful recruiters turn to all-purpose or niche market
networks to augment their supply of candidates and increase their billings.
(For a list, please go to
Recruiter Networks.)
2. Collegial supporters. By asking for help on a difficult
search, you may find another recruiter who’ll save the day by supplying you with the
perfect candidate.
3. Industry, trade and alumni directories. Need I say more?
4. Company phone books. Like alumni directories, company
phone books can be worth their weight in gold.
5. Inter-company publications. Most organizations of any
size distribute monthly or quarterly newsletters to their employees. Chatty in nature,
these publications read like a People magazine for recruiters.
6. Patent ownership. I like this technique for finding
brainy candidates. Remember, for every product on the market, there’s an inventor
(that is, a referral source or candidate) that’s applied for patent protection.
7. Position advertising. I’ve never placed my own ads
for candidates; however, on rare occasions, I’ve written classified ads for my
clients, who pay for the insertions.
8. Self-advertising. Many recruiters run classified ads in
trade magazines to increase their visibility—and their candidate flow.
9. Trade show attendance. There’s no fun like trolling
for recruits. If you don’t attend your target market’s trade shows at least
every other year, you’re missing out on a wealth of opportunities.
10. Job fair participation. Many job fairs are generic or location-dependent
and tend to attract unemployable or entry-level candidates. However, some
recruiters swear by them.
11. Listing your business in the Directory of Executive Recruiters.
The most visible directory of recruiters is published annually by Kennedy
Publications (Fitzwilliam, NH, 603-585-2200). As a result of my listing in the directory,
I receive anywhere from five to 10 unsolicited resumes a day. While most of the resumes
are totally inappropriate and end up in the trash, some are right up my alley.
12. Research assistance. Your recruiting situation may
require you to do all your own candidate sourcing, which is fine. On the other hand, if
you’re in a position to hire someone to help you, it might improve your overall
efficiency. For a list of independent researchers (whose fees range from $50 to $100 an
hour), contact Ken Cole, publisher of The Executive Search Research Directory in Panama
City Beach, FL, at 850-235-3733.
13. Personal visibility. Whether you speak at your local
Chamber meeting, write an article on changes in the work force, or attend a national trade
association convention, your personal visibility will stimulate candidate referrals as
well as marketing leads.
Naturally, each search situation will determine the
usefulness of these various candidate flow vehicles. Whatever method you choose, remember
that in our business, there’s no such thing as too much high quality inventory.
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