Neil Hernandez's Blog

Leave the name of your company everytime you leave a voice mail to a candidate

When you are calling a candidate and get a voice mail, make sure at the end of the message leave the name of your company. So that way, if a recruiter from another agency calls the candidate later for the same position, the candidate can tell them,"Oh, I'm sorry another company by the name of ____ called me for the same position. " By leaving the name of your company on the voice mail, you at least lock in the candidate so if the candidate get's a call from a competitor, your name is already associated with the position and this will prevent the candidate from going to the competitor.

Numbers Game

I attended a sales training program over 10 years ago. The trainer was an expert car salesman trainer but the message he taught us that day can be applicable to almost any type of sales situation. He said that a car salesman will sell an average of one car for every 3.5 potential customers that he shows a car. A car salesman can work all day and become an expert in the mechanics of the car, or he can become an expert in doing a walk through or presentation of the car. But no matter how good he is in those areas, he will not sell a car unless he actually see customers. So you see, it's a numbers game. If he only sees 3.5 customers a week, he'll sell an average of one car a week. If he sees 7 customers a week or twice of 3.5, he'll sell an average of two cars a week. But what if he focused on increasing the number of customers he sees. Instead of seeing 7 customers a week, he focuses on getting to a point where he sees 7 customers a day. Then, guess what the number of cars he sells on the average will increase from 2 a week to 2 a day.

The same numbers game works for other sales type industries- not just car sales. This includes recruiting. I found out that recruiting is a numbers game. No matter what type of positions you recruit for, there is a certain average number of candidates that you will have to submit in order to get a placement or an offer.

I suggest that whatever type of recruiting you do, figure out that number.

In most corporate recruiting type of situations, I found out that the number is most likely about one offer for every 7 submittals. In agency recruiting, the numbers increase much more. A recruiter will probably have to submit 30-40 candidates to get one placement.

Head Hunting 101: Advanced Recruiting - Name Generation

Head Hunting 101: Advanced Recruiting

There comes a time for every recruiter when you've exhausted all the standard methods of recruiting. That is, you've posted the position on all the job sites and you've searched for resumes on all the resume banks that you can get your hands on - all without luck in finding an adequate candidate. What do you do next? This may be a good time to use some advanced recruiting techniques. This is a time where you have to be creative.

The following is just one techniques you can use.

Strategy #4 Name Generation

Be careful, this method is used for the ultra courageous. In this method, you use any method you can to develop possible candidates. One recruiter I know was looking for a retail store manager position. To help generate possible candidates, she simple called into the store of a competitor and talked to a front-line worker. She simply told the worker that she was thinking of sending Thank You cards to all the managers in the store, and if she was so kind to give the names of all the managers in the store. The fronline worker went ahead and gave names of 12 of the store managers in the store. By doing this method, the recruiter was able to get the names of 12 potential candidates that she can call over the next week or so. From there the recruiter, simply called the store back, asked for the name of the manager and used the Asking for Help Script or use the Going for the Jugular Script.

The above tactic, is obviously not the only method of generating names. I'm sure there are dozens of ways to generate names - if you really put your thinking cap on.

Head Hunting 101: Advanced Recruiting - Future Representation Script

While going through some of your standard methods of recruiting for candidate, you may come across a candidate who is not quite a fit. It could be that the person is just below the level of the ideal candidate you are looking for. For example, let's say you are looking for a retail store manager. While you are going through your standard recruiting methods, you come across an assitant manager for a competitor. You know that she is not a retail store manager candidate. So what do you do? One option is to call her and use the Strategy #1 Who do you know script. Another approach is to talk to the candidate and tell her directly:

Hi, I am a recruiter, I got your name from source.

I represent a client in the _________ industry.

While I don't have an exact position for you now, I feel that your resume may be marketable in the future. I was wondering if you would be open to listening to future opportunities?

If the candidate agrees to work with you then at this point build some rapport, get to know the candidate a bit; then when the time is right, ask the candidate for some references. Then simply, call the references and use the Asking for Help Script or use the Going for the Jugular Script.

Head Hunting 101: Advanced Recruiting - Going for the Jugular Script

So you are a recruiter trying to fill a job. You are having a hard time filling a job, but fortunately you were able to get a few referrals from candidates. So what do you say when you speak to the referral? One approach is what I call going for the jugular.

Going for the jugular script

Hi, I got your name from an anonymous source.

I represent a company that has a position title position available that pays between salary range.

Would you be interested in listening to this opportunity?

Head Hunting 101: Advanced Recruiting - Who do you know?

There comes a time for every recruiter when you've exhausted all the standard methods of recruiting. That is, you've posted the position on all the job sites and you've searched for resumes on all the resume banks that you can get your hands on - all without luck in finding an adequate candidate. What do you do next? This may be a good time to use some advanced recruiting techniques. This is a time where you have to be creative.

The following is just one techniques you can use.

Strategy #1 - Who do you know?

Find a resume that is close to match but not quite a match or find someone that is match but already has a job and simply ask that person for a referral. For example, let's say you are looking for a retail store manager. Through your traditional sourcing you find a candidate that looks really good but has already found a job. Well, instead of letting that candidate go, why don't you ask her for a referral. Simply ask her who do you know that might make sense for me to talk to? Who do you know may be dissatisfied with her job? Who do you know that maybe you interviewed in the past, but couldn't place?
In many cases, the candidate won't know anyone or won;t give you a referral. But is it worth spending an additional 15 seconds to ask? I think so. Then, if she gives a name, you can simply use the Asking for Help Script.

Asking for Help Script

Asking for Help Script

This script is generally used when you as a recruiter are calling a potential candidate for a position. Typically this candidate is not someone who has actively applied for the job. Rather it is most likely a referral or a passive job seeker.

 Hi Candidate Name, my name is Recruiter Name.

I was hoping to ask you for some help?

I'm representing a company that pays between Salary Range(e.g $50,000-$90,000)

for an assortment of Types of positions (e.g. Retail Management).

So, I was wondering if you happen to know of anybody that you think it might make sense for me to talk to about some of these open positions?

/* At this point, you are hoping that the candidate, says "Yes, I know somebody....I might be interested in knowing more about the position". If he says that he is interested, then go ahead and explain the opportunity. */

Sites to post free job postings

http://www.free-for-recruiters.com/Free-JobPostings.html