Becoming Casanova: Love in the time of recruitment

If you’re in the recruitment game, you’re in the business of falling in love. And no, we’re not talking about what goes on at office Christmas parties, but more the act of falling for clients and candidates. It’s your job to get your clients to fall in love with you, so naturally they give you all the roles to fill, and it’s also your job to get candidates to fall in love with you so that they trust you, are loyal to you, and would do anything for you, i.e go to that interview they’re not really sure about but you know would be perfect for them.

It’s hard work and there’s no easy wins like red roses and chocolates to give them, because in the world of business it’s weird and inappropriate. We definitely don’t advise doing that. However, there are ways to romance your candidates and clients to create loving and trusting relationships. And we don’t mean swiping away and poking on Facebook, but instead good old-fashioned courting techniques:

Don’t mention your ex: No one likes to be reminded about the person that came before. Don’t start telling your candidates all about the people who did a fantastic job in the role and how they’re going to have to live up to them. It’s intimidating and not helpful. Similarly, don’t start telling your clients all about other clients and how good they were. Everyone wants to feel like they’re the only one in the world.

Posted 07/05/2019

It’s not about you: Most recruiters have the tendency to talk, a lot. They feel like they need to get all the information out quickly so they can say their piece, except it’s never about you. Whether it’s clients or candidates, sit quietly and listen. 80% of the conversation should be them telling you their needs, pain points and challenges. There is nothing more attractive than someone who listens.
You don’t call, you don’t write: There is nothing worse than having a great first date and then hearing nothing. No one wants to be ghosted and even if you are busy and have that big client that needed your attention, there is always time for communication. Call, write, send little messages, anything that lets your candidates and clients know you’re thinking of them. With Access Recruitment CRM you can send automated text messages or emails, so even if you’re busy, there’s never an excuse.
What are we: Not knowing what you are is practically soul destroying and it’s no different for the world of business. Candidates like to know if you’re working with them, if you’re putting them forward for jobs and just generally, what’s going on. Access Recruitment CRM uses a candidate portal that keeps everyone constantly in the loop. A space they can find all the information they need, the status on their application and upcoming interviews. Keep everyone in the loop people, it’s dating 101.
Stalk me: Admittedly, in the world of dating this is not so acceptable, but when meeting candidates and clients, do as much stalking as you possibly can. Find out all about them, what they’ve done previously, what they want to do and what makes them tick. There is nothing more soul destroying than meeting a recruiter and they ask for your CV. Surely you’ve already looked at it. Again, your recruitment software should be able to pull up CVs and work history in a heartbeat to save some of the stalking time.

It is not difficult to make someone feel loved, even in this digital world we live in. In fact, we would argue that with incredible CRM systems, seamless technology and the ability to constantly communicate, you should easily be able to get your candidates and clients falling madly for you.