Top tips to help a new recruiter succeed
1. Build your network
In many cases, quality hires can come to you through mutual connections, not your company’s career portal. That’s why it’s so important to focus on networking as a new recruiter. The more people you have in your network, the more opportunities you could have to connect with potential hires. To grow your network, you can join local business organizations, attend trade shows and participate in other activities that give you a chance to connect with new people.
2. Get organized
Some of the best recruitment advice focuses on how to get organized and stay that way. After all, you have to perform multiple tasks each day, from screening applicants to scheduling interviews. Creating a daily to-do list can be a great way to get organized. Putting critical items near the top of the list can help ensure you give them enough attention. If you have any tasks left over at the end of the day, you can move them to the next day’s agenda.
It’s also helpful to create a daily routine. Even if you have to deviate from it occasionally, having a routine can keep you focused and may help you reduce stress. How you structure your routine is up to you. For example, you may want to set aside the morning for responding to emails, returning telephone calls and doing other administrative tasks. In the afternoon, you can conduct phone screenings or meet with hiring managers to discuss their needs.
3. Avoid one-size-fits-all approaches
When you’re trying to save time, it can be tempting to use the same process to fill every role. Just remember that time isn’t the only consideration. You want to fill each opening quickly, but you also want to fill it with the right person. A one-size-fits-all approach to recruiting may cause you to hire people who don’t have the required skills.
Here’s an example. Imagine you’re recruiting a systems administrator for a medical clinic. They have a stellar résumé and a long list of professional references, so you do a cursory interview and decide to hire them.
A few months later, the head of your IT department asks you to advertise the job again because your new hire doesn’t have the skills listed on their application. If you’d administered a skills test during the hiring process, you may have been able to avoid this problem.
Related: Employee Assessments: Best Practices for Hiring Managers
4. Embrace technology
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you have a position to fill. Using technology can help you save time, reduce data-entry errors and keep yourself organized. If possible, you can use AI tools to handle administrative tasks and free up more of your time for interviewing and other critical activities.
5. Understand each job description
Unless you specialize in hiring for just one type of job, there’s a good chance you’ll have some questions the first time you read an unfamiliar job description. Don’t be afraid to ask hiring managers to explain industry jargon or tell you the three most important skills required for a role. This may help you find quality candidates and reduce turnover in your organization.
6. Acknowledge all applicants
When someone applies for a job with your company, they spend time filling out an application, polishing their résumé and writing a custom cover letter. They may not meet the minimum requirements for the role, but they still deserve to have their efforts acknowledged. You can use your HRIS or another tool to send a personalized message thanking each applicant for their interest and letting them know when they can expect to hear more.
Related: The Recruitment Process: How to Attract, Hire and Onboard Top Talent
7. Maintain a stellar reputation
Recruiting is all about relationships. Having a good reputation can make it easier to build your network and find quality hires for open positions. That’s why you need to do everything you can to preserve your reputation. If you’re honest and transparent at all times, people may feel more comfortable trusting you.
8. Commit to continuous learning
No one expects you to know everything about recruiting, but you should be willing to take classes, attend conferences or participate in other activities designed to help you increase your knowledge. You don’t have to go back to school for an HR degree or complete a graduate certificate program, but you can read industry publications and complete continuing education activities to stay on top of new trends in the field.
Related: HR & Recruiting Glossary: 260+ HR Words and Terms for Employers
9. Take plenty of notes
If your schedule is full of back-to-back screening calls, it’s easy to get one candidate confused with another. By the time you finish, you may be wondering which person has a master’s degree and which one has 10 years of industry experience. If you can’t remember important details, you may end up hiring someone who just isn’t a good fit for the role. Taking plenty of notes during screening calls and interviews can help prevent this from happening.
10. Use your resources wisely
In some cases, new recruiters may hesitate to ask for help because they believe it will cast doubt on their ability to handle a heavy workload. That’s just not the case. Asking for help is an example of using your resources wisely, an important skill for any professional. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or attend company-sponsored training programs to shore up your skills.
11. Set job requirements carefully
For some jobs, there’s no wiggle room in the amount of education required. Doctors, for example, must finish medical school and complete an accredited residency program. In other roles, however, the requirements can be a bit more flexible. When you create a new job description, think about whether the candidate really needs a degree or expensive certification to succeed. If you focus solely on education instead of taking a holistic view, you may miss out on a quality hire.
