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On The BioPharm

Recruiting Challenges and Solutions within the Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Industries.

Selling Your Candidates follow this blog post

posted by on May 11, 2006

One of the more underappreciated skills that a good recruiter brings to the hiring process is their ability to sell their candidates to the hiring managers.  There have been many times when a candidate that I felt very positive about was initially rejected by the hiring manager.  Many times this is due to the fact that the hiring manager is busy and sometimes not entirely focused on resume review. 

 

The key to getting that candidate re-reviewed and hopefully interviewed is to present this candidate back to the hiring manager with a concise list of reasons why this candidate should be considered, ideally citing specifics in the resume, pre-interview notes, and the job description to back up your case.

 

Many times this has led to successful interviews and, in some cases, led to hires.

 

A great recruiter is a great salesperson!

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6 comments

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  • 1 point 3 years ago

    .o0.

  • 1 point 3 years ago

    .o0.

  • 1 point 3 years ago

    i dont think you want to "sell candidates" to "hiring managers" ... how about you "market" them to the key decision makers in an organization & helop "facilitate" the "hiring" of the Talent.

    for long term effectiveness; marketing of top talent > selling of any/all candidates ...

    anyone agree with me?

    ~jer www.o0.typepad.com

  • 1 point 3 years ago

    Heidi, I agree with you completely. Doing a great job sourcing candidates is obviously important but means nothing if you are unable to follow through and get these candidates interviewed. A big part of this is earning the respect of your hiring managers so they trust your opinion. This can only be done by building a well thought-out and supportable case when discussing with the HMs.

  • 1 point 3 years ago

    I was a head-hunter for a year with a small firm. One thing I learned was that you have to constantly sell your candidates. The slightest hesitation will raise a flag with your client reps or hiring managers. I used to watch my cowowrkers resumes be rejected left and right because she was never expressed confidence in her candidates. Now I recruit internally in a corporate environment and people seem surprised at how I sell each candidate when presenting. It is amazing how much more attention one resume gets over another if you know how to sell it correctly!!

  • 1 point 3 years ago

    I was a head-hunter for a year with a small firm. One thing I learned was that you have to constantly sell your candidates. The slightest hesitation will raise a flag with your client reps or hiring managers. I used to watch my cowowrkers resumes be rejected left and right because she was never expressed confidence in her candidates. Now I recruit internally in a corporate environment and people seem surprised at how I sell each candidate when presenting. It is amazing how much more attention one resume gets over another if you know how to sell it correctly!!