Groups
SOURCING Techniques and Methodologies Discussions « back to group
-
The world of the independent recruiter is shrinking. With the networking capabilities of the 21st century, you could feasibly recruit a commodities trader to work in Texas from your home office in Alaska. But the question that must be raised is "how watered down is a system which allows people who have no physical or concrete connection, short term relationship, and thousands of miles of buffer zone? Where's the meat and potatoes?"
This is something that the independent, and moreso the VIRTUAL, recruiter has to shout out in their value proposition. There needs to be some iota of trust that you can infact learn enough about your candidate to provide substance when submitting them to the client. Sure, you may know that they work in a particular industry and have a particular job title and have particular responsibilities. But what is their personality? Do you know it? What is their work ethic? What do others generally say about them? It's hard to say whether the current system of networking makes this task easier or more difficult. It depends on your methods.
So what are your methods? How do you provide substance to a candidate that's thousands of miles away and you have limited professional and personal contact with? What questions do you ask? Your response will help recruiters on this site gauge the relationship levels they must maintain to be successful and generate hires - which generates billings - which make for happy recruiters.
Frank V Cahoj Recruiter / Entrepreneur http://www.linkedin.com/in/frankcahoj
I am an open networker, building my professional network for the future. Please feel free to visit my profile and send me an invite to join your network!
4 replies
Log in or register to post a reply.
-
Even though I am one of those inexperienced, virtual recruiters you are commenting on, I will have to agree with everything said. My background is in Commercial Real Estate and Marketing but I left to have a baby over a year ago. Because my husband also works in Real Estate, it was essential for me to enter back into the workforce but we really needed a career that offered flexibility and the potential of a decent income. I had a few friends that were working as Recruiters at the time and they said that, with my sales-oriented background, it could be a good fit for me. I spoke with a few different companies and finally decided on my current. I feel like I am very much over my head here. I have been recruiting for about three months now and I do love the industry. I am a people person and I love the networking aspect and, considering my diverse professional background, I have access to extremely qualified candidates. I have also been relatively successful with securing new contracts via cold calls and dead leads. However, I feel like this business is so much more stressful for me being immersed into it rather than gradually working my way into a virtual role. I am missing that in-office "boot camp" aspect in my career and I am struggling because of it.
Thankfully, the modern internet is a huge asset for Recruiters and I am intelligent enough to survive in an unstructured environment. I use all resources available to research my candidates and networking tools like ERE, LinkedIn, HRNetworx, etc. has saved my career. Nonetheless, if I could do it all over again, I would definitely start off in an office and slowly work my way out and, to be honest, sometimes I am tempted to take one step backwards to move several ahead!
-
Barbara Thanks for putting it all out there. I seldom post anything but I do read all of the emails. I was in recruiting for almost 20 years with over 75% of that being home based. It is VERY difficult. It concerns me that now just about anyone can decide they want to be a recruiter. I have found that it destroys trust for the entire industry. Everyone has to start somewhere but it is best to learn the ropes and then try the virtual recruiting role.
Great article. Diane
-
Thank you Barbara for your well-thought and brilliant response. I too am a 25-year veteran who's been in the trenches for a very long time and have seen it all.
I did more than scratch my head wondering about working in a practically virtual environment being a new phenomenom - I went completely bald.
However, that being said, although I agree with 99.9% of your comments, I beg to differ when it comes to the statement that "Training in the big firms is brutal. But it is necessary." Training in ANY "good" recruitment firm is brutal and there are plenty of good ones; and, based on your posting, I will venture to assume that your company falls into that "good recruitment firm" category that a newbie recruiter should aspire to work for.
Glad to have your company on ERE and keep up the good work.
-
Hmm. I'm scratching my head a bit here. I want to help. Let's eliminate the assumption that recruiting long distance without actually sitting across the desk from the candidate is new. It is not. I've been doing it for over twenty five years. Before the internet. It is not 'watered down'.
Are you asking how to sell your services to clients? Most companies don't ask if you have actually 'seen' the candidate. If you are encountering that objection, it sounds to me like you are sending resumes without properly interviewing and screening. If you are stumped for interview questions, you need training. I can't give you a list of questions. It is more complicated than that. The tone of voice, the words candidates use when answering, follow up questions to clarify evasive answers: Books are written on the subject. Get thee to a library!
A good interview takes more than one call, we use a nine call system. And, it takes a year to learn our system. The cardinal rule is that you can't get the real story on the first interview, and everyone is hiding something.
Are you asking how to sell your services to candidates? Again, it takes several calls to gain the candidate's trust. Few people are going to spill their guts to a stranger on the first call. There are ways to open doors, and open minds. But, it takes more than a form, or a question or two.
I want to be real honest here. I love ERE. This is such a wonderful forum. There are so many experienced and intelligent recruiters here. I learn something new every day. If I were you, I would go to work for one of them. Or, if I were you, I would work for a local well established recruiting firm. This is a great business, but it takes time to learn.
I've never been a joiner, and have never cared much about my competition, or networking with other recruiters. This is the first time in my career that I have joined a group, or networked. I have noticed something that to me is very troubling. -- Anyone with a phone can call themselves a recruiter. Please, don't think that I am putting anyone down, or being mean in any way. I'm not.
Inexperienced recruiters are struggling a great deal, and are being run over by corporations. I've seen the weirdest contracts, and laughed at fees that would cause my company to fold if I would accept them and I know it is because someone in a home office, all alone, without experience is accepting just anything. And, starving in the process.
Trust me, I know how hard it is. And, I know why people do it. The lure of the freedom to work at home, and the promise of big money is tempting. But, the realities of the business are truly brutal. It takes a crusty old broad like me, or a manager who has been through every tough situation in the book to lead you and guide you on a daily basis in order to make you the success you deserve to be, and the professional this industry demands you to be. There are no shortcuts.
Training in the big firms is brutal. But it is necessary. Yep, you need to get your nose bloodied. Just like the new attorney who works from dawn to dusk or the resident who puts in 100 hours per week, this is a profession that the average person can't master in a few months.
Corporations will chew you up and spit you out. Candidates will break your heart. Purchasing training isn't enough. You need daily, real world experience. There are a lot of fine, established firms to work for. Please consider it.
Best of luck, and happy recruiting!
-
