10 Recruiting Rituals

Finally got a taste of one of the most fascinating aspects of an HR professional's role! For one, life for recruiters isn't as much fun as it seems on the powerpoint slides in Recruitment & Selection lectures. So after days and nights of straining my eyes, scouring job portals, glancing through CV after CV, incessantly hounding friends and acquaintances for contacts, chasing prospective candidates and closing out on the recruitment cycle, here are my thoughts on the most significant learnings so far :

• Make sense of the JD - You don't have to mug up and rattle off JDs in bullet points while talking to candidates. Take some time out to understand what you are exactly looking for, ask questions to cross check your understanding. It saves time while sourcing CVs, helps in developing  the discussion points while talking to candidates and also helps in anticipating and being prepared for questions from candidates

• Know the organisation well – Knowing the revenue figures and employee strength will not serve your purpose, wikipedia can give those details to the candidate. Know your organisation's positioning from a strategic standpoint and its plans for the future. This helps in selling the opportunity to the candidate and making him/her understand the significance of the position being discussed in the context of the organisation

• Endorse the organisation – Love your employer! Although many candidates cite receiving adverse reports about the organisation from the market, as able ambassadors of the company, always try to maintain a positive employer brand

• Persuasion can turn a No into a Yes –   Face it, candidates are rude. Many candidates may reject the opportunity upfront. Try to understand their concerns, what motivates them to stay in their current roles, build on the information received and try to present the opportunity in a manner that would appeal to them

• Maintain the Lead – An initial interest shown by the candidate may fizzle out if you do not consistently follow-up. Even if there is some inaction within the company, it is advisable to keep in touch with the candidate

• Maintain confidentiality – You may have converted your call with one of the best candidates in the market, but don't brag about your achievement to all an sundry in your company. Typically,  senior professionals are generally well networked within the industry. Information of their candidature must be disclosed only to relevant people to avoid unnecessary complications and losing out on the candidate.

• Never waste a contact – Every number is precious. At times, the candidate sourced may not want to consider the role, but can be a useful resource in mining contacts of other people in his/her network who can be able candidates for the position  

• Do not overcommit and under deliver – Restrict faffing to MBA class. Convey only what the job can offer, if you do not know certain things request for time to revert. Unrealistic promises to appease  candidates can later on becoming embarrassing for both parties.

• Be proactive in documentation – Don't be lazy and wait for the day to end to put together a status report. You will only end up sifting mindlessly through reems of printed paper and scribbled notes. Good documentation gives a quick status check on the progress with the candidate and helps for future reference for any information

• Maintain the relation – Its not worth it to waste the time you had invested. At times, the candidate may not be a fit for the present requirement but in future he/she may be needed for another vacancy. Therefore, even though the candidate may be rejected, have an appropriate closure by conveying the decision and stating that the organisation may get in touch in-case of any other openings

So that's it from the desk for now...will be back with some more gyaan...till then - Happy Recruiting!!