Make the call by asking for
the person directly. When the hiring source answers the phone,
respond with good volume, enthusiasm, confidence and absolute
conviction that you are providing a valuable service. Tell
him/her who you are and what you do and then, without a pause,
present your applicant in no more than three sentences. Wait
for a reply no matter how much dead silence. WAIT! If
the manager starts asking questions, answer them quickly and go for
an interview time. If the manager begs off on an interview
time and wants a resume, try to get a conditional time for
cancellation if the resume doesn't check out with what you have
described. You should make at least three attempts for an
interview time without a resume.
Even if you don't overcome
objections and don't get the interview or even a job order, remember
that you earn your money from information and rapport. Get
information and record it in your staffing, applicant tracking
or resume database software for the next time you call. Here is
a list of some sample questions that will give you an idea of the
type of information that will be useful for the next
call.
Have you used agencies?
How is business? Expanding, losing money?
Who is your toughest competition?
How many people in the company in your recruiting specialty?
What kind of a company is it to work for?
Is brochure information available?
How long have you (the hiring source) been there? In present
position?
Try to determine some key dates from the hiring source, such as
anniversary, performance review, stockholder meeting, etc.
What areas are you responsible for?
What are your major goals?
In evaluating Executive Search Firms, what do you look for?
What's the biggest challenge facing you in your present position?
If the client refuses to provide
information, then your final words should be, 'Thank you for your
courtesy and time. I will just send you some information on
our company and check in with you at a later date to see if things
have changed.
Taking the
Job Order
If the client has an
opening, get the job order! Recruiters often do not recognize
the opportunity. For example, after your pitch of an applicant, the
client responds: 'Salary too high.' 'You must talk to
personnel.' 'I need someone with more ....' 'Can't use
agencies.' 'You are calling the wrong area.' 'I know
this applicant.' These are all clues that there is a job
order! Now you should get some specifics; don't let this
person off the phone until you get the following, because you never
know when you will be able to get him/her on the phone again (the
golden minute).
Questions to
ask when taking a job order. Remember, you want to
leave both the applicant and client with the confidence that you are
thorough. Some of these questions apply only to lower level
positions. Please don't make the mistake of asking a question
for a low level position when the position is at senior level and
vice versa. These questions are only meant to get you started
in the right direction.
Title of position?
New position or replacement?
How long has the position been open?
The position reports to whom?
Education requirements?
What will the person do (describe a typical day)?
Salary range; highest they will go for the perfect applicant?
Raises: when, how much, performance or cost-of-living?
Benefits: flex hours, medical, dental, vision, medical for
dependents, pension, profit sharing, maternity benefits, parking,
lunch program?
Will the person supervise or lead in any way?
Intangibles; what would you look for between two people with the
same technical skills, experience and educational background?
Travel? Overnight or same day?
What's more important to your group: technical abilities, product
experience or personality?
Career path, opportunity for promotion, long term opportunities?
How rapidly have people been promoted?
What is the 'drop dead' date for having someone hired?
Is this a growing company? How many people?
What does the company do?
Private or public?
Dollar volume of sales?
Division or corporate office?
Major competitors?
Location/address of interview?
What's the interview process?
How long will the interview last?
Who will interview?
Is there a test/application to fill out?
Who extends the offer?
When does Personnel get involved?
All of the above
information should be entered on the job order record
in your
recruiting or staffing software.
Remember, responses to the above are from the point of view of one
individual. Policies and biases of others will influence this
person. The interpretation by the recruiter from the
answers only represent what was 'said' by the hiring source.
Very often, what people say and what they do are completely
different. For example, a hiring authority might say the
person must have a degree, and then you find out at a later date
that they hired a non-degreed person because she/he had so much
experience in a particular area. Very often job order
descriptions are formed by what and how the job order questions are
asked. For example, 'A degree is required, isn't it?' as
opposed to 'Which is more important, specific experience or
education?' The ideas, attitudes and perceptions of one
individual can change very quickly. Judgment is a big part of
handling a job order. The more specific information on
qualifications, the greater the potential for unfavorable
results. Over qualification and pre-judgment by the
executive search recruiter
often lead to failure. This may sound like an about face but
it's not. You can never have too much information; information
provides the opportunity for creativity. But specific
information on the 'must haves' of a job order and blind adherence
to them is dangerous because it kills creativity.
Copyright 2009, BlackDog Recruiting Software Inc.
