When you make a cold call (to a candidate), are you first looking to pitch a job or learn about the candidate’s skills and aspirations?
Are you looking to open a dialogue or sell a job?
If you’re like a lot of recruiters, you start off the conversation by attempting to sell the candidate on the job opportunity.
Pitching a job or asking for a referral right off the bat puts you in a low-level conversation with your candidate. Passive candidates who are top performers will see you more like a telemarketer than a career consultant.
These conversations tend to be very transactional and do NOT build rapport as quickly as other approaches.
Here’s an excellent leading question that will get you a “Yes” 90% of the time and put you in a more consultative role during your recruiting calls:
“Would you be open to exploring a new career opportunity if it was clearly a stronger fit for you?”
When they say “Yes,” don’t tell them about the job yet!
Say, “Great! Why don’t you give me a two-minute overview of what you do and what you’re looking for, and then I can give you a quick overview of the job. If it makes sense, we can go into more detail.”
Most people you call are not going to be a candidate for the job at the moment—but they know people they could refer. The referral is much easier to get if they first trust you and your professionalism.
Try to establish a professional relationship before pitching a job.
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Gary Stauble, a guest writer for the Top Echelon Recruiter Training Blog, is the principal consultant for The Recruiting Lab, a coaching company that assists firm owners and solo recruiters in generating more profit in less time. For more information or to schedule a complimentary coaching session, visit The Recruiting Lab’s website or call 408.849.4756.