The fast pace of the selection processes, with their deadlines, demands and goals, make many recruiters start operating on autopilot, leaving aside some habits that are very important, especially for those who work with people. In this article, I've separated 6 habits that I find extremely valuable and that can give you an extra edge at different stages of a process.
Before you go out and book interviews, make sure you understand the position. You don't need to be a technology expert to deliver IT jobs, but knowing the difference between a framework and a database can make you much safer to talk to the people you're going to interview. When in doubt, ask the person to explain it to you, so you learn from them and can already assess the depth of the subject for your opinion on the process.
Always put yourself in the position of the person being interviewed. With empathy, an environment of trust is built so that the person feels comfortable, and thus gets the most out of an interview. People, for the most part, feel much safer with recruiters who are receptive, who answer all questions openly and are available to resolve any doubts that may arise.
Put your personal touch on every contact, make it personal. Memorized approaches and reading descriptions for candidates don't allow for a more natural chat and, consequently, you won't be able to extract the essence of your conversation. People tend to feel more comfortable and open when they see an authentic conversation and not just another protocol interview.
Perhaps the main habit of a successful recruiter. All processes are based on deadlines, and being able to manage your activities within those schedules makes all the difference. Anticipate problems so you don't always run after deadlines. Keep your selection process always organized, when doing your interviews, document everything at the same time and don't leave everything to organize later, this mental trap will make you create a big snowball of files and you can end up losing or forgetting important information about every person you talked to.
Many recruiters believe that after submitting a profile to the process, their work is over, however, it is very important to keep people engaged. Updates, feedback, or a simple follow-up to find out if something has changed on the professional side can avoid negative surprises in your process. The secret of solid networking is to preserve your relationships, a tip is to do what most people don't do, so a differential can be that you follow up with the person even after hiring, that way you can learn more about your client and even knowing if you did a good job putting the hired person in a place where they feel happy and satisfied, otherwise, you will not be remembered, or worse, you may have the perception of your work poorly evaluated.
Always. There's nothing worse for a person who is participating in a selection process than being without feedback. Seriously! People would rather receive negative feedback than no feedback at all. Participating in a selection process generates many expectations, it is an opportunity to grow in your career, more than that, often stop experiencing difficulties, help someone or even make a dream come true. It is an opportunity to generate major changes in a person's life and those who depend on it. Giving feedback shows respect and empathy for the person taking the time to participate in a process. So, if you're not in the habit of giving feedback to EVERY person you interview, it's time to start or review if you're in the right career.