Job recruiters have an enormous responsibility. Let’s take a minute to think about this. Recruiters are charged with linking qualified job applicants with companies looking to fill a need. There is a lot at stake here. From a purely business perspective, companies must have quality employees in place to carry out the day to day tasks that keep things going. When workflow gets interrupted from lack of man/woman power, things can break down very quickly. This is just one component of a recruiter’s duty. The other part is the social-emotional side. This article will address the social-emotional aspects of job recruitment and discuss why recruiters wear so many hats.
Not so black and white
It’s a fairly easy task to find a resume that meets the educational and experience requirements of a job posting. If that is all that went in to recruiting, then this industry would cease to exist. Things are not so black and white. A recruiter must take the necessary time needed to learn about their top job applicants on a deeper level.
This is an important part of the recruitment process and helps to tell the whole story of a person before they are hired. This doesn’t mean that personal information is asked about and shared. It is more related to developing an understanding about why a person is looking for a new job. What about their previous employment wasn’t right for them, and what do they hope to achieve if they are hired. Those are questions that one cannot get answers to from a resume. A good recruiter becomes a psychologist, mentor, and friend when interviewing-wearing many hats all at once.
Things to look for
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. One of the biggest professional mistakes people admit to making is leaving a job for what seems to be something better, when it actually is not. Long term success at a new position requires that the employee is ready, and wants to be there. A quality recruiter should look for signs that their recruits are equipped to pursue a new opportunity for the right reasons. Ways to detect this are to ask questions directly associated with the ability to adapt to new people and environments.
Online job application systems make it easy for somebody to apply to an infinite number of jobs. Casting a wide net is one thing, but changing jobs just for the sake of change can lead to failure to thrive. Recruiters must focus on those applicants that are committed to long term success.
Practice makes better
Practice does not make perfect, it makes better. Recruiters will never be right 100% of the time with the applicants they present to the hiring company. Practicing the art of interviewing while wearing a plethora of hats is what important, and will help to set great recruiters apart from good or mediocre ones. Learning as much as possible about an applicant in a short amount of time, and applying that knowledge to what is known to be a successful equation can make all the difference in the world.
Comments are closed.