Small reasons why recruiters fail to recruit

 Often recruiters tend to fail in their attempt to convince a possible future employee to join the company he/she represents. Although the main reasons for this are well-known, here are some of the little things most of them overlook:

1. They talk too much about their company and thus they omit to ask questions about the candidate.Many recruiters tend to give too many details regarding their company instead of focusing on the way in which the new employee will be able to fit in, or on inquiring about what he/she has to offer. This occurs especially during phone conversations. This is when the recruiter talks on and on about what his company does, while the possible candidate barely gets a few seconds to say something about himself. Also, recruiters fail to listen attentively to what the candidate has to say. While this can be a mistake on the candidate’s side as well, since he/she is the one who should present his ideas concisely, recruiters have the duty to pay attention and to carefully analyze what the job applicant says.
2. They are not insistent enough. Whenever a possible candidate refuses to accept or to show interest in the position he/she is being offered, recruiters tend to omit to ask them a simple question: “Why?” A recruiter’s job is to represent his/her company in such a way that it will be impossible for the candidate to refuse a job offer. He/she has to find out the reasons why his/her offer is being refused and possibly find a solution. If you contact someone who lives in a different city, expect certain refusal. Suggest commute or accommodation options if possible. Similarly, if you want to recruit someone with no job experience, be sure that they can be hesitant when getting their first job. Offer support, career counseling, and trainings if you can.
3. They intimidate. Not liking the recruiter can likewise lead to not liking the organisation the recruiter is responsible for. In this way, recruiters risk damaging their company’s image, or not being to hire that person in the future either. Instead, they should make the candidate feel welcomed into the new working environment.
4. They expect candidates to come to them instead of actively looking for possible employees. Use social media websites, such as LinkedIn or branded.me, to find suitable high-potential employees who may not be aware of the fact that you have a position available in your organisation. Networking and social networking are the keys to successfully finding the perfect candidates for the job. See more about sourcing on Wikipedia.
5. They eliminate candidates too easily. Instead of letting go of people who might no be fit for a role, offer the candidate another job opportunity in the company, or assure them that you will contact them in the future with a different type of position.
6. They don’t know how to communicate. In addition to the necessary oral communication skills needed for contacting and interviewing, writing skills are necessary so that you make sure that your job advertisement clearly and concisely contains the exact requirements and expectations. Having great communication skills means not only sharing what you know but also being able to get the information you want from someone. (see reason 1 above) Non-disclosure agreements often inhibit this process as the future employee may not yet have the right to know every benefit the company has to offer.
7. They do not contact people who have the appropriate skills for the position. Often, the employer realizes that the candidate does not have the required skills for the job during the interview. Make sure to clearly indicate your requirements in the job advertisement. Resumes should be read attentively. More than that, they should be checked for accuracy in order to detect eventual lies.
8. Simply, they don’t care. Many “recruiters” actually have a different position in the company, but they were assigned with the task of recruiting. This is why in smaller companies you will see many secretaries or more experienced workers doing the recruiting job. They are not fully aware of what their role is, and they want to finish this task as soon as possible.

Back to you. Share some other recruiting mistakes you have encountered.  

Originally posted on my blog.