Articles - Recruiting and Candidate Dev

No advantage is too small when faced with a difficult search, and there’s simply no reason not to ask for as much help as possible before you begin --- especially from your client. Not only do I want to know the sources of all candidates interviewed to date, I also want to know where candidates with the requisite skills might be hiding, such as competitors, companies with similar products, non-profit organizations, universities, research centers and so on.

It never pays to be shy when gathering useful information. On one search assignment, I asked the employer to run a computer printout of his company’s direct competitors, complete with their addresses and phone numbers, and then circle the ones most likely to harbor suitable candidates.

On another assignment, I had the gall to ask the HR manager from my client’s competitor to send me all the resumes his company received from a recent ad for a similar position. To my amazement, 300 resumes arrived at my office via UPS the next day, and from the pile of unwanted candidates, I recruited one who was ultimately hired by my client.

I can’t recall any special technique I used to solicit the resumes; I guess the HR manager was in a good mood the day I asked for them. But if I hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have received.

Thirteen Additional Sources of Referrals
There are a number of vehicles for increasing your candidate flow other than the investment of your personal phone time. These include:

1] Networks. Many successful recruiters turn to all-purpose or niche market networks (such as the one I subscribe to, the Recruiters OnLine Network on the Internet) to augment their supply of candidates and increase their billings.

2] Collegial supporters. By asking for help on a difficult search, you may find another recruiter who’ll save the day by supplying you with the perfect candidate.

3] Industry, trade and alumni directories. Need I say more?

4] Company phone books. Like alumni directories, company phone books can be worth their weight in gold.

5] Inter-company publications. Most organizations of any size distribute monthly or quarterly newsletters to their employees. Chatty in nature, these publications read like a People magazine for recruiters --- in other words, all the movers, shakers, award winners and softball team captains you’d ever want to recruit are right there for the taking.

6] Patent ownership. I like this technique for finding brainy candidates. Remember, for every product on the market, there’s an inventor (that is, a referral source or candidate) that’s applied for patent protection.

7] Position advertising. I’ve never placed my own ads for candidates; however, on rare occasions, I’ve written classified ads for my clients, who pay for the insertions.

8] Self-advertising. Many recruiters run classified ads in trade magazines to increase their visibility and ultimately, their candidate flow.

9] Trade show attendance. There’s no fun like trolling for recruits. If you don’t attend your target market’s trade shows at least every other year, you’re probably missing out on a wealth of opportunities.

10] Job fair participation. You may not have the inclination to attend a job fair (many of them are generic or location-dependent and tend to attract unemployable or entry-level candidates). However, the job fair sponsors keep a fairly accurate list of attendees, and may make their names and/or resumes available to you.

11] The Directory of Executive Recruiters. The most visible of all source books of recruiters, this directory is published annually by Kennedy Publications (Fitzwilliam, NH, 603-585-2200). As a result of my listing in the directory, I receive anywhere from five to 10 unsolicited resumes a day. While most of the resumes are totally inappropriate and end up in the trash, some are right up my alley.

12] Research assistance. Your recruiting situation may require you to do all your own candidate sourcing, which is fine. On the other hand, if you’re in a position to hire someone to help you, it might improve your overall efficiency. For a list of independent researchers (whose fees range from $50 to $100 an hour), contact Ken Cole, publisher of The Executive Search Research Directory in Panama City Beach, Florida, at (850) 235-3733.

13] Personal visibility. Whether you speak at your local Chamber meeting, write an article on changes in the work force, or attend a national trade association convention, your personal visibility will stimulate candidate referrals as well as marketing leads.

Naturally, each search situation will determine the usefulness of these various candidate flow vehicles. Whatever method you choose, remember that in our business, there’s no such thing as too much high quality inventory.

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