Recruiting & Candidate Development

The Reluctant Candidate - Getting to Yes

Bill Broderick Hits: 1617

Every recruiter can cite conversations with prospective candidates that included phrases like…I’m not interested….I’m not looking right now…or…”I’m OK right now. Those conversations matter if the prospect is a potentially viable candidate for a client. But those conversations, especially cold calls, sometimes end when an issue/objection is raised by the prospect but not effectively addressed.

If we adopt some ideas from sales management, there are constructive ways to respond to “objections” to the “sale” of a new career direction.

In sales training, the concept of overcoming objections is a key element of training for sales production and sales success. An objection for our purposes is defined as an issue brought up by a prospect, often intended to end the conversation or, in some cases, test the caller. Sometimes an objection is subtle and requires the recruiter to listen carefully for the real concern of a prospect. As recruiters, our goals in a call to a prospect are to engage him/her in conversation, potentially develop him/her into a candidate, or at least a source of a referral. Objections can occur at any point in multiple conversations with candidates, but let’s cover a few likely objections during the first call and conversation. Assume a first call is made to a prospect and consider the following:

Candidate comments: Recruiter Responses:

*I’m not looking…*	“I can understand your reaction. When I get a new assignment and begin contacting managers like you, I rarely talk to anyone who is actively looking. But I also find that, in some cases, they want to hear more. Can we take a moment, discuss my client opportunity? Maybe you can assist me?
*I don’t want to change jobs right now…*	I understand. Perhaps you can assist me? I am looking for an impact player with a solid background in….who can assume a leadership role in …. Any ideas? Can I send you an email with a summary of my opportunity?
*I’m with a large company right now, not sure I want to move to a mid-sized company…*	Well, there are certainly some key differences. For example, the role I am working on will call for a decision-maker, someone who can step in, lead change and make things happen. That’s not usually the way things get done a big company. Would the challenges of more responsibility and accountability be attractive to you?
*I’m with a small company right now, OK with my job and don’t plan on any changes…*	My client is a leader in the field, with excellent potential for impact on the market and industry. As you know, there are a lot of things happening in the industry and my client will be a factor. If your current employer is… making the right investment in technology …building market share….reducing operations expense…(insert key topic) then you may be OK. If not, are you open to discussion?
*This doesn’t sound like it’s much different from my current job?*	(have two or three key differentiators to share about the scope and responsibilities of the role, i.e., # people to lead, independence, decision-making, leadership, leading edge product/service etc.) Thanks for the opportunity to explore this. Can I ask a few questions to understand what you do now, and I can show you how my client role adds to your career?
*I’m OK with my job, but I am thinking about my career*	(have details about the client commitment to *best* *practices*, such as ....TQM, 5S, QA, Lean, Green Belt, OD, latest IT upgrade, etc, directly connected to the professional development of people in the field) If you have a few minutes, can you tell me about your career development goals? Get details of interests, next steps planned Connect interests to client opportunity
*I am not familiar with your company, so what can you tell me?*	Have three or four selling points to highlight the company, create the rationale for a change

There are certainly more potential objections, but this covers some of the most frequent issues. For a generic method of handling objections, keep in mind the classic approach: Feel,…. Felt… Found. Whatever the candidate says, the response is:

I can understand how you FEEL about (insert issue)
I have often FELT that way myself when I have to deal with….
But I have also FOUND…(respond to issue with example of someone who faced same issue and the outcome, or a personal story, or a fact based answer to the issue)

In all cases, our role is to get to a close with a candidate and getting past objections is key to the process. Good luck with those cold calls!

Bill Broderick

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BIOGRAPHY

Bill Broderick is a consultant with 25+ years experience in HR management, retained search and HR projects. He is a Director of Fennimore Solutions, a retained search and staffing firm focused on Supply Chain and Operations assignments.

He also leads an Internet startup job board, Workministry.com, a social network recruiting resource designed to enable employers to access groups/networks of job seekers to fulfill staffing goals.