Just like all sales professions, recruitment is one of those industries in which capable individuals can fast track to success at a very young age. However, this success does not come easy, and recruitment can be a challenging profession to choose. While your skills and expertise qualify you for a recruiting position, it takes dedication and effort to become a top recruiter. The best recruiters rely on intuition, high ethical standards and can usually handle failure like a pro. If you want to thrive like a top recruiter, here are the top six qualities that you’ll need to possess:
1. Great listening skills
The best performing and most effective recruiters harness the power of careful listening. The more you listen to other team members or clients about role requirements, the better your job descriptions and sourcing tactics will be. The more you listen to candidates, the more you will know if the role is right for them. Subconsciously, you will be more aware of looking for ways to continuously improve as a recruiter because you listen to their concerns, then you can determine a solution to solve their concerns.
2. Great communication skills:
A recruiter needs to be an all-round great communicator. Reaching out and talking to people is what takes up most of your time as a recruiter. With that, it is essential that you choose and phrase everything you have to say in a kind but straightforward manner, while signaling genuine interest to converse. Bear in mind that both clients and candidates will invest a lot of time in your company, so you must deal with them appropriately whether it is over the phone, via email or face to face. It is important to show them that you value their time and that you tailor each interaction to suit different individuals.
3. Amazing hustling skills - target-driven
Recruitment is a lot like sales, meaning you must be prepared to hustle to get that perfect candidate. With the jobs market as competitive as it is, recruiters must be target-oriented, able to handle pressure and ambitious. Great candidates won’t wait around long, so your hustling skills need to be in full force. When sourcing candidates, be relentless in your pursuit. Persistency will help you find great candidates and reach your targets.
4. Empathy and a touch of natural curiosity
Empathy is something we hold dear and is part of Aurora’s mission. Developing and fostering long-term relationships with our clients and candidates is our top priority and we understand that job hunting/placing can be a very stressful and emotional process, especially if there’s a level of desperation or urgency involved. It’s important to make time to get back to all the people you are connected with and ensure that they all are being cared for.
Recruiters should strive to learn more about their client and candidate rather than just relying on what is written in a CV or JD. You won’t be a top recruiter if you don’t have the curiosity and proactiveness to ask the right questions.
5. An adaptable nature
People are creatures of indecision, and you’ll need to accept that fact and adapt accordingly. Yes, even the most promising candidates will sometimes let you down at the last minute. You can either get stressed about it or you can simply look for solutions and move on. A lot of things will go wrong in this job, but you have to think positive and keep finding ways to secure the best possible outcome for your client. Adapt and you’ll thrive. Get stuck in negativity, and you won’t go far.
6. Market expert
One of your responsibilities is to help your clients navigate through the industry. All the standards and practices have to be at the back of your head, and you have to be able to use them at all times. At Aurora, we take pride in being experts within the sectors we specialise in. Our consultants are qualified and experienced market specialists, focusing solely on a dedicated sector to ensure seamless service throughout the recruitment process. That’s why connecting industry experts is our expertise.