Not Taking More Shots:
Starting out as a new recruiter, the past few weeks have been more like a whirlwind than anything else. One of the areas in which I know I need to work on is taking more shots when it comes to presenting candidates. In just under two months, I’ve connected with over 300 qualified candidates, and yet I’ve only put up a handful to move past the initial phases of the recruitment process. Granted, for many of the candidates it wasn’t the right time for them to make a change or they weren’t looking to relocate. But still, even if we figure that only 10% of the candidates I talk to are looking to advance their career, why is it that I’m only focusing on a select few?
I keep coming back to this question, and it’s something that I’m personally looking to improve. “Why is it so easy to focus on the negatives or the areas in which they aren’t a perfect fit, rather than the areas of expertise and what the candidates can bring to the company?” I think there’s this idea, both with many new recruiters and most clients, that the perfect candidate is out there and if we haven’t found that person, that just means we haven’t spent enough time out in the market searching. While, every candidate you put forward may ultimately not be a good fit for the role, 
that shouldn’t necessarily be the sole objective of these first few months. Instead, we should treat every candidate as a learning opportunity, and every candidate you put forward will help you gain understanding as to what the client is truly looking for.
As a newbie, I have the luxury of the rookie-card. I have the luxury of having an experienced and helpful team to help guide my efforts; they make sure that I’m staying on the right track, always working to improve myself. And lastly, I have the luxury of looking at an opportunity from a new perspective and a fresh set of eyes. With these three things in place, I can say that as long as I stay focused and driven I’ll be able to provide an expert opinion and understanding as to what my candidates bring to the table. There’s no such thing as a one size fits all option when it comes to recruiting; it requires the hiring manager to speak and engage with candidates to find that right fit.
There’s an old saying that “Perfection is the enemy of good,” stating that in our search for the best possible solution we have passed up on plenty of decent and even great opportunities or people. This is as true today as it has ever been, but that doesn’t mean we should just settle for whoever comes knocking on our door. This brings me to the last point I’d like to make. Own your decisions and be able to back up your actions. Even as a rookie, it has been made very clear that while your gut reaction is a fair basis to go off of, you need to be able to back up your candidates with definable and measurable standards and criteria. At the end of the day, your credibility and reputation is on the line with every candidate you put in front of a client. They become an extension of you and your firm. Make sure that you protect that above all else. Your reputation will take you further than any single candidate.
Written by Christian Schwoyer
