Sales recruiting requires both art and science. Whether hiring for entry level or executive career opportunities, recruiters are on the front lines of talent acquisition. At the agency level or in a corporate recruiting function, recruiters are tasked with attracting, selecting, and qualifying candidates, as well as facilitating the hiring process from the first contact through the employee’s first day on the job. A large part of this recruiting challenge is profiling the right candidate for the job.
Recruiting today is no small task, especially as companies continue to need more talent to support their growth, and the market for candidates becomes more competitive. Here, the recruiter’s role becomes proactive, rather than reactive. Recruiters not only continuously screen active job seekers, but also build strong talent communities of passive candidates. This anticipates the organization’s hiring needs and ensures a full pipeline of qualified talent.
The first step to building those candidate pipelines is defining intrinsic characteristics, skill levels, experience, and key competencies for the “ideal candidate”. In order to agree on these profiles, a “meeting of the minds” is suggested. During this process an open dialogue can help define requirements, while analyzing what did or did not work well in the past.
With a clear recruiting roadmap in place, the company can effectively communicate its needs to the recruiter working on the position and allow for a thorough hiring process. Once the recruiter is in the loop, a sourcing strategy can be developed. The recruiting firm can then identify candidates that will meet the needs of the company.
This way, the recruiting team ramps up quickly without the typical trial and error resulting from a recruiter working on an unfamiliar position. Beyond hiring, these profiles drive ongoing training and development as the employee progresses through the organization.
Some of the questions to ask might include:*
The company might also consider factors such as career path, compensation, benefits, and perks, and use these to help market to their intended audience. The more information that the company can provide to the recruiter, the more targeted your search will be, ultimately producing a candidate that suits the organization’s needs.
Making the right hires is the most important decision that companies can make because the employees ARE the company.
