Recruiter Skills 101 : The Must-Have Recruiter Skills

Before we dive in, let me share a secret with you: this article isn't your average list of generic tips for recruiters. As an experienced recruiter myself, I know that success in this industry goes beyond surface-level traits like assertiveness and communication skills.

Instead, the advice I'm about to share with you comes from years of experience and learning from industry veterans. It's also based on the principles outlined in Jim Collins' Good to Great, a book that has greatly influenced my own approach to recruiting for my organization.

So, if you're ready to take your recruiter skills to the next level and stand out from the crowd, keep reading.

Developing the Recruiter Mindset

Before getting into the nitty-gritty details, we will look into what the recruiter mindset is. What does a good recruiter think? And what is he really focusing on when he is on the lookout for top-rising talent?

A recruiter's job isn't just to fill the next vacant position that comes up but rather his job is to find out how to build a team of individuals who can help the company move from being good to great.

To build such a team following things should be taken into account:

Start with "WHO" Rather than the "WHAT"

Who you are looking for is just as important as what you are looking for in a candidate when recruiting. Focusing solely on the skills and qualifications needed for a job can result in overlooking other important factors such as personality, values, and cultural fit.

By starting with "who" rather than "what," recruiters can build a more comprehensive and holistic understanding of the type of candidate they need. This can help to ensure that they find not only the most qualified person for the job but also someone who is a good fit for the team and the company as a whole.

Again, The top skill in your recruiting arsenal is going to be focusing on the who rather than the what!

When you focus on the 'who', you tend to focus more on the future as opposed to focusing on the now. Yes! I know, it is hard to keep the big picture in mind when everyone is running after the short-term wins but trust me, playing for the long term will yield significant results for you and your team.

Level Five Leadership

Level 5 leaders are like magnets for the best talent out there. People just can't resist their charm and charisma, and they stick around because they know they're in good hands. A recruiter's skills should be so sharp that he should be able to cherry-pick level 5 leaders from a large crowd.

Based on Jim Collins' research, here are the top characteristics of Level 5 leaders:

1. Full of Humility.
2. Stuffed with Willpower and Determination.
3. Ability to Take Ownership of their mistakes.
4. Thrive on Focusing on Results.
5. Have no problem with watching other people succeed.
6. Know how to take feedback.

Takes a level 5 leader to know a level 5 leader

To attract and retain Level 5 candidates, recruiters must embody these same traits in their own leadership style. This requires developing strong relationships with clients and candidates and prioritizing their needs and goals over personal ones. It also means adopting a long-term approach to talent acquisition and investing in nurturing relationships with potential candidates.

Recruiter skills in Level 5 leadership extend beyond their own leadership style; they must be able to identify these traits in potential candidates. By possessing Level 5 recruiter skills, recruiters can more effectively identify and attract top talent who will bring these same traits to their new roles, and help drive the success of the organizations they join.

As the saying goes, "birds of a feather flock together." If you start to embody these traits, you'll start to find yourself surrounded by such people.

Honing you Recruiter Skills

Develop Interpersonal Skills:

As a recruiter, building a strong network of talented individuals is essential to your success. To do this, it's important to take the time to build rapport with both candidates and clients. By doing so, you'll not only attract and retain top talent but also build long-term relationships and a positive reputation in the industry.

By actively listening and communicating, you'll be able to better understand candidates' passions, interests, and career goals, and thus you'll be able to provide better guidance to the candidate throughout the job search process.

Invest in Tech

Trust me this is a big one! Every day people are releasing new tools into the market that are specially designed to save time and effort. USE THEM. If I hadn't used them I would have drowned in paperwork a long time ago.

By using tools such as applicant tracking systems and online assessments, you can save a lot of time. This will enable you to have more time for things that really do need your attention. Balancing candidate sourcing and relationship building can be challenging, but it's critical to success in the field. Go out of your comfort zone and find ways to automate everyday mundane tasks.

Embrace a Growth Mindset

To excel as a recruiter, it's essential to embrace a growth mindset and prioritize continual learning and improvement. Effective recruiters understand that the industry is constantly evolving, and they must stay up-to-date on trends, tech, and best practices to succeed.

If you can find mentors in your community. Embrace them and learn from them.

Believing in your abilities is key to achieving success; having a growth mindset opens doors to limitless possibilities - Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Develop a Thirst for Data

Who doesn't love a good spreadsheet full of juicy data?

For recruiters, developing a thirst for data is crucial in today's competitive job market. With more candidates applying for jobs than ever before, it's essential to have a deep understanding of the hiring landscape and the specific needs and expectations of your clients. To do that you need to be on the lookout for different trends, and patterns that arise in the recruiting industry. Things that work and the things that do not work need to be at your fingertips.

It sounds hard but trust me it is not. Once you find the right tools for your workflow, those tools will also provide you with data, analytics, and insights that can help you make better data-driven decisions.  

Conclusion

In short, to stand out from the crowd of recruiters you need to add leader 5 level qualities into your set of recruiter skills, this will help you seek out similar people. Be different and start with the who rather than the what. Once, you have this down, work on building a strong network, develop a thirst for data and find ways to automate your job through software tools. After that you'll be a force to be reckoned with in the recruiting world.