Recruitment is the top priority of 46 percent of HR leaders. A top performer in her field, with over seven years in the industry, Stephanie Amos—Senior Recruitment Specialist at Acara Solutions—attributes her success to her ability to establish trusting partnerships with clients locally and nationwide. She holds herself accountable for being engaged and present throughout the search, interview, offer, and follow-up stages. Her approach is to build lasting and meaningful relationships with candidates using active listening skills. Stephanie shared tips and techniques recruiters can implement to ensure better results when sourcing, engaging, and hiring candidates on SmartSearch‘s “SmartTips” webinar series.

1. Ask the right questions

Stephanie emphasizes the importance of a candidate-centered approach to recruitment, where the recruiter takes the time to understand the candidate’s preferences, goals, and requirements before discussing or selling a job opportunity. “My goal is always to get the job seeker talking,” said Stephanie. When starting a conversation with candidates, ask exploratory questions regarding skills, interests, and experience:

• What is motivating you to seek new employment?
• When reviewing job boards/job descriptions, what type of positions are you drawn to? (in terms of title and job duties)
• What do you enjoy about the field or position you are currently in?

This ensures that the positions a recruiter presents are ones the candidate finds appealing and motivating. Learning what roles a candidate is drawn to will help successfully align them with the right company. She warns that recruiters should not “jump right in” and try to sell a job without learning important information like salary expectations, flexibility needs, and duties. This approach is crucial because it ensures that the opportunity presented to the candidate aligns with their expectations and needs and avoids wasting both the candidate’s and the recruiter’s time on roles that may not be a good fit. In fact, 84 percent of recruiters feel that it’s important for a candidate to have a good culture fit with the client organization.

2. Conduct hiring manager intake calls

To successfully source and place candidates in your client’s organization, Stephanie highlights the importance of conducting an “intake call.” This is a conversation that a recruiter has with the hiring manager to understand their expectations for the role and what they’re looking for in their next candidate. This is an opportunity to ask the hiring manager for essential information to help you better narrow your search for qualified candidates.

Examples of these questions include:

• Why is this position open?
• What previous challenges did employees face in this role?
• What personality traits or qualities are you looking for in a candidate?

The information gathered from this initial conversation guides the recruiter in crafting an effective job posting, sourcing candidates, and presenting the most qualified candidates to the hiring manager. It ensures that the recruitment process is aligned with the company’s goals and requirements, increasing the chances of a successful hire.

3. Communication is key

Stephanie notes that she encourages candidates to remain in contact with her. Offering updates regarding the kind of jobs they see posted in the market can result in sales leads and opportunities for their resume to be skill-marketed to a client currently hiring. This can help the candidate’s newly industry-tailored resume land directly in the hands of a recruiter instead of the applicant pile. Why? The average online job posting has an average of 250 applicants, making competition fierce.

Additionally, Stephanie shares that it’s essential for recruiters to frequently update hiring managers on where they currently are in the sourcing process. Transparent conversations about challenges are crucial and can naturally lead to discussions about refining candidate criteria.

4. Navigating unresponsiveness

To avoid or lessen the chance of unresponsiveness when it comes to hiring managers, be clear and set expectations upfront. Ask about upcoming vacations or time out of office that might slow the process. Ask if there would be any issues providing submittal feedback within 24-48 hours. When these expectations are appropriately set, the hiring manager should not be alarmed when you request updates or feedback about a role.

Related: Navigating Out-of-Office Hiring Season: Tips for Hiring Managers and Job Seekers

It is important to show patience and grace. Stephanie reiterates that recruiters are often brought in at a crucial time in the hiring process, and some hiring managers and HR departments do not have the means to recruit on their own. While hiring for a specific role may be the full-time job of a recruiter, it’s not the full-time job of the hiring manager or HR employee with whom they are working.

5. Understand the value of recruitment platforms

Recruitment platforms typically have a vast and diverse pool of candidates actively seeking job opportunities. These platforms streamline the recruiting process by offering tools for job posting, candidate searching, and communication. Recruiters can quickly post job openings, search for relevant candidates, and contact them through the platform.

In that same light, recruiters must remain current with the latest technological advancements. Gone are the days of faxed resumes and in-person interviews. When the technology industry evolves, most platforms evolve as well. Recruiters who stay informed about technological advancements that will impact their role in the staffing industry are better positioned to succeed, deliver value to their clients, and provide exceptional experience for candidates.

Related: Four Advantages and Disadvantages of AI in the Hiring Process

Watch the webinar here.