Dear Barb:
How do I get my younger recruiters to make phone calls? They are convinced that our candidates will only communicate by text or email, but I believe this is the way my recruiters want to communicate. They look at me like I’m a dinosaur and don’t listen to my advice. They are not hitting their goals, so how do I force the issue?
Amanda H. San Jose, CADear Amanda:
Recruiting has been, is and always will be a relationship-building business. You can’t build relationships by only using email or text. It’s important for us to be high tech, but also high touch.
I always use the example that even people who meet online, eventually have to meet to take their relationship to the next level.
Your recruiters are not hitting their goals, which puts you in a position of strength. Ask them to prove you right, not wrong. Establish that every third contact with a candidate or client must be an actual conversation. As you encourage telephone conversations, stress the benefit to your team. The more candidates like them, the more referrals they will receive. You may have to role play conversations because, often, recruiters are not making telephone calls due to fear.
Role play conversations, role play overcoming objections, and provide your team with scripts they can use when making their calls. Once they fine tune their skills they will become more comfortable having actual conversations, they will establish strong working relationships, and they will start hitting their goals!
You won’t have to do any more convincing.
Barbara J. Bruno, CPC, CTS