When talking with managers seeking new people for their teams, recruiters often behave like robots. They always ask the same questions about salaries, most important responsibilities, necessary education and skills. This information is obviously essential but there are also other things recruiters should be interested in.
If you do not find out more details, you can only create generic and boring job descriptions. How do you want to grab the attention of the best talent this way? The answer is obvious: with great difficulty. Which is a shame.
Once you have managed to persuade hiring managers to make some time for you, you should make full use of it. Talk to them and help them get a clearer picture of who they are actually looking for. Formulate your questions so that managers can be sure of what they want and, at the same time, simplify their requirements.
What should you ask?
J.T. O'Donnell, founder of CAREEREALISM.com, recommends recruiters try the following questions.
1. What three adjectives come to mind when you want to describe a candidate for the specific role?
2. What three qualities would lead to immediate dismissal of an employee in the role?
3. What are you most concerned about when thinking about the need to hire a new person for the role?
4. If you have to hire someone with no previous experience in the given role, what personality traits and talents should the person have in order to learn quickly?
5. What three qualities must a candidate for the role have?
If you always ask the same questions, you always get the same answers. Be more creative.
-kk-