How to Hire an All-Star Recruiter

So, you’re thinking of hiring a new recruiter and you are wondering how to identify that All-Star.  You can determine if you’ve found that A-Player by evaluating experience, work history, and personality.

Experience

Searching for an experienced Recruiter is one of the first thoughts that occur to many Managers.  I’m here to tell you that this is not always the best route to go.

Sure, there are benefits to hiring an experienced Recruiter such as knowledge and established expertise.  However, it is sometimes more difficult to re-train someone else’s Recruiter versus molding and training your own.

In my past experience as a Recruiting Manager, I found that I had more success in hiring candidates with experience in sales and training them.  This allowed me to easily teach them Recruiting methods that worked best in my industry and business, versus relying on an experienced Recruiter to apply their methods within my industry.

Believe it or not, all Recruiters are not trained the same and some have been taught poor methods.  It’s much easier to train green, rather than re-train or break bad habits.

Work History

When considering experienced Recruiters, pay attention to their past work history.  A great Recruiter will have excellent tenure.  The reason for this is simple and one you will likely understand.  If you have an All-Star Recruiter, you are going to do everything you can to hang on to that Recruiter.

There are many people out there posing as “Recruiters” who are not the experts they claim to be.  If a Recruiter is changing jobs every year, that should be a red flag to you.  Why has this Recruiter not found a home yet?

Personality

When hiring a Recruiter, whether experienced or inexperienced, personality is something to pay close attention to during the interview process.  Is the individual outgoing and easy to have a conversation with?  Imagine yourself as a prospective candidate.  Is this someone you would feel comfortable disclosing your work history and job search status with?

Personality assessments are an excellent way to assess a candidate’s personality along with multiple in-person interviews.

There are many different assessments out there to choose from such as the DISC, PEAC System, etc.  Most of these assessments are based on multiple choice test results.  Results typically provide information encompassing the type of environment the individual thrives in and the type of training that works best for them.

I have experience working with the PEAC System in the past and have found it very helpful in that they also provide additional interview questions or role play situations that you can present to a candidate during the interview process to test their reaction and how they handle certain situations.

There are many ways to determine through the interview process if you have found that All-Star Recruiter.  By focusing on their experience, work history, and personality, you have a better chance of hiring that Star, whether an already established Recruiter, or a newbie to Recruiting.

What do you typically look for in a Recruiter?  Share your tips below in the comments!