How to Make More Effective Recruiting Calls

As a recruiter, being good on the phone is an essential part of career success. The ability to have an engaging and productive phone conversation is a skill recruiters must hone throughout the course of their careers. If you’re looking to improve your abilities in this area, consider using some of these strategies:

• Think about what’s motivating the person on the other end of the phone: When you can speak to a candidate’s emotional side, you’re more likely to keep them interested during the call. What might inspire them to leave their job and pursue another position? What are they looking to get out of their career? What struggles are they facing in their current job? How could you help to mitigate these difficulties? Instead of simply trying to sell all of the benefits of an open position, try to approach the discussion with the candidate’s best interests in mind.
• Focus on gathering information: Many recruiters spend time calling candidates who actually aren’t qualified for the positions they have in mind. While it’s important to build a rapport and ease into the conversation, you also don’t want to waste your day on the phone with someone who wouldn’t be a good fit for the role. Use the initial minutes of a call to gather information about the person with whom you’re speaking in order to verify that they are, in fact, a strong match.
• Know what makes the position stand out: Enthusiasm and knowledge about the position are both highly necessary in order to successfully execute a recruiting call. If you deliver a lackluster pitch about why someone would want to consider the job, don’t be shocked when they’re not thrilled about picking up everything and making a switch. Know the selling points and be able to answer questions about the role.

Lastly, remember that recruiting is all about networking. Just because a person isn’t a good match for a particular role you have in front of you in that moment, doesn’t mean they are totally invaluable. Keep in touch and you may be able to contact them for a future opening.

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