Head Hunting 101: Advanced Recruiting

There comes a time for every recruiter when you've exhausted all the standard methods of recruiting. That is, you've posted the position on all the job sites and you've searched for resumes on all the resume banks that you can get your hands on - all without luck in finding an adequate candidate. What do you do next? This may be a good time to use some advanced recruiting techniques. This is a time where you have to be creative.

The following are some techniques you can use.

Strategy #1 - Who do you know?

Find a resume that is close to match but not quite a match or find someone that is match but already has a job and simply ask that person for a referral. For example, let's say you are looking for a retail store manager. Through your traditional sourcing you find a candidate that looks really good but has already found a job. Well, instead of letting that candidate go, why don't you ask her for a referral. Simply ask her who do you know that might make sense for me to talk to? Who do you know may be dissatisfied with her job? Who do you know that maybe you interviewed in the past, but couldn't place?
In many cases, the candidate won't know anyone or won;t give you a referral. But is it worth spending an additional 15 seconds to ask? I think so. Then, if she gives a name, you can simply use the Asking for Help Script. or use the Going for the Jugular Script.

Strategy #2 - Call references from resumes

Some people choose to leave references as part of their resumes. Some of those references may be a great source of passive candidates. Simply call the reference and use the the Asking for Help Script. or use the Going for the Jugular Script.

Strategy #3 - Future representation

While going through some of your standard methods of recruiting for candidate, you may come across a candidate who is not quite a fit. It could be that the person is just below the level of the ideal candidate you are looking for. For example, let's say you are looking for a retail store manager. While you are going through your standard recruiting methods, you come across an assitant manager for a competitor. You know that she is not a retail store manager candidate. So what do you do? One option is to call her and use the Strategy #1 above Who do you know? Another approach is to talk to the candidate and tell her directly:

Hi, I am a recruiter, I got your name from source.

I represent a client in the _________ industry.

While I don't have an exact position for you now, I feel that your resume may be marketable in the future. I was wondering if you would be open to listening to future opportunities?

If the candidate agrees to work with you then at this point build some rapport, get to know the candidate a bit; then when the time is right, ask the candidate for some references. Then simply, call the references and use the Asking for Help Script or use the Going for the Jugular Script.

Strategy #4 Name Generation

Be careful, this method is used for the ultra courageous. In this method, you use any method you can to develop possible candidates. One recruiter I know was looking for a retail store manager position. To help generate possible candidates, she simple called into the store of a competitor and talked to a front-line worker. She simply told the worker that she was thinking of sending Thank You cards to all the managers in the store, and if she was so kind to give the names of all the managers in the store. The fronline worker went ahead and gave names of 12 of the store managers in the store. By doing this method, the recruiter was able to get the names of 12 potential candidates that she can call over the next week or so. From there the recruiter, simply called the store back, asked for the name of the manager and used the Asking for Help Script or use the Going for the Jugular Script.

The above tactic, is obviously not the only method of generating names. I'm sure there are dozens of ways to generate names - if you really put your thinking cap on.