3 Things to Know About Recruiting a Recruiter

A top-notch recruiter can make all the difference in the company’s quality-of-hire.

In today’s job-rich, candidate-poor environment, much has been written about how to hire “ninja-rock star engineers” — but very little attention has been paid to how companies can recruit top-notch recruiters who can hire those ninja-rock stars.

Two Types of Recruiting: Full Cycle and “Platooning”

The role of the recruiter will vary widely from company to company. In companies that use a full-cycle recruitment  model, a job requisition starts the recruiting process. The process ends with the new hire’s onboarding.

In a full-cycle recruiting situation, the recruiter must be able to quickly research and understand the area of expertise for which they will be searching, as well as the industry they will be working in. After the basic research is completed, the recruiter sources a pool of candidates. Their goal is to give the hiring manager a list of high-quality candidates.

Typically, phone screens are used to narrow the pool of candidates. After the interview process has identified the top candidate, the recruiter creates an offer package that is acceptable to the candidate. The offer package must maintain internal equity with existing employees, as well as be fair in the external marketplace of competitive salaries.

A full-cycle recruiter will do all of this, as well as handle negotiations with the candidate. They will even be involved in the eventual onboarding process.

Clearly, this type of a recruiter is the most difficult to find because of the wide range of skills required for the role.

The other method of recruiting is called the “platooning method,” and it uses recruiting specialists. In this method, the recruiting process is broken into parts, and each part is assigned to a different individual. For example, a junior recruiter or sourcer might handle the early part of the process. That person will then hand the job off to a more senior recruiter, who will handle all interactions with the hiring manager and the interviewing team. Then, the senior recruiter will hand the job off to the HR business partner during the salary negotiation and onboarding stages.

Both the full-cycle and the platooning methods of recruiting can result in success. Ultimately, what matters most is the quality of the recruiters involved in the process. That’s what really makes a huge difference, in terms of the quality of the hires produced by either approach.

For example, my son is currently interviewing at high-tech companies. I would like to think he would rate well on any company’s quality-of-hire meter. He told me about a company where he recently declined an offer. But, he was so impressed with the recruiter that he made a comment to the hiring manager about it and referred other candidates to the company. He is now part of the recruiter’s LinkedIn network to recruit for a future assignment.

When Recruiting Recruiters, Pay Attention to 3 Things

1. Who Do Your Current Recruiters Know?

Start by networking with your best recruiters to find out who they know. Great recruiters like to work with great recruiters. A great team becomes a magnet and pulls other great people to it. Leverage your best talent and build a strong core of recruiters — and then recruit more recruiters through them.

Early in my career, I had the privilege of working around Steve Jobs at Apple, and I have never forgotten the axiom he would always tell us: “A small team of A+ players can run circles around a giant team of B and C players.”

2. What Are the Team Dynamics Like?

Pay attention to the team dynamics. They are important. Candidates can quickly tell whether your recruiters are working with or against each other. This speaks volumes about your company culture. If the recruiters work together, candidates will be attracted to your collaborative company. If the recruiters work against each other, candidates will be put off by the cutthroat environment.

Building a strong team of recruiters impacts not only your ability to recruit other recruiters, but also the strength of your employer brand. 

3. Who Is Skilled at Using Social Media?

Use social media to find recruiters who are adept at using social media as a tool. Today, a recruiter must maintain a talent pipeline and manage the flow of current candidates as well as those who might become candidates at a later date. You might say recruiters have to become candidate curators.

A seasoned recruiter can tell you when a candidate is ready to move on and whether or not a given job opportunity  is right for them. A great recruiter manages relationships using social media tools.

In summary, when it comes to recruiting recruiters, you need to do three things: recruiter from your best recruiters; pay attention to recruiting team dynamics; and use social media to find tech-savvy recruiters. Remember this, and you’ll find the best recruiters for your company.