Whether you are an experienced recruiter or a rookie, matching candidates is one of the most difficult skills to master. You have worked hard to recruit qualified candidates. You are in the process of developing rapport and trust with each candidate. The next step is to match the candidates’ credentials with the hot contract assignments (all levels) and direct hire job orders in your office.
In order to make appropriate matches, the following four steps must occur:
- Interview your candidates to find out which direct hire job order or contract assignment opportunity will hit their hot buttons (the real reason they will go through the trauma of a change).
- Understand the specs of the direct hire job orders and contract assignments in your office so that you can enthusiastically present opportunities to each candidate. It’s very effective to show your candidates how the position being presented is exactly what they described as their next career move (quote words and answers from their interview that hit their hot buttons).
- Familiarize yourself with the client companies. Learn key selling points and know why they would impress your candidates. It’s not enough just to know about the jobs. Illustrate the client company’s reputation and share quotes from past placement success stories.
- Determine if the hourly pay rate/salary range and location are commensurate with the needs and wants of your candidates.
How Percentages Make Matching Easier
Using percentages is one method that will improve your ability to match the best candidate to each contract assignment or job order. When you receive a request from a hiring authority, take time to break down the duties and responsibilities into percentages. What amount of time will the person in the role spend on each area of responsibility? In order to obtain this information, you need to show hiring authorities how they benefit from providing you with this information. The job might be available because they want to increase one specific area of responsibility, which was not the strength of the prior person in the job. If you are made aware of this, you can appropriately query your recruiting software to find a candidate who has the strength or experience your client desires.
It is important to obtain percentages from the candidates you interview, too. Find out how much time is being spent on each area of responsibility at their current or most recently held job. However, don’t assume that the current breakdown of responsibilities is what the candidates want out of their next opportunity. They might well be making a job change because they want to spend more of their working hours focused on the tasks they enjoy most.
Once you have a clear picture of the requisition, as well as your candidates’ preferences, your ability to make better matches will dramatically increase. This will help you select the best candidates and will also optimize the duration and retention rates of your placements.
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Barb Bruno, CPC/CTS is a guest writer for the FoxHire Recruiter Training Blog. You can hire her for your next conference or event or for in-house training. Barb’s training techniques have guided thousands to a higher level of sales and profits. She is best known for her methodical, easy-to-implement strategies that she shares with her audiences. Her enthusiasm is contagious! If you would like to hire Barb, please call 219.663.9609, email support@staffingandrecruiting.com, or visit Good as Gold Training online.
