Going for the Gold (or Platinum): 3 High-Performing Recruiters Share Their Secrets to Success

Recruiting isn’t for the faint of heart — especially not in the current economic climate. Unemployment rates are at historic lows and job openings are at a historic high, a deadly combination for recruiting pros. How do you put the right candidate in the right seat when talent is so scarce and the openings are so abundant?

It may seem an impossible feat, but some recruiters can still pull it off. They’re out here sourcing top-tier candidates and making placements even when the deck is stacked against them. These are the recruiters whom Recruiter.com’s new badge system is designed to recognize.

Introduced in late June, Recruiter.com’s badge system identifies top performers on the Job Market Platform with either Gold- or Platinum-status badges, depending on the number of placements a recruiter makes and the number of interviews they book in a given time period. These badges allow employers on the Job Market to see which recruiters get great results.

What sets these high performers apart from other recruiters? How do they outperform the competition even in a tight talent market?

Here’s how, in their own words:

The Recruiters:

1. Susan Schultz, Gold-status recruiter | Owner, Inspired Integration | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook 
2. Ebony Jones and Ayokunle “Kaye” Kuye, Gold-status recruiters | Cofounders, Community Staffing LP 
3. Stephen Lee, Platinum-status recruiter

In a Shifting Market, Customer Service Counts

While the ratio of available candidates to open roles offers a quick snapshot of the talent market’s current condition, it doesn’t capture the full picture of just what recruiters are up against. A wide range of factors contributes to the challenges — and opportunities — recruiters face today.

Take technology. While many new recruitment tech solutions are designed to streamline the hiring process, the arrival of these new tools does, in fact, change the talent landscape. That takes some adjusting.

“Years ago, you spoke one on one with the client. Now, it is all computerized. It takes some getting used to for an old-timer like me!” Schultz jokes.

All jests aside, Schultz deftly incorporates new technologies into her recruiting process. In fact, she attributes her success partly to the Recruiter.com Job Market Platform: “I feel like [it] allows me to choose jobs I am good at, or in the case of one of the new clients, be on a team of recruiters who are helping to service the client.”

Jones notes another major challenge: Today’s candidates are highly savvy about navigating job opportunities. They “know what they want from a future employer,” she says. Job seekers have leverage in the market, and they aren’t afraid to use it.

At the same time, Jones sees many employers missing out on perfectly qualified candidates simply because they fail to consider all possible sources of talent. She takes it upon herself to educate organizations about the value of tapping wider talent pools.

“We stand out because we are minority-owned, and we focus on placing diverse talent who are minorities, women, LGBTQA, and veterans,” Jones says. “We realize those groups are impacted the most and generally bypassed for many opportunities — which is another reason why we love working with Recruiter.com. We get to present our candidates on a platform that supports diversity and inclusion.”

For Lee, recruiting success can be boiled down to a succinct, but powerful, formula: “It’s customer service, a sense of urgency, and trying to make sure that I’m getting the right candidates the first time and in a timely fashion.”

Get the Inside Information

As a “service-oriented recruiter,” Lee stresses the importance of listening. It is only by understanding all sides of the recruiting equation that you can make great placements.

“I try to make sure that I listen to my clients, and I listen to the internal account managers at Recruiter.com, to make sure I get as much information as I possibly can,” he says. “That way, when I integrate my own thoughts with the information that I am receiving from Recruiter.com and the client, [I can formulate] what my strategy is with regard to looking for the right talent.”

Schultz and Jones agree that insider knowledge goes a long way.

“I have been on the inside of the corporate world as a vice president of talent management, and I have been a recruiter owning my own company, so I understand both sides,” Schultz says.

“[My partner Kaye and I] bring more than 14 years of experience in working in corporate recruiting settings, so we understand job orders and hiring managers,” Jones notes.

“Definitely try to find out as much as you can about the position — not only what’s on the job description, but also a realistic job preview from your account managers at Recruiter.com,” Lee adds. “Try to get as much information about the client itself and the culture. That way, you’re not only getting the right person from a technical skill set, but also the right person for the cultural fit.”

Persevere, Persevere, Persevere

There is no doubt that recruiting great candidates is much tougher than it used to be, but as these recruiters show, it’s not impossible. All it takes is the right tech, great customer service, an open ear — and a healthy dose of persistence.

To recruiters struggling in a difficult talent market, Jones says, “Never give up! Ask questions if uncertain, and only take on roles that you love recruiting for.”

Schultz concurs: “Keep working hard. It will happen. Sometimes, it just takes a while.”

Of course, you have to be smart about when and why you choose to persevere. In Jones’s view, cutting your losses can sometimes be the best move.

“It’s okay to walk away from a role that you’ve tried to fill and move on to a role for which you may have candidates already in your database,” she says.

Recruiter.com extends its sincere gratitude to Schultz, Jones, Kuye, and Lee, as well as all active recruiters on the Job Market Platform. It is because of these skilled, determined pros that employers trust the Recruiter.com Job Market with their hard-to-fill roles.

Be sure to learn more about how Recruiter.com connects employers with an extensive network of expert recruiters to drive the hiring of top talent faster and smarter. We offer recruiters and independent professionals exciting earning and career opportunities. Visit https://www.recruiter.com/ for more information.