A Recruiting Tip That Still Holds Up

A client of mine asked if I’d be open to meeting their all-star recruitment intern and giving him a sense of executive search.

Of course.

He asked what advice I’d give to new recruiters.

I went through my usual: Work hard. You’re going to make mistakes; it's how you learn. As you get more senior, you realize that recruiting is about journey matching, relationships, trust, and setting expectations; it’s not about keyword matching or transactions.

But I wanted to leave him with something actionable that he could use now.

I thought back to when I was new, when I had no idea what I was talking about.

I told him, “When you don’t know something, there’s a way to ask without losing credibility. Start with what you do know, before getting into what you don’t.”

I still use this advice myself.

Every search is different, even if I’ve done it ten times before. Just think about what a Data leader is today versus three years ago. Or how the responsibilities of a CTO, CIO, or even a VP title vary wildly across industries and companies. These are evolving roles, and everyone thinks about them differently. 

When interviewing a candidate, instead of saying, “What does your company do?” try, “I understand you’re in the XYZ space, but what’s your edge against the competition?”

Even with brand-name companies: “I know you’re a major fintech/retailer/etc, but I also know there’s a lot of complexity behind the scenes. What are you doing differently that’s made you successful?”

The same goes for conversations with clients about their open roles. 

That mix of confidence and curiosity? It goes a long way.

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- Curious about demystifying executive search? My book Search in Plain Sight has 134 reviews (4.7 stars on Amazon / 5.0 on Audible) - thank you! https://lnkd.in/gqgu4vuq

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