Onto the next! There are so many names out there, a seemingly endless amount of candidates yet to reach out to. Or maybe it’s “Got it, is there anyone in your network you would recommend?”
I grew up recruiting with a phone and one fifth of a shared computer. Every conversation is important. Some ways are obvious, like candidate experience and long-term relationship building, but let’s talk about the task at hand: filling an open position.
First ask for companies. Then ask for people.
If a person is asked for referrals, they immediately go to what won’t work. "This person won’t move, or that person isn’t looking" so they don't share any names.
I love to use this time to go into full force research mode, to run my target list by them and ask their opinion on companies. Any other companies would they target if they were me? What companies are leading the charge? Then I’ll ask if they know any person in particular. If not, I have a pep in my step with new target companies. Plus I learned a lot, and this stuff is so fascinating.
If you’re having trouble finding great candidates, take your time with the conversations in front of you. It’s a treasure hunt.