There are traits which successful recruiters possess, and certain characteristics that derail those same people from that success. We call these the seven deadly sins of recruiting, and they are:
Pride
It's crucial to be transparent with both candidates and hiring managers. Assuming an offer will all work out in the end is quite frankly naive. You have to do your due diligence every step of the way, which includes open communication surrounding the status of the candidate's job search, role requirements, salary, and commute, and consistent check ins with both parties, including updating the hiring manager with time sensitive information. Things can shift quickly when recruiting a candidate - they can be interviewing elsewhere, accept another offer and be gone before you even had the chance to schedule their final rounds of interviews. Never assume you have it in the bag and check your pride at the door.
Envy
Sometimes I wish I could trade some reqs with my coworkers - I might want to work on a marketing search rather than finance, or more director level roles instead of entry level. Or sometimes another company looks like they have more to offer their employees. Work with what you have and accept that the grass isn't always greener. The things I have longed for when I worked at other companies didn't necessarily come to fruition when I joined a new company. There are pros and cons to every situation. Focus on what you can control. Remember, needs shift fast and I usually do end up working on that Director of Marketing role.
Wrath
Showing resentment or anger towards candidates who don't accept your offer will only bite you down the road. As will treating coworkers and hiring managers poorly. One of my favorite quotes is "The world is a small town - be nice." It is absolutely true.
I cannot tell you how many times I have come to be back in touch with people from the past who I had created a positive experience for and they consistently reach out to me or refer people to me - even several years later because I created a memorable experience for them. Those pay off in dividends.
On the flip side, I've had past recruiters, former coworkers and managers alike reach out who I had a negative experience with, asking to work with me and I graciously decline. People forgive, but they don't forget.
Gluttony
Biting off more than you can chew or taking on more than you can handle causes everyone to suffer including candidates, hiring managers, and coworkers. It's important to be honest about your workload with your manager and only accept additional work if it won't put your other reqs in jeopardy. I've been guilty of this and it's only caused problems, mainly my burn out. Now I know to be 100% transparent with my manager. It's genuinely hard for me to say no to more work, but sometimes I do tell her it's too much and fortunately she listens. Other times when she asks me if I can accept more work and when it appears overwhelming but somewhat manageable, I let her know what other projects I'm working on might suffer as a result of taking on a bigger workload and then we work together to prioritize them.
Lust
We all want the unicorn candidate, the highly sought after and nearly impossible to find person to fill our challenging requisition. They're out there, but you have to use tact when luring them to your company. These are usually people who are not actively job hunting and can have their pick of any job at any company of their choosing. You don't have to schmooze them - in fact, I urge against that type of behavior in general. But you do have to be respectful, honest, communicative and yes, charming. If you don't create a positive candidate experience from the get-go, you've lost them.
Sloth
Don't be lazy in the details. Not crossing your t's and dotting your i's can get you into hot water. There are so many details that go into the recruiting process and it's important to not miss a single one of them. From your initial outreach approach, to interview experience, to negotiating salary all the way to completing reference and background checks. Missing any part of these steps could cost you a bad hire, your company a lot of money, and your reputation as a recruiter.
Greed
I prefer agreeing on salary, stock, bonus, and benefits up front with both the candidate and hiring manager. Putting it all out there early on, at least the ballpark range, saves everyone a lot of time and heartache later on. You should also assume negotiations will take place, so buffer for those.
No one is perfect and we'll all make mistakes but try to stick with these key components of what makes a successful recruiter.
