Headhunting. Needless to say they would have done their deep dive into the prospects foundation
I should start in the beginning though as this was an experience worthy of sharing.
The conversation then goes something like this:
CSR: Hi Mark, I 've a pal of yours on the line, would you mind if I put them through.
Me: Certainly.
CSR: Thanks so much, have a fantastic day.
Me: Good morning, Mark Sumner talking
Head-hunter: Hi Mark, this is have you got a few minutes to talk.
Me: Certainly I, I 've about 10 minutes until my subsequent assembly, will that suffice?
Note, no company name was provided.
Jane: I located your LinkedIn profile and thought you'd be a great fit for the customer I 'm recruiting for. I can't divulge their name at this point however they're trying to find someone like you.
A fairly typical "recruiting sell", Jane then went on to explain a little bit, and allow me to emphasise "little", more about the function and the firm without mentioning any names.
This really is where the "5 suggestions on how NOT to head-hunt" come to the fore:
1. Study your potential targets
Study them via Professional networks or get info from the folks referring them / Social Media and / Google them!. Take some time to understand what unique "market segment" this particular nominee is part of their niche abilities and what they could bring to the job.
Jane had no real thought about my current job, make up of the team I currently work with or what I actually did to match it with the role she was working on with the recruiting consultant. Perhaps it was my odd name that threw her or maybe I need to pimp my LinkedIn profile a little?
2. Create Initial Rapport
Open the call by saying what you do and who you are, where you're from.
I needed to ask Jane which company she was calling from - it wasn't the hiring company.
3. Know What Makes the Job Exceptional
You must start with an attention grabber. What is in it for them? Is this chance different from other positions that are similar? What makes it increasingly interesting than what they are currently involved with?
Jane had no clue how many people where on the team, the reporting line, challenges to be confronted or plans for the company in the next 12 months. In fact she said: "Errr, Ummm, I'd like to check." It turns out she was not the recruiter but merely the, and I quote: "executive search individual head-hunting for the recruitment consultant handling this part".
4. Stay Connected even with seemingly http://www.theechonest.com desk.
Once again there was a fairly sudden end to the conversation.
I share this experience with the hope that you might never get a similar phone call, or if you are the one making the call, that you do your assignments and confirm the person on the other end has an incredible encounter, even if they say "No".
