I broke into the recruiting world as an executive assistant for a boutique recruiting agency. Within a year, I was promoted to executive recruiter. In July 2022, we had 24 active searches split between three recruiters—almost more than we could handle—and we were nearing our best year yet. “The sky’s the limit!” I thought. I was so excited to get to work and start raking in the cash.
And then the market shifted. Searches dried up, candidates became fickle, and I was suddenly a recruiter in a very down market. Though I felt deflated, my boss said that I would learn more this way, that it would make me a better recruiter. Turns out, she was right.
I learned the importance of follow-up. I learned how to be an advisor to candidates, how to earn their trust, and how to determine what really motivates them as individuals. Starting my recruiting career in a down market taught me the all-too-often-overlooked fundamentals of recruiting, and taught me grit and determination—because in times like that, the wins didn’t come easily. But when they did, it felt great.
Recruiting is cyclical, and even in down markets, you can be successful. I was hoping to close ten searches in my first year, but I only closed two. Still, I focused on the fundamentals and pushed forward—and in my second year I closed thirteen searches, still in a fairly slow market.
Here are six fundamental skills every recruiter must master and rely on to be successful—even and especially in a down market.
1. Build relationships
Recruiting is a relationship-based business—one where you can’t afford to treat candidates like just another resume. Recruiting is about the long game. Taking a moment to understand each candidate’s career goals builds trust and rapport.
If this position isn’t the right fit for someone, the next one may be. What’s important to them as they consider a new position? Title? Organization size? PTO? Bonus? Are they open to relocation? Ask these questions and most importantly, document them in your ATS.
I also like to do twice-yearly check-in calls with my candidates, typically during slow times. I’ll call each one and ask how things are going in their career, whether they’re open to opportunities, what kind of positions I should call them about in the future, etc.
These calls are not just about maintaining these relationships, but they’re also a great business development opportunity. After I ask about their career goals, I shift the conversation: What are you seeing in your organization? What are your strategic goals for next year? As you look across your teams, what do you worry about most from a strategic talent perspective? This is a great way to plant seeds to grow future business.
2. Pick up the phone—again and again
Not everyone answers their phone. So when I have outbound campaigns, I leave voicemails, send emails, and reach out via LinkedIn all at once.
However, I’m a firm believer that you must screen candidates over the phone. Every point of contact you make should be with the end goal of getting the candidate on the phone. According to callify.ai, 46% of candidates don’t answer a recruiter’s call the first time. Success as a recruiter requires the discipline of following up consistently. Leaving a voicemail one time is not going to cut it. I make about seven points of contact over a few weeks before giving up on a candidate. Make a daily call goal and stick to it. Every call you make is one call closer to finding the right candidate or client.
3. Prep your candidates
Taking the time to prep candidates offers a high ROI. The candidate will see this as a value add; it helps build trust and shows that their candidacy is important to you. In addition, they will likely perform better in the interview, increasing your chances of a placement.
I hold a prep call with my candidates before each interview. In this 15-minute call, I’ll cover interview logistics, any details I have about the interviewer, plus topics and questions that will likely come up during the interview. I walk candidates through some of the major mistakes we see in interviews—answers that are too long, lack of enthusiasm, and on Zoom interviews, barking dogs in the background and poor lighting. Finally, I give the candidate an opportunity to ask any questions they may have.
4. Don’t ghost your candidates
Always follow up with your candidates as promised, even if the update is, “there is no update right now.” Candidates want to be kept in the loop and know what to expect. They devote a lot of time, energy, and effort to the interview process, especially for executive-level positions, going through multiple rounds of interviews with various stakeholders, on-site interviews, and even assessments. The least we can do is pick up the phone and tell the candidate they weren’t selected. There’s nothing more reputation-eroding for a recruiter or hiring organization than ghosting your candidates.
5. Provide feedback
When dispositioning candidates, offer feedback on their candidacy—whether the search committee saw them as more operational and less strategic, the other candidate had more applicable experience, or it simply wasn’t a cultural fit. This is a great opportunity to provide value and position candidates for success in future interviews.
6. Leverage your ATS
In my agency I’m known as the Documenting Queen. The way I see it, if a conversation isn’t documented, it didn’t happen. Your ATS should be your once source of truth—housing notes for every call you’ve made, every conversation had, and important information about candidates like their salary expectations.
Adding details to the ATS after a call is giving your future self a gift. But that’s not the only way to make your ATS work for you. Leverage any automation it offers like follow-up call activities, email templates, or even color coding. All of these things will allow you to work more effectively and efficiently, leading to better results.
A slow market offers a unique gift to recruiters—the opportunity to become better. Successful recruiters will use a challenging market to hone their skills, cultivate relationships, and get creative about finding candidates.