Wondering whether you’ve got what it takes to succeed as a corporate recruiter? Sure, you may be outgoing and be able to strike up a conversation with anyone – but the skills needed to be a recruiter go beyond being extroverted. From being the consummate salesperson to possessing a hunter’s mentality, here are the six skills I consider most important if you want to become a corporate recruiter.

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Wondering whether you’ve got what it takes to succeed as a corporate recruiter? Sure, you may be outgoing and be able to strike up a
conversation with anyone – but the skills needed to be a recruiter go beyond being extroverted. From being the consummate
salesperson to possessing a hunter’s mentality, here are the six skills I consider most important if you want to become a corporate
recruiter:
1. Strong sales skills. Recruiting is all about sales. Not only do recruiters need to sell their clients (internal or external), but they also
need to sell candidates on opportunities. Being able to articulate why company X is an employer of choice and why a particular
opportunity is the opportunity of a lifetime is vital in helping candidates make confident professional decisions
2. Innate ability to cultivate and build relationships. With an abundance of sites, networks, tools and platforms to source talent,
anyone can pull a name out of a database and place a call. An effective recruiter, however, knows how to use these tools to build
relationships with these candidates. By cultivating an open, friendly and communicative relationship, the candidate’s overall
experience improves. The recruiter stands out professionally, and most importantly, the potentially company is seen as an employer of
choice.
3. A hunter’s mentality. Recruiters are big game hunters, and having the mindset to hunt and be relentless until the hunt is done is a
priceless skill set. A recruiter who sits at a desk, logs into Monster and keyword searches all day does not have the right hunter
mentality. You want someone who will use cold-calling, social media, Boolean searches, networks, etc. in order to find the strongest
and most qualified individuals.
4. Strong follow-up skills. How hard is it to return a call or an email? You might be surprised! I have heard all the horror stories of a
recruiter (agency or corporate alike) calling someone frantically, building them up and setting them up to interview, only to never reach
back out to the candidate again. This breeds negativity and mistrust and is inherently not conducive to relationship building. It’s a
minimal time investment to update a candidate, hiring manager, co-worker, etc. on events. Make the commitment and follow through
to give yourself a competitive advantage.
5. Ability to give clear advice and push back, as needed. Recruiting is a science, and there are methods and processes. The
majority of hiring managers need to be consulted on these procedures and processes in order to build long-term success and proper
process flow. Good recruiters have the ability to advise and push back on their clients if need be. A good recruiter will act as a trusted
advisor for their clients, and in return, clients will respect and act on given advice.
6. Personable and approachable. As a candidate, meeting a recruiter at a career fair or even working up the nerve to give a recruiter
a call can be a nerve-wracking process. All too often I find recruiters make candidates feel nervous; my approach is to put them at
ease. I answer my phone calls and return emails. People will call me and express surprise that I even answered my phone. They are
even more surprised that I am in a good mood, ask them how they are doing, thank them for their call, and take one minute of my time
to let them introduce themselves and follow up with me. My mother always told me that I could catch more bees with honey than I can
with vinegar – and this saying certainly holds true with recruiting!
If you are a recruiter, what skills do you find have served you the best? I invite you to share your thoughts below.
What Skills Do You Need to Become a Recruiter?
by
Curt Webb
Managing Partner – Accounting and Finance