Recruiters spend their days finding new jobs for candidates, but at the end of the day what they are really doing is a sales role. Recruiters sell at every opportunity, whether they are phoning up a company who is recruiting to sell their services as an agency, or selling a new job proposition to a candidate, the “gift of the gab” allows them to manipulate situations and ultimately make money. Selling is a huge part of a recruiters role, but there are proven benefit’s to also un-sell the role to the candidate as well! Here’s why:
You will manage their expectations
If you want to build a lasting relationship with your client then ideally you want to be placing the kind of candidates who will stay for the long term, and really gel with their existing company culture and values. If you place a candidate who joins and then a week later quits because the recruiter sold them a fake reality, then it’s a fast track to breaking that candidate relationship. There’s no point in hiding the truth or embellishing the reality when it comes to recruiting, after all it’s a lot worse to have to give back commission if a candidate quits during the rebate period than finding an alternative candidate at the interview stage!
It builds trust
The recruitment industry gets a bit of a bad rep from time to time, probably down to the fact that people don’t always trust someone who is selling them something! If you can demonstrate genuine honesty at this point in the process then your candidates and clients are far more likely to trust you. The key is to still stress all of the positives a role has to offer and not talk them out of the job altogether, but still be clear about factors that the candidate may see as a negative (e.g. long working hours, less attractive benefits package etc.).
They will make a real informed decision
With all of that sales experience it can be easy for a recruiter to manipulate a candidate’s decision making at the point of a job offer – especially with a looming monthly target and the promise of some tasty commission! But it all boils back to the subject of retention! You want candidates to make a choice that is really right for them, otherwise you’ll risk them dropping out of the process down the line! If you can deliver a transparent offer stressing all of the great points as well as those that can be seen as a negative, then you’ll have a better chance of your deals sticking!
It helps with the final close
Now the above three points are quite anti-sales, however the un-sell can actually support you even more with that final close. For example if you get an offer for a candidate but under-sell this at the pre-close phone-call, it allows you to then deliver the real more attractive offer and help them feel you got them a package that is even better than expected! Be very careful here though, mentioning salary figures below what was previously agreed can send a candidate running, so always refer to your initial qualification!
Have you tried to un-sell the job offer to your candidates? Let us know your thoughts at [email protected]!
