Recruitment: Who do they know?
by Paul Dodd
A job candidate's references are an excellent, yet often overlooked, source of such referrals.
A referred candidate is often a great fit that takes little work. Someone with an understanding of your organization or the open position matches the required attributes with someone in their circle of acquaintances, and presto -- you've got a potential hire.
That's why you want to take every opportunity you can to get those precious referrals. References are an excellent, yet often overlooked, source of such referrals.
You already have a perfectly good reason for calling the references and talking with them. As you chat, you'll explain the job you have open and the kind of person you're looking for. Once you've finished discussing the candidate in front of you, it's not a great stretch to ask the reference if they know of other people with the qualities you seek.
Of course, you'll want to assure the reference that you are not soliciting new candidates who will compete directly against the person you've just been discussing. Simply explain that you are always on the lookout for good people who might be interested in your company and the possibility of employment, whether now or sometime in the future.
A list of references is a gift of three or more brand new connections in your network. Make the most of them by asking every reference for at least one other appropriate name.
About the Author
Paul Dodd is the CEO of Head2Head, the in-house recruitment experts. For more information about improving your company's recruitment productivity while spending less, contact Paul at 416.440.0097 or paul@head2head.ca. Or for more quick recruiting tips, visit www.head2head.ca/newsletter.php
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