As recruiters, making strong human connections is a cornerstone to our success. In order to do our job, we must make a connection with our hiring manager, make a separate connection with our candidates, and then serve as a conduit to fuse the two together.
In fact, this is so important that, at Kinetix, we’ve identified 6 behaviors that make successful recruiters–one of those is by being a Connector.
Mr. Rogers once said, “The connections we make in the course of a life – maybe that’s what Heaven is.” Mr. Rogers, as most kids in my era can attest, was a wise man. Think about how many times in a day we have a chance to make connections through our interaction and communication with others. How often does that turn into a negative connection? More often than we would want. As recruiters, our success depends on making solid connections.
Here are 5 tools to use to create strong human connections.
#1: Set the Stage for Connection
Because we are dealing with humans, we must create the right conditions for connections. The first step in making connections is to remove any barriers to connection. If you are meeting in person, sit side-by-side. Don’t place objects between you that could symbolize a wall. If the meeting is on the phone, make sure that there are not distractions in the room that could build a barrier.
The second part of setting the stage is to create “points of touch.” In person, this could include something as casual as high-fives. On the phone, you would use connection phrases such as, “Really?” or “That’s interesting.” These “points of touch” lower the sense of separation between two people.
#2: Maintain Eye Contact
Maintaining eye contact shows that you are present in the conversation. Eye contact shows that your full focus is on the other person and it lets them know that you “get them.”
Maintaining eye contact is easy in person. However, on the phone, where most recruiters live, it’s a little more difficult. Use the connection phrases as a stand-in for eye contact. These show that you are present and listening.
#3: Listen and Summarize
When in a conversation, one of the most powerful tools to use is to listen and summarize what the other person said back to them. This summarization should be in your words to really drive it home to the candidate that you understand what they are saying.
#4: Call Out Commonalities
Identifying similarities to another person is one of the most formidable factors of persuasion. These commonalities put people into sync with each other and further strengthen that bond.
#5: Discover What Moves the Other Person
Read the other person and understand where their passions lie. Ask questions to find what motivates them. Understand how they are wired. Then steer the conversation in that direction.
Wrapping It Up In A Bow
These 5 tools require small changes to our current approach but can pay off quickly. To make it easy, select the first tool, put it into practice, see the improvement, and then implement the next one.
Let’s get started. Get out there. Make strong connections! You can do it!