The Secret to Finding Recruiters

You are not alone if you are struggling to find and hire recruiters. We get regular calls from our staffing firm clients asking us to help them fill their internal openings for recruiters. Well, you’re in luck. We do know how to find recruiters for your staffing firm. I’m going to let you in on the secret. Wait for it… don’t look for a recruiter!

Yes, that’s right. When you are searching for a recruiter for your staffing office, do not look for someone with recruiting experience. Your hiring requirements should not include recruiting experience. Your interview should not include questions about recruiting experience. Your job posting should not say, “Recruiting experience required” or even preferred.

Recruiters are in high demand. Staffing recruiters are getting lured away to corporate recruiter positions for more pay and benefits. You can certainly up your game to keep your existing staff by evaluating your compensation plans. But when it comes to finding new recruiters in the market, look to those job seekers that want a career versus a job, a new opportunity to grow, and that exhibit the traits of a high-performing recruiter.

The Data

According to a recent report in the ASA Workforce Monitor, a periodic online survey conducted by The Harris Poll, “most of Gen Z expects to look for a new job in the next year (71%), and more than half say a career change is likely in that time (53%). Millennials, too, have change in mind, as about six in 10 are likely to job hunt (63%) or change careers (58%). Members of Gen X are somewhat less likely to look for a new job (41%) or change careers (35%) than their younger counterparts.” In addition, the three most important factors if they were looking for a new job in the next year, are pay, by a wide margin, followed by flexible work hours and benefits/perks. In another ASA Workforce Monitor from late 2021, “among those employed, 84% of Millennials view an employer’s professional development and training offerings as important considerations when accepting a new job, along with 79% of Baby Boomers and 79% of Generation X. Seven in 10 of those in Generation Z (70%) share this view.”

Tallann Resources partnered with a national firm specializing in measuring people success – PeopleBest. They helped us ‘crack the DNA’ of what makes a high-performing recruiter in the staffing industry. Using a web-based inventory tool, PeopleBest created a unique profile of winning attributes for staffing recruiters. Those traits are Connecting with Others, Interpersonal Savvy, Expressiveness, Self-imposed Routine, Task Orientation, Administrative & Clerical Skills, and (the number 1 most important) Emotional Composure. Check out this article to learn more on these high-performing competencies.

Assimilating the Data

Let’s go back to our secret of not searching for a recruiter, but hiring someone that will be a high-performing recruiter. Who are these people and where do you find them? Look to the data.

These would be people either early in their work history, or most definitely in jobs that are not what they want for a career. They are in entry-level paying jobs with little professional training. People currently working in jobs that also require competencies similar to those high-performing recruiter competencies. They are in high volume work environments, requiring customer service skills and attention to detail.

Is it becoming more obvious? Find your future recruiters in front-end food service and retail jobs! Of course, you’ll need to use all your recruiting tricks beyond posting on the job boards to uncover these candidates. You’ll also need to use your behavioral interviewing techniques to ensure these candidates have the desired competencies. And remember, these new hires are not recruiters, so you’ll need to have an orientation and training program to teach them the needed recruiting skills, your systems and procedures to set them up for success.

Now you know the secret!