Great recruiters have four critical traits that create trust and respect, or "personal equity", according to international recruitment expert, Kevin Wheeler.

In an article published on www.ere.net, Wheeler says "some recruiters seem to find it easy to make placements and get hiring managers to accept the candidates they send".

He says these recruiters have "four critical traits that add up to trust and to the creation of trust and respect. This is your 'equity' or personal capital.

"When you don't have it, everyone assumes the worst and requires you to go out of your way to show a candidate's quality."

Wheeler says personal equity is similar to the kind of prestige that CPAs, doctors and some other professionals have.

"It is built through education, certification, age, experience, and relationship. Because there are no certifications for recruiters, and the barriers to becoming a recruiter are not very high, it is the most powerful tool a recruiter can have."

(Note: The RCSA has introduced an accreditation system for consultants.)

The first trait: Intimate business knowledge

Wheeler gives the example of a recruiter who has "been there" and worked in the industry in which they recruit, saying these people have a good mental map of the skills, competencies and experience levels that would be appropriate for most of the positions.

But he says if you don't have this background, "you can still gain this expertise by showing interest in the work your hiring managers do". He says you should spend time with them to show that you grasp the essentials of their output and needs.

As well, Wheeler says, "talk to 'star' performers to figure out what they have that makes them successful, read annual reports, talk to people who know the organisation's strategy, and keep yourself fully informed about changing business and technology conditions. You have to be able to have an intelligent and informed conversation about the products, business, and issues that your hiring managers face."

The second trait: Relationship with the hiring managers

"While most of us cannot be technical experts in the areas we recruit for, we can spend the time to become acquainted with the hiring managers," Wheeler says.

"We can sit in on their staff meetings and we can be with them when they grapple with tough decisions."

Wheeler says, "we may have to invite ourselves on occasion, but after a while, we will be part of their team."

He says that to be branded as someone who understands the needs of hard-working managers is "the highest form of personal equity you can acquire, but it takes work and time to develop."

The third trait: Focus on the right candidates

Wheeler says great recruiters learn how to source and focus on the right candidates. They don't spend time screening candidates who are long shots or poor fits; they use their knowledge about where the kinds of people they are after tend to be found and go there to find them.

He gives the example of a recruiter who knew the engineering hiring managers he worked with liked people with an automotive background or at least with an interest in cars. "That became a key screening criterion, not the only one for sure, but an important one. He asked candidates about cars and assessed their interest and skills in working on cars."

Wheeler advises you to find out the traits and characteristics that tend to be influential in getting hiring managers interested in a candidate, and leverage that knowledge.

"A good sourcer is a great networker, someone who spends enough time with hiring managers to really know what they need and want in a successful employee."

The fourth trait: Sell both the candidate and the hiring manager

Finally, Wheeler says great recruiters are able to speak to candidates in their language and assess them against the criteria they know will really count to the hiring manager. "[A great recruiter is] able to take the complex soup of corporate culture, hiring manager personality, technical skill needs, and candidate desire and sell both parties on success."

He says you should take the time to develop a deep understanding of the environment. Know what pressures and goals managers face, then find candidates who could help them overcome the pressures or achieve the goals.

"Good recruiters can make those pressures look like exciting challenges to a candidate and infuse enthusiasm for the candidate's abilities in the hiring managers."

Wheeler says: "Personal equity is what sets you aside and exceeds what might be expected. No one gains trust or equity without a track record of results and without working at building relationships.

"It takes hard work to build up your equity. It is not something won in a day or a month or often even in a year. It takes determination, study, knowledge, and practice. But the payback is huge."


You can read Wheeler's article in full here: Become a Great Recruiter: How to build trust and success.