JobScore

The secret to closing candidates

The word closer invokes the image of a sliver-tongued salesperson: someone who can sell water to a drowning man. In recruiting, closing isnt about superhuman negotiation skills or techniques to get people to sign on the dotted line. Theres just one rule for recruiters who close:

Only present candidates that will close.

95% of a recruiters job is done before a candidate is presented to a manager. Recruiters who close learn what it will take for someone to accept a job and share this information with the hiring manager before the first interview happens. Closers get hiring managers the advance intelligence they need to hire candidates. Closers know that for hires to happen, they must present candidates - and that their recommendations are only as good as the information they use to screen candidates. They are constantly gathering information about what it will take to fill positions. Every submission yields one of two things: a hire or more information about what it will take to fill a job (so the next submission is better). Closers understand that the hiring process is iterative. Closers listen. They know there’s no problem with hiring managers saying NO, as long as they explain WHY offering direct, constructive feedback so the next candidate they screen and present is more likely to close. Recruiters who close tell the truth and build trust. They speak plainly and aren’t afraid to deliver bad news. They grease the wheels of the hiring process through clear communication, and rarely have candidates rejected for the same reason twice. Closers unearth the good, the bad & the ugly and diplomatically share this information, managing expectations so that there are no big surprises in the interview process.