Stop! Collaborate & Listen – how to win the heart of the candidate

We all know that finding a new job can be very stressful; from searching for work, preparing the application and speaking to the recruiter – and that’s all before being offered the job! With this in mind, recruiters should always try and understand what’s motivating their candidates, be it psychologically or emotionally, so they can offer support and advice throughout the process. Here’s three simple steps for achieving this…

Step 1: Understand and motivate

With many factors spurring someone on to start a new job search – from lack of career growth at their current company to disagreements with the boss – it’s your job to identify the reasons for each individual.

So listen carefully and don’t be afraid to ask open-ended questions that get to the root of the candidate’s career motivations.

However, do not be satisfied with a surface level response – always probe for more details and help paint a picture of what life could be like at your company.

Define what makes the job seeker happy in their chosen career and show them how they could achieve these goals if they made the move.

Step 2: Help the candidate fall in love with your company 

Once you’ve established the candidate’s motivations, you can then start to personalise the process.

As well as asking the staple interview questions, you should also tailor some questions to the requirements of your candidate.

For example, if your candidate loves to travel, you should highlight an open PTO policy. Other motivators may include flexible working hours, money or location, so take this information and tailor your approach accordingly.

Step 3: Commit to the role

Now you’re ready to make the offer.

For this you will once again have to delve in to the psychological drivers unearthed at the start of the process.

This shouldn’t just be a monetary arrangement, indeed what you should be offering is much more than just a paycheck; it’s quality of work – and by extension – a better quality of life.

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