Mike Radice

If you have your team aiming at ambiguous targets, feedback becomes a subjective mechanism that holds less validity. By setting clear performance expectations and explaining why the standards matter, most Recruiters can self-assess how they stack up. From there, your feedback acts as a propellant to help your Recruiters get better. You're not criticizing - you're helping them problem-solve in the areas that are giving them difficulties. Approach feedback as a diagnostic tool - "I'm seeing you have trouble with X, let's work together to get you over that hump."

Create an environment where your teammates are comfortable receiving feedback by encouraging them to share feedback with you. Share your mistakes and missteps with the team and highlight how you're working on them. When your teammates do give you feedback, thank them and incorporate it into your game. When you need to give feedback, empathize with your Recruiter's situations and difficulties. Recruiting is a challenging job that requires expertise in a multitude of areas, all of which need regular work to build each muscle. Highlight the good things they're doing. Position the feedback in a way that is designed to help them get even better at their role. Give them small, actionable steps to see improvement. Build on the small wins.

The only way to run successful searches is to approach each conversation with the hiring manager as a business partner, not an order taker. When hiring managers see that you are vested in their success, they lean in. This only happens by building the relationship at every opportunity. Ask questions about their current team makeup and the gaps that this role will fill. Show genuine empathy when discussing the negative consequences of the role remaining unfilled and the pain points they're feeling. Bring expertise and enthusiasm to the search process - give them the confidence that "you've got this." Then keep them informed. Communicate every step of the way. Use each touchpoint as an opportunity to further build the relationship.

Clear, consistent communication will give you the best chance to turn skeptics into believers. Position yourself as the owner of the process early on, starting with the intake call. Run that meeting with an agenda, asking thorough questions, probing vague answers, and challenging unrealistic expectations with data and perspective. Listen to their needs and offer creative solutions to guide them towards a successful hire. With the search underway, communicate regularly - failing to provide regular updates creates the assumption you're not prioritizing their role. Communicate your efforts in real time, regularly update pipeline status, highlight challenges, and make recommendations to improve the efficiency of the interviewing process.

When hiring managers aren't taking you seriously, it typically boils down to one of two reasons: 1. They don't see you as a skilled partner. 2. They're too busy to make hiring a priority. The first reason indicates that you can improve certain elements of your craft. To be viewed in these conversations as a hiring expert (a Recruiter's role), research the world of your hiring manager, make sure your communications are clear and specific, and add value by speaking to industry trends and prior hiring data. If hiring isn't a priority, you have an educational opportunity. Guide them through the full hiring process, highlighting realistic timelines to get someone on board, and offer to take on as many of the routine elements as you can.

The best thing a Recruiter can do is sit down with a technical expert BEFORE they begin conducting Recruiter screens. Ask specific questions: - "What do great people have on their resume that would separate them from an average candidate? - "What are the things I should be screening for in my conversation to make sure the candidates have what they need before they advance in the process?" - "What are the types of questions you ask in your interviews to understand a candidate's knowledge of XYZ?" If there are required technical components that you don't understand, leverage the expert's knowledge base. Ask if there are any resources (blog posts, YouTube videos, ChatGPT prompts, etc.) that will help you get up to speed quickly.