Relational Recruiting & Longtermism in Hiring
Some key differences between relational and transactional talent acquisition.
Talent Acquisition as Matchmaking
Effective, relational recruiting is far more sophisticated than just filling jobs and getting offers signed. (And effective sourcing, while we're at it, is far more nuanced than merely finding candidates who meet a job description!)
However, in today's fast-moving talent landscape, many TA professionals may be tempted to provide hiring managers with the first interested candidate who can perform the basic job responsibilities – and to convince that first candidate to sign an offer, even if it is unlikely to be an optimal fit. This is what we call transactional recruiting – something to avoid at all costs!
In our experience, TA professionals who perform above-average over time tend to step back from these myopic temptations and take a longer-term view of what it means to recruit effectively. This, in a nutshell, is what we call longtermism in hiring.
After all, talent acquisition may best be viewed as a form of matchmaking – but unlike matchmaking for romantic relationships, the goal of corporate matchmaking is generally not a lifelong commitment. So what does the impermanence of TA matches mean for us as recruiters?
First and foremost, it means that talent acquisition is a long game – you are likely to cross paths with past candidates and hiring managers down the road. And like any long-game strategy, building strong, authentic relationships – on the basis of trust, transparency, and mutual goals – is key.
“Like any long-game strategy, building strong, authentic relationships – on the basis of trust, transparency, and mutual goals – is key. ”
Longtermism in Hiring: Knowing Your Candidates
Given that most employees tend not to stay at the same company forever, when they do look for new opportunities, most will seek advice and introductions from recruiters who previously had their best interests at heart.
For example:
When a candidate remembers how transparent you were about the hiring manager's plans to change teams shortly after their intended start date, they'll believe you when you tell them the next manager is here to stay.
When you transparently share that you don't think a candidate will spend much time practicing a particular skill that they've expressed interest in learning, they will return that favor by coming to you the next time they're looking for a job – or accepting the next offer with which you present them.
When you partner with the compensation team to provide a candidate with a higher offer than they initially asked for (because their skills and experience merit it), they will be more likely to stick around – not just because of the higher pay, but because you demonstrated that your incentives are aligned with theirs.
Fundamentally, when a candidate can trust that you wouldn't simply funnel them into a role for the sake of closing a requisition, they are much more likely to accept an offer from you (or your client) down the road.
To end up in situations like those mentioned above, it is absolutely paramount that we take the time to really understand what our candidates are looking for. What does career growth mean to them? What do they most want to learn? What enables them to do their best work? What form of compensation is most important right now, given their financial goals?
“If we don’t...our greatest strength as relational recruiters is diminished.”
If we don't take the time to ask our candidates these and other important questions (and write down the answers!), our greatest strength as relational recruiters is diminished.
As the ancient recruiting proverb goes: know thy candidate like thou knoweth thyself.
Longtermism in Hiring: Understanding Your Hiring Managers
It is also important to note that candidates are just one of the parties whose best interests we should always keep in mind. Hiring managers deserve the same trust, transparency, and mutual goals as candidates do.
A strong, relational recruiter will take the time up front to really understand what a hiring manager needs and wants – both now and as their team grows – in order to provide them with candidates who not only meet the requirements of a job description, but will add long-term value to the team and company. Furthermore, excellent recruiters will give their hiring managers a comprehensive, authentic picture ("the good, the bad, and the ugly") of every candidate they present, in order to build rapport and foster mutual trust.
If, let's say, most of the candidates you've placed end up demonstrating below-average performance or leaving the company after 6 months, what might that imply about your ability to assess talent? Or to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth about your candidates?
If, on the other hand, a hiring manager can look back at the hires you've made and see the tangible, sustained impact they've made on their team, they tend to be much more willing to interview the next candidate you share.
The Best Talent Acquisition Professionals are Relational
At the end of the day, the best TA professionals view their roles as being fundamentally relational – they build long-term relationships that benefit all parties involved, prioritizing transparency and quality over expediency.
“When we succeed in doing this, everyone wins. And in our experience, people come back to those who helped them win.”
As TA professionals, our jobs require us to build strong relationships with candidates, hiring managers, and clients – and to pair the right candidates with the right opportunities at the right times. When we succeed in doing this, everyone wins.
And in our experience, people come back to those who helped them win.