Before presenting any candidate to your client, it is necessary is to prioritize this candidate and move forward only with those candidates you have a high likelihood of placing. Just because a prospective candidate volunteers him or herself for consideration does not necessarily mean that you can, or have to, help them. Developing a discerning nature will not only allow you to brand yourself as a true professional, but you also will elevate yourself in the eyes of your clients, who appreciate you presenting them with only the top tier of talent in their organization.
Utilizing a Candidate Data Sheet form will help you thoroughly and comprehensively understand the relevant components that make up who a candidate is. This tool can provide a structure for your call to help you determine if the candidate is the right match for your current search or other searches, determine the validity of the motivating factors behind making a career move, and identify any red flags that may arise throughout the process. Matching your candidates with your clients is a meticulous process; if you present every candidate who comes across your desk, you are not providing any value to your clients.
Outside of the obviously unqualified or outside-of-your-niche candidates, it’s fair to go through the steps of taking a CDS on any candidates who indicate an interest in your current position, other peripheral positions you may be keeping on your radar screen, or who are possibly open to exploring other opportunities but they aren’t completely sure what those opportunities look like just yet. Outside of an individual who isn’t even moderately interested in exploring other opportunities, it can be a good use of your time to go through the steps of getting to know this candidate further – even if he or she isn’t 100% sure they are committed to making a move.
How much time you choose to invest in getting to know a candidate will be the difference between utilizing the Condensed Candidate Data Sheet tool and a full, comprehensive, Solid CDS form.
Condensed Candidate Data Sheets – Learn more.
In some circumstances, taking an hour to get to know a candidate may not be the most effective use of time. The individual could perhaps be only moderately interested in other opportunities, or is locked in where they are an extended period of time due to a large bonus or contractual stipulations, or be outside the scope of your defined niche but still possibly a placeable candidate in the future. The Condensed Candidate Data Sheet form allows you to ask the most critical information, in five to ten minutes, that you can then keep on file for future searches and conversations.
Solid Candidate Data Sheets – Learn more.
Using a comprehensive Candidate Data Sheet will allow you to thoroughly screen a candidate to ensure that there is a strong match with the criteria your client initially stated they needed. It is essential to understand your candidate’s primary duties and responsibilities in their current role, you need to comprehend their background and what specific benefits they bring to your client organization, and you need to understand precisely their reasons and motivations behind being receptive to making a change. Remember that clients pay recruiters to identify, attract, evaluate, and then land what we call “fee worthy” candidates. Not every unemployed candidate who needs a job is fee-worthy, not every candidate who even says they want to talk to your client is fee-worthy, and remember that your value will be determined by your ability to land the best
