The process of matching and presenting requires a significant amount of objectivity – one that is verifiable because of reinforcing facts or concrete evidence.  It’s important when you are making any kind of professional recommendation, as in recommending your candidate for consideration by your client, that your recommendation is an objective one based in truth – not opinions or feelings.  Use the Candidate Data Sheet and original Search Assignment to thoroughly screen a candidate to ensure that there is a strong match with the criteria your client initially stated they needed.  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 candidates for your clients – not just the first available.  A ‘fee worthy’ candidate is one who brings value significantly above and beyond the average talent pool that exists.

The good news is that a lot of the work you’ve done so far – taking a solid search assignment, taking a thorough candidate profile form for your candidate, and creating your candidate presentation form – all of this work has armed you with a good amount of the specific information you need in order to present your candidate’s information to your client!  Remember, the intent in thoroughly screening candidates is to make sure that when a candidate is submitted there is a very high ratio of submittals to first time interviews. Before you just forward an email to your hiring manager with the candidate’s resume attached, this section will provide some additional steps to take to make sure you are continuing to provide value and elevate your level of relationship with both your client and candidate.

Matching – Learn more.

It’s important, for a number of reasons, not to try to fit a square peg into a round hole.  There are two sides to this equation, and both are equally important to match to the other.  On one side of the equation, you have what the client and hiring manager are looking for with their next hire, and on the other side of the equation, you have what this candidate is looking to accomplish in making a career move.  It is essential to evaluate both sides; to do this accurately, you’ll have to go back to the drawing board of the original search assignment you took from this client, and start to walk through the process of comparing and contrasting who the client is looking to hire with who this candidate is and what he or she brings to the table.

Additionally, keep in mind the Rule of 3.  It is in your best interest to always operate from the Rule of 3 – which is to have at least 3 candidates interview on every position, and have every candidate in front of at least three opportunities.  Why is that important?  On the client side, it will give your client a strong benchmark and therefore strong level of confidence in their ultimate hire.  If they interview only one candidate, they might have a concern that they haven’t done their due diligence before bringing this one and only person on board.  You want to make sure that you are giving this client several individuals that are qualified to perform in this role.  Having three candidates in process with your client will also avoid you putting all your eggs in one candidate’s basket – and if for whatever reason one individual pulls himself from consideration, you still have several viable candidates in process.  On the candidate side, you want to make sure you are giving your candidate a high level of comfort as well that they have done their homework when evaluating their next move.  Even if this candidate was not looking to explore other opportunities initially, there is a natural tendency once a candidate starts considering one opportunity that they become curious as to “what else is out there”.  Make sure you are giving them several options to evaluate, even if it’s purely used as a benchmark against your initial client – so they have a higher level of satisfaction and closure when making that final decision.

 

Presenting – Learn more.

Before you just forward an email to your hiring manager with the candidate’s resume attached, there are steps to take to make sure you are continuing to provide value and elevate your level of relationship with both your client and candidate.  The more value you bring to the equation, the more likely your clients will continue to partner with you in the future.  The more accurate of a match you make, the longer tenure your candidates and clients will have with one another.  The more consultative you are in this equation, the more you will be relied on for your insights and recommendations.  Sending a resume is not presenting a candidate, and this section of the NLE Library will help break down the meticulous nature of matching and presenting.
A long-term career in recruitment is only achieved when there is a desire to do more than make a quick placement.  Thoroughly evaluate both the candidate and client sides of the matching equation, and then craft your professional recommendation in a way that clearly articulates the benefits they both may provide one another professionally.

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Big Biller Chad Oakley: It’s all about the deliverables when it comes to matching, presenting and having clients choose 95% of the people you present!

NLE LIBRARY

MARKETING PRESENTATION CONTENT

MARKETING PRESENTATIONS

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS

MATCHING & PRESENTING

CANDIDATE & CLIENT INTERVIEW PREPARATION

CANDIDATE & CLIENT INTERVIEW DEBRIEF

GATEKEEPERS

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS

APPROACHES

NAME GATHERING

CANDIDATE DATA SHEETS