How easy is this question to answer?  “Our database” or “the Internet” or “it’s confidential” all seem like straightforward responses, but take a moment and consider the possible missed opportunity that exists if you simply declare the originating source.  Review the responses in this NLE Library section and recognize that in most, the answers are delivered in a way that could elevate your level of being perceived as in industry expert, as well as pat the candidate on the back at the same time.  The most common response that candidates hear is “it’s confidential” – so remember that if you say the same thing as other recruiters, you miss an opportunity to differentiate yourself in a short window of time.

This is a fair question to ask, but think about why a candidate would ask it.  Do they want to hear you say that they were highly recommended, and are just looking for some words of affirmation?  Are they actively looking, and concerned that perhaps others are now aware of their discontent?  Are they concerned that their current employer is having you feel them out and report back to them?  Perhaps they recently had a conversation with a peer who was working with a recruiter, and they are curious as to if you are the same recruiter working with their friend.  Or, are they simply curious as to how you, a stranger that they have never spoken with before, came across their information?  Respond without delay and without hesitation in order to help build confidence and trust in the candidate relationship, but you have the opportunity to think through your response and craft it in a way that can elevate your level credibility and likeability all at the same time.

Scripts

Scripted Responses

Video

Perhaps the best and most direct way to address the concern of “Where did you get my name?” is through acknowledgement and expansion; there are as many explanations as there are possibilities of how you could have sourced the individual. In this video, NLE Foundation shows three variations to this response.

Like a great reporter never reveals the name of their source for a big story, responding to an inquiry of how you received a candidate’s name can be as simple as maintaining the confidentiality of your source.  This clip from the NLRT DVD Training Series shows you how.