Yes, you read that right.

Hire more drinkers!

Every new recruiter brought into our industry should be a drinker.

Oh, wait, slight typo!

I mean, you have got to hire more D.R.I.I.N.C.K.A.E’s

A whole new generation of recruiters are being employed across the world, as our industry fires up after the Covid disaster.

It is a great thing that many ‘newbies’ are being brought in and trained. New blood. Fresh energy. A chance to get it right from the start.

But we know that 80% of people hired into recruitment do not last two years. A considerable percentage don’t last three months. So what profile is most likely to work? Young grad? Sales experience? Deep sector-knowledge. Someone great at sports? I have heard all the theories.

Let me give you mine. It is way better.

Hire D.R.I.I.N.C.K.A.E’s.

And I am pretty sure this is valid across all business in the modern age—certainly, those selling a service or an idea.

This is what a D.R.I.I.N.C.K.A.E looks like.

Digital Fluid: People who ‘get digital’, are comfortable with social media, can build an online brand, are great e-sourcers, can find people on the web, and can build relationships online. They maximise the ATS and leap on any new tech brought in to automate the mundane. But they are not one-trick digital ponies. They know when to pivot to in-real-life comms. When to move offline to face to face, or on the phone. They know that the real value in recruitment is managing ‘the moments of truth’, where human influencing skills make all the difference.

Reach: And by ‘reach’, I mean a network. We know that immense value comes from being able to access candidates that others can’t. So, hire people who know people. People who are ‘connected’ and known in a niche. People who may not know ‘everyone’, but they know the right people who know other ‘right’ people. They know where to find the right people, and once they do, they have instant credibility with them.

Intelligence: Hugely underestimated in recruitment, I have found. Intelligence that is. Everyone says recruitment is ‘not rocket science’. True, but it’s not easy either. Over the long term, doing recruitment well requires an incredible mix of street smarts, commercial nous, interpersonal intelligence, and much more. In the modern era, clients and candidates just will not accept mediocrity. I am talking about intellectual prowess, which earns credibility and emotional intelligence—knowing when to shut up, when to speak, what to say, what not to say.

Influencing skills. This is the big one. Huge. Look for people who have these already, or have the potential to develop them. Questioning skills. Listening skills. Storytelling. The ability to gain trust through credibility and impact the key moments to create better outcomes for the greater good. This is a must-have! So many recruiters are transactors. Good at logistics. This is not enough anymore!

No dickheads: Sure, you can bill, but you are not that nice to have around. You lack respect for clients, candidates, and colleagues. You do more damage than good. You create unrest and tension. No matter how much you bill, I won’t hire you. Ever.

Content: Yes, the ability to write. Not emails so much, but that’s a bonus. I mean blogs, status updates, compelling profiles, and InMails to open up a candidate outreach conversation.

Knowledge and niche: Specialisation is the future of recruitment. A mile deep and an inch wide. Credibility through expertise. That’s the way.

Attitude over résumé:  Always. We can fill in the gaps in your experience and skills if you have the right attitude. Hire attitude. And hire on the trajectory.

Empathy: I know, crazy word when talking about recruiters. But the days of the arrogant, showy, pushy, superficial recruiter are over. Do you want great candidates to work with you? You have got to feel their pain and understand their hot buttons. That is the only way to build an offline brand and become a ‘talent magnet’.

So, there it is. Throw away your old Job Descriptions.

If you are hiring a new recruiter, only hire drinkers.

Sorry, I mean D.R.I.I.N.C.K.A.E’s

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