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Recruiters: The Difference Between Good and Great

By hire-up-staffing in Industry Resources

Chris Rogers

Regional Vice President – Midwest

Hire Up Staffing & Healthcare Services


May 17, 2021

In a previous blog, we highlighted ways to maximize your staffing agency’s value. It is important to know that no two agencies are alike. While each organization may appear to offer the same product, there are two important distinctions to make certain you are getting the most value for your investment dollar. Can you guess what those are?

The two largest components to set an agency apart from another include the additional benefits and services built into their deliverables AND, perhaps most importantly, their ability to build and maintain connections.

All recruiters are in the relationship business. Yet, every recruiter has their own personal style, and not all recruiters are interested in putting your needs first. If you are utilizing a staffing agency, we strongly advise that you periodically evaluate the level of service and results you are receiving. Today’s blog will highlight ways to identify the difference between a good and a great recruiter.

If you are not currently partnering with a staffing agency, the list below will help to illustrate how Hire Up Staffing & Healthcare Services is dedicated to ensuring maximum results– through highly trained and service-focused recruiting. If you would like to talk about the possibilities for your business, please contact us! We would love the opportunity to meet with you, identify your needs, and offer customized recruiting and employment solutions.

Recruiters: The Difference Between Good and Great

Task-Oriented Versus Relationship-Oriented:

Good RecruiterGreat Recruiter
Friendly; handles tasks quicklyThrough their work, gets to know you; relationship-oriented and driven

A good recruiter is friendly and is focused on checking off the boxes to your immediate hiring needs. A great recruiter serves as a partner. They are focused on the now, as well as your long-term success. They are not only looking at the tasks at hand but in learning more about your business, asking questions about your goals, and working to cultivate a long-term strategy with you.

Service Representative Versus Experienced Advisor:

Good RecruiterGreat Recruiter
Efficient and knowledgeableServes as a coach and advisor

A good recruiter is efficient, and they know how to operate within their organization. They are helpful, however, somewhat limited in their scope. A great recruiter serves as a coach. For example, if the role is not right for a candidate, a great recruiter will offer tips for the job search, or they may know of a better-suited position available and direct the candidate to apply. A great recruiter serves as a career advisor.

Another trait of a great recruiter is that they have experience within the field they are recruiting. They have either worked in that industry themselves or have partnered with that industry long enough to know the ins and outs. They can be counted on as a recruiting specialist in that field.

Professional Communicator Versus Professional and Trusted Communicator

Good RecruiterGreat Recruiter
Is professional and informative, to a pointBuilds trust through open and transparent communication

A good recruiter is professional in their communication. When a candidate has questions, they try their best to answer them. A good recruiter may still be somewhat inexperienced and fear sharing too much with a candidate or feel uncomfortable having difficult conversations. These insecurities within a good recruiter can hurt their ability to build trust. A great recruiter is confident and works to build trust in many ways. They have a natural curiosity and are interested in getting to know their client/candidate.  They are direct yet tactful and are transparent in their way of communicating. Consistent and effective communication and transparency are the most important attributes candidates seek in a recruiter.

Transparency in communication also benefits great recruiters when it comes to their own teams. They are comfortable with setting professional boundaries to ensure the candidate/client experience is not compromised. They speak up when their plate is full and ask for support when needed.

Aware of Resources Versus Maintains a Trusted Connection with Resources

Good RecruiterGreat Recruiter
Knows their resources, who to go to and for whatHas an ever- growing trusted network of connections

Knowing their resources is important for a good recruiter. They serve their customers by knowing who to go to and for what. However, a great recruiter not only knows their resources but they have a trusted connection with them. For example, a good recruiter may find it challenging to gain the attention of a busy manager when working on scheduling an interview. A great recruiter has a strong bond with hiring managers and works to create expectations on both sides. They instill mutual respect to proactively curb any potential delays in the interview process.

A great recruiter continues to build upon a network of resources within a wide variety of industries. Through their network of connections, great recruiters can make most placements by referral. Their network serves as a springboard for endless opportunities. 

Standard Interview Skills Versus Trained Techniques and Interpersonal Flexibility

Good RecruiterGreat Recruiter
Uses a consistent and routine interview method for allHas extensive training and incorporates new techniques, adjusting to the needs of the candidate

A good recruiter likely stays within the confines of a consistent and routine method of interviewing. A great recruiter has been extensively trained on interview techniques. They also stay on top of the industry trends and key performance indicators to customize their interview questions to identify the candidate’s experience associated with them. They know how to get the best from their candidate and can customize their approach based upon need.

A great recruiter anticipates the needs of their candidates. They put thought into making their interviewee comfortable. In a March 23, 2021 article for SHRM, The Emotionally Intelligent Interviewer, Paul Falcone, a best-selling leadership author, wrote, “Look first to your icebreaker and opening-question strategies to put candidates at ease and build rapport.” Falcone continued,

Being in tune with others’ emotions and career concerns demonstrates tremendous goodwill and wisdom—the key elements of EI (Emotional Intelligence). Your interviewing becomes easier because it’s more natural, and candidates will become more engaged and excited because you’ve demonstrated a sincere interest in their career and professional development. Ultimately, you’ll make much stronger hires and build better teams. It’s a high-payoff activity that stems from a new and refreshing approach to interviewing and naturally leads to stronger onboarding and effective employee relations.

Just the Facts Versus Great Negotiators

Good RecruiterGreat Recruiter
Shares the details of the job and the compensationShares a vision of opportunity, beyond the details of the job and hourly rate

A good recruiter explains the duties of the job, along with the pay rate. A great recruiter paints the picture of opportunity for the candidate by sharing the possibilities available to them regarding their future growth. They are experienced negotiators and know how to underscore the many benefits to the candidate, both present and future. A great recruiter knows a job offer is more than just a paycheck. They sell dreams and possibilities.

In addition to our GREAT and highly trained recruiting team, Hire Up Staffing & Healthcare Services also offers an exclusive Guarantee & Commitment of Services to our clients. Our guarantees are likely unlike many you may have heard before. Our commitment to your success is serious business, and it ultimately saves you time and money!

Want to learn more? Call us! We have teams full of GREAT recruiters waiting to serve you.  

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There is no doubt that 2021 will bring forth opportunities to leverage new and emerging employment trends. Follow the Hire Up Staffing & Healthcare Services Blog to stay connected with a variety of topics aimed to help support you! Whether you are an active job seeker looking for tips and tricks to land your perfect job or an employer looking to fill a challenging position, we are here to help you HIRE UP!

The Emotionally Intelligent Interviewer: A Smarter Questioning Strategy (shrm.org)


Chris Rogers | Regional Vice President – Midwest | May 17. 2021

As the Regional Vice President of the Mid-West operations, Chris focuses on the mentorship and development of his Hire Up staff to ensure they are equipped to provide the best service to both our candidates and clients. Chris’ extensive knowledge of the staffing industry lays the groundwork for his teams to always deliver top caliber talent to great organizations. His expertise includes experience in all disciplines from commercial and professional staffing to executive placement. Chris and his teams strive to improve the lives of their candidates and improve the businesses of their clients. Chris’ over 15 years in the staffing and recruitment industry includes the successful management of highly performing sales and recruiting teams throughout the Southwest. Chris would love to speak with you so he can help your business reach new heights.

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