QUESTION: We are focusing on the technology software engineers and managers and have been following Greg Doersching’s recommendation on contacting companies that are publishing job openings on Indeed. I have developed a sequence of emails, LinkedIn requests, and phone calls, but have not had much success after over the past four months, contacting about 350 contacts. I did get 60% open rates with my emails and about 6% replies typically saying they do not work with outside recruiters. I fall short on connecting with them on the phone, mostly leaving a voicemail, offering my services. Then once I connect with them, they have similar excuses. Any suggestions on how to improve the process? Are there any key parts that I am missing? Should I switch to MPC calls? – Thomas
ANSWER: There is a lot to unpack in this question, so let us take it one piece at a time. First of all, Greg is a great trainer. I have him speak at an event of our every year. He has become a really good friend, a really honorable guy, a smart, smart, smart guy. Regarding the responses you are receiving, it is a story that these hiring managers do not work with outside recruiters. I am not saying they are not saying that, Thomas. I am saying that they are lying to you.
We have measured call types with our clients and offering your services is the least effective call. Switching to MPC calls could be more effective, especially with engineers because that it what they want.
Companies are hiring, they just do not want to talk or feel like they do not need to work with recruiters. So many recruiters I talk to are wondering if anything works in the COVID-19 environment. Nearly everything works in the COVID-19. Our coaching clients who are doing the work are growing again. Let me emphasize the point of the ones that are doing the work, are seeing success.
I run a group for million dollar and above recruiting firms called Board Room. This exclusive group is only eight members. We just had our monthly boardroom meeting recently. One of the members had his second best month ever, working a variety of spaces, all of them affected by COVID.
COVID was a reason in April 2020 where recruiters could say to themselves, it is a little bit slower. I am not saying it is not having an effect on the marketplace. Here is what I do know, Thomas, one, is 20% to 30% of the recruiters in the industry left in the industry, so the number of competitors is down. Two, here is what I know with engineers, Directors of Engineering, if that is your space, they do not want to have a fluffy conversation. You know how engineers are. They are very fact based, detailed-oriented people. They like facts and data.
If you email MPCs in this space, make sure that you are highlighting the words and the technologies and the software languages that hiring managers want to hear about, combined with did they bring in a project early, what percentage of the time how early was the project, can you monetize their work, how much money they made or saved based on something they did with an efficiency or whatever. That is the message that you convene in your emails and calls.
I do not know Greg’s specific training on this is, if a posting goes up on Monday to call or email them on Monday or Tuesday, I am just going to completely disagree with him, respectfully. I am not saying he is wrong, just disagreeing with him. If I see an opening on Indeed, and it is posted say July 1, I want to follow up with an MPC candidate maybe earliest July 21st, three weeks later, to a month later. I do not want to say, I saw your posting on Indeed because that is what all recruiters do.
I would to find an MPC that is in alignment or a candidate that is in alignment with posting and send that profile to the hiring manager, not HR. My message would be: In a recent engaged search I uncovered somebody who . . . insert the criteria that was posted.
If you are able to get that hiring manager on the phone, they may ask if you saw see the posting on Indeed. I do not ever lie, but say “You had a posting on Indeed? Oh, interesting. I can across this candidate and thought they may be a great fit for your organization.” I do not say I did not find the posting on Indeed, LinkedIn, or wherever you say the posting.
Just like a magician, we know that magic is an illusion. It is not really magic. I want to maintain that same level of illusion as a recruiter. I want to maintain the illusion that I am consistently networking, that I have my finger on the pulse of the entire industry. If I say I saw it on Indeed, or I saw your profile on LinkedIn, it takes away some of the specialness.
With Directors of Engineering, I would say, we are seeing metrics of no more than 20 marketing presentations, conversations, not email exchanges, to get a search assignment, perhaps even less. However in that kind of environment, I want to wait a month, three weeks to a month, I want to use an MPC to get in touch with these hiring managers.
P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways I can help you grow your recruitment business:
1. Grab a free copy of my Retainer Blueprint
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3. Join me at our next event
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4. Work with me and my team privately
And if you ever want to get some 1:1 help, we can jump on the phone for a quick call, and brainstorm how to get you more leads, more placements, and more time.
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