Fresh out of college – plunged into the fast-paced world of third-party staffing, I learned a number of good lessons about recruiting.

You see, the pressure was on.  Having paid for college myself, I was under water with student loans and additional debts that had accumulated over the course of my college career.  Even though I had been working about 60 hours a week, the cost of living in Washington, D.C. was very high! 

Once the staffing industry found me, there was no turning back.  It had to work!

I must have driven my various mentors crazy.  The questions just kept pouring out… “How do I…” – “What’s the best way to…” – “Is it legal to…” – Needless to say, they were very patient!

Beyond the processes and best practices, there comes a point when a recruiter develops their own style.  A moment when you realize… “Hey!  I’m a recruiter and I finally know what I’m doing!”

My “moment” came during a recruiting call.  It was the moment I realized how impactful clear expectations can be for a candidate.  While chatting with a potential applicant, I started getting very keyed in on explaining the expectations of the role – how they would be judged, what would make them successful, the good and bad parts about the position.  I’m not sure why I became so blunt… it just happened.

To my surprise, the candidate not only grew more interested, they openly appreciated the candor.

Long story short, the candidate accepted the position and started up in a contract-to-hire role with my client.  Later, she went on to get hired by the company.  I never told her that she solidified the way I recruit… perhaps I will someday.  Until then, I will take the lesson and use it in my future work.

Honesty and openness with candidates will lead to better hires and a higher level of retention.  If you want to keep them, make sure they know what they are getting in to.  You would want the same.

Do you sugarcoat your recruiting or do you put it all out there?  Do you have a non-negotiable part of your recruiting process?

Photo Credit, tiffa130

Michael Long (The Red Recruiter) is a small business owner that wears red shoes every single day. Based out of San Antonio, TX, Michael’s firm specializes in identifying the very best Human Resources and Social Media talent across the country. In addition to scouting out the best and the brightest, Michael is continuously engaged in speaking, training and consulting on the topic of social media as it applies to recruiting, job search, human resources and overall corporate strategy. @theredrecruiter