I spend a considerable amount of time speaking with executives with consulting firms specializing in Civil Engineering and Environmental Services. Ironically I have learned that there is little understanding of today's market conditions. Often I am tasked with finding consultants deemed as "Seller/Doers" meaning professionals that have a strong reputation in the industry and the ability to attract new business.
What seems to be missing is an understanding that these folks are pretty well taken care of with their current firm necessitating the need to create a relationship leading to trust. That isn't done during a preliminary conversation yet that preliminary conversation can be a building block. Recruiters probably aren't going to be successful in learning about their current clients, $ volume or marketing plans on an opening call. The fact is that the hiring manager won't be able to during an initial conversation either.
Recruiters and Hiring Managers must have a plan to clearly articulate the value proposition of the firm that has the opening. That conversation should be a dialogue and certainly not a fact finding mission as there is nothing to learn until both sides have a broad sense of what is important to the other. The hiring manger can get an idea of sales skills that may be possessed but the candidate will probably hold their cards close until rapport is established. Rushing into the revenue conversation will only create a sense of desperation and concern about expectations. Remember, most of these folks are well provided for at their current company. Our job is to build a relationship and lure them away.
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