Stop, Drop, & Listen

Stop, Drop, & Listen

As you may know, or perhaps even listened, I recently had the awesome opportunity to be interviewed by an amazing influencer in our industry and he asked some simple questions that I would like to delve a bit deeper into now.

What’s the most important habit a recruiter can refine?

If I have only ONE…it’s to refine the art of listening.  Hearing is one of the five senses….and listening is an art. The habit to refine?  Become an artist.

Steps to master the art of listening:

1. Master the scripts for all calls.
   a)  You must master scripts for your phone calls, texts, social and most significantly your face to face interview.
   b)  Remember there are 3 phases to scripts mastery:  Memorize, internalize and customize…
   c)  Once you are confident of what you are going to say…you strengthen your position and your ability to listen aggressively.
2. Once you have mastered your scripts here are examples of what you are more open to hear:
   a)  Phone interviews:
   1. What is the speed at which they speak?
   2. What is their tonality?
      Listen to identify their behavior style and you will then know how to drive the interview should you get face to face…Are they motivated by emotions or money?
      Why?  70% are emotional decision makers.  It’s not the money it’s what the money will do that compels them to move.

   b)  Face to face Interviews:

   • Listen with more than your ears…listen with your eyes, your ears and your heart.
   • IF they are in front of you, in your office…they are hirable TODAY.  Period. End.
   • Listen aggressively to find out where their pain is…this is unlocking the key to recruiting success and mastering the art of attracting the talent you desire by mastering the ART of LISTENING.
3. You may have coaches recommend that it’s all about the questions you ask…YES!
   a)  You do ask probing questions, yet if you are not listening to their response and responding appropriately, it moves from a consultation to an interrogation very quickly.
   b)  The 70% of prospects who are emotional decision makers will make their decision to join you during your presentation.

In a world so filled with instant reactions, gratification and responses, we often catch ourselves so eager to respond that we truly fail to listen.  Stop that now. Instead, be a resource, not a sales pitch.  Listen more than you speak.  And when you do speak, contribute value and solutions, not babble.

Recruiting is weaving the amazing tapestry called your story…each thread is important.  What holds it all together and completes the tapestry is the art of listening.