To Call or Not to Call- Is There Even a Question??

Hey guys,

So I hear over and over that the recruiter's who spend the most time on the phone are the one's that are going to have the best chances of surviving in this game. While it makes total sense to me that you have to compliment your emails with phone calls to make you "a real human" in the eyes of clients, the evidence (production) at my firms is pointing to the contrary. Week after week, the recruiters with the top two or three call times/#'s of resumes sent are at the low end of the productions rankings while the highest producers routinely have the lowest call times/#'s of resumes sent. I understand at a fundamental level the logic of higher metric #'s should equal higher production, but it is becoming hard to take this "wisdom" seriously in the face of the bottom line...

What do you guys say to this phenomenon??

I do look forward to hearing from any/all of you soon.

-Brian

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Philips Jobs NA on September 6, 2012 at 8:07am

The phone is still the #1 tool of choice for great recruiters!

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Permalink Reply by Bob Sharpe on September 6, 2012 at 8:13am

I don't know the dynamics of your office. Maybe those that don't call much have been in business for a long time and have large networks. Maybe the quality of the calls for those who call isn't right. For me, the phone is the only tool I really need. With it, I can get placements, but just as importantly, I get knowledge that I could never get from any other source. Candidates share an incredible wealth of information about roles, expectations and even hiring managers. If you have to err, I think it best to err on the side of making the call. Just my two cents. Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Judy Wilcox on September 6, 2012 at 10:01am

To piggy back on that one, when is a recruiter considered a "stalker"? I believe the phone is the way to go but would like everyone's opinion on this question. What is your thoughts on over doing the phone calls to the HR people that you want to do business with. What is your opinion on too many calls? If there are any hiring managers out there, I would like to hear from you too.

Thanks

Judy

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Permalink Reply by Stacey Boyer on September 6, 2012 at 3:45pm

I would ask what experience level of the more successful vs the less successful. It's easy to make yourself busy with unproductive work. More experienced people will be better at fine-tuning the calls that are made and maybe that would explain this. But, phone first and most. I'm always amused when people think anything will replace that in recruiting. It'll never, ever happen.

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Permalink Reply by Stacey Boyer on September 6, 2012 at 3:47pm

I just realized I rehashed Bob's response :) Sorry!

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Permalink Reply by Brian Kite on September 6, 2012 at 5:08pm

The fact is that we are dealing with to groups of equally trained guys that were equally matched in (high) performance last year, so it makes no sense that such a wide gap exists from an ability perspective. I probably should have mentioned that in my first email. I know that it is not the number of calls you make, but the quality of the call.

I would rather swing at one pitch in the daylight versus 10 pitches in the dark.

Any other ideas??

Stacey Boyer said:

I just realized I rehashed Bob's response :) Sorry!

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Permalink Reply by Sandra McCartt on September 7, 2012 at 11:45am

It is highly possible that the difference in production may have something to do with the niche people are working. If a certain niche is not in hiding mode those recruiters may be making more calls but getting less results. You did not indicate differences in what type of spots the high call group are working or not.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Kite on September 7, 2012 at 11:55am

Hey Sandra,

I just tried to give you a quick call. Would you mind chatting with me for about 5 minutes? If so, please give me a ring at 408-279-3900.

Hope to hear from you soon,

BK

Sandra McCartt said:

It is highly possible that the difference in production may have something to do with the niche people are working. If a certain niche is not in hiding mode those recruiters may be making more calls but getting less results. You did not indicate differences in what type of spots the high call group are working or not.