The most important thing a recruiting or hiring managers does is build trust. Conducting interviews, writing interesting jobs ads, responding to inquiries from candidates and marketing on the web may be important but all of this is secondary to building trust.
Switching jobs is one of life most stressful events and it is often combined with moving or relocation. Not only does one face loosing most of their former co-workers but also their friends and routines they have built their life around. Not only is this stress faced by the candidate but also by their whole family.
The bridge between ones current job and a new job is built on the back on the recruiter. Rarely is a recruiter or hiring manager someone who does the job and they often do not live in the place where the job is located. The best recruiters have to be skilled at learning the ins and outs of the position, department and community and then have to communicate these details to candidates.
One of the things our industrial and infrastructure recruiters do well is discuss community to build a personal relationship with candidates. Asking about what they are looking for in a community leads to discussions about family, interests and even religion. Our recruiters share their similar experiences and take a real interest in the person and their lives beyond the resume.
An expert on change management and trust Peter de Jager says trust is “Belief in another’s ability and intent to execute according to their word.” Our recruiters need to trust and understand the hiring managers and company contacts so they are, in turn, able to communicate and build trust with the candidates they source.
Our industrial and infrastructure customers employ people in some of the world’s most dangerous working conditions and their employees trust in each other is key to every day operation. Working on High Voltage Power Lines, Mines, Oil and Gas Plant construction and maintenance, Transportation, Marine Engineering, Pulp & Paper are all dangerous workplaces where workers need to trust each other. As an example, electrical limits of approach, lock-out and communication are critical for a safe workplace in an industrial company. Employees of a company need to have a level of trust amongst themselves in order to carry out daily operations. This trust begins to with form from the day a potential employee talks to a recruiter and it builds as the candidate transitions through the hiring process until the point where employees place their lives in each other’s hands.
Building trust with everyone in the hiring process including the recruiter, company, and future employee is critical in building the relationship that lays the foundation for an efficient, productive and safe workplace.