We all love our Christmas movies at this time of year, but did you know you’re also learning valuable lessons about how to be a better recruiter while you watch them? We’ve handpicked some of the best and wisest recruitment tips straight off the screens of our all-time favourite Christmas movies!
Here they are...
1. Seeing isn't always believing
“Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.” - Polar Express.
Wise words that are easy to apply to recruitment: CVs aren’t always the be-all and end-all of candidates!
Disqualifying a candidate based purely on a quick CV scan could mean missing out on serious candidate fairy dust. In this great TED talk, Regina Hartley speaks of how the best recruiters read between the lines in CVs to identify star candidates who don’t always necessarily tick every box.
So look deeper and believe in your candidates – they might just have a little magic hidden inside them!
2. Remember you are making a difference
When your candidates are ghosting you, clients are making backdoor hires, and you’re seeing people complain about recruiters left, right and centre on LinkedIn, recruitment can feel like a thankless job. And just like George Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life, it’s easy to find yourself wondering if the world (or in this case, the job market!) could be better off without you.
But just remember, you really are making a difference. Without you, all those candidates you’ve placed wouldn’t be in the shiny new roles they’re in now! If you need a reminder of just how awesome you are, read this blog.
3. Candidates don’t always know they’re in the wrong job
Just like poor Buddy the elf here, your best candidates might not even know they’ve still not found their dream job - and it’s up to you to lure them!
So, before your star candidate leaves their current job and makes a job-hunting pilgrimage through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly-twirly gum drops, and walks through the Lincoln Tunnel, try and snag them before your competitors do.
Sadly, we can’t harness the power of Christmas magic to do this, but the best recruiters are already snaring passive candidates with social media tools like Facebook pixels. Don’t miss the boat!
4. Persistence pays off
So, you’re sending your client what you think is top right-fit talent but nothing is sticking, or maybe you’ve sourced a purple squirrel only for the client to take too long to give feedback and now the candidate’s taken on another job!
But take some inspiration from the Whos of Whoville, who spent the entire year preparing for Christmas, only to have ruined at the last minute by the Grinch! They didn’t lose heart, and thanks to their continued dedication and resilience he eventually came round. Stick in there!
5. Don’t give in to your fears
No two days are the same in this job, so just like Kevin from Home Alone, you’re constantly thrown into unexpected situations and have to think on your feet.
But the key to nailing this industry is to face your fears! So whether you’re in the grips of phone fear, struggling to promote yourself and your services or have a crippling fear of rejection, just remember you’re not alone, it’s just part of the job and most importantly – it’s those who bounce back and face the music who come out tops in this industry.
6. Mistakes can come back to haunt you
Ebenezer Scrooge spent most of his life being perfectly horrible to everyone around him, and worked hard only to line his own greedy pockets. If you’re more of a Scrooge than a Santa as a recruiter, you might find this comes back to haunt you when all those candidates you ignored start ghosting you right back!
And another ghost that might come back to haunt you this year is a massive fine from the ICO if you haven’t reviewed and updated your compliance processes in light of GDPR. So now’s the time to settle down with a nice glass of mulled wine and learn what you can do to stay on the right side of the law.
Download our eBook below to find out how to do just that!
