Tips for Recruiters to help build rapport with job candidates

1. Building Candidate
Rapport
Julie Smith – Professional Recruiter
April 30, 2015

2. Agenda
• What is Rapport?
• The Basics of Building Rapport
• What we are doing now
• What more can we do?
• Pipeline Rapport
• Success Stories
January 27, 2016
Building Candidate Rapport│
Julie Smith│ Talent Acquisition 2

3. What is Rapport?
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The capacity to evaluate anothers point
of view
Why you are attracted to someone
The process of building a relationship
with someone
A close connection marked by common
interests or similarity in values
Rapport is
Building Candidate Rapport│
Julie Smith│ Talent Acquisition

4. What is Rapport?
• A close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups
concerned understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate
well.
◦ Mutually beneficial relationship
- Help each other achieve individual goals
• Company and job-specific
◦ Understand each other’s feelings
- What do we want to accomplish
◦ Communicate well
- Timely, accurate communication
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Building Candidate Rapport│
Julie Smith│ Talent Acquisition
Helps us connect People and Possibilities

5. Basics of Building Rapport
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RapportBe honest
Be
professional
Be positive
Be polite
Be specific
Building Candidate Rapport│
Julie Smith│ Talent Acquisition

6. What are we doing now?
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What more can we do?
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Following through on my commitments
Making small talk
Respecting their time
Referring to them by name
Letting them talk
Answering their questions honestly
Being transparent with them
I build rapport with my candidates by:
Building Candidate Rapport│
Julie Smith│ Talent Acquisition

7. • Start the conversation by asking questions, NOT by pitching our company
or positions
◦ Ask open-ended questions that keeps the focus on them
- Keep it light and legal
- Can provide valuable information about what motivates them and what
they are looking for in a new employer
◦ Applies to electronic communication, as well
- What interested you in their resume/profile
- Mutual connections or interests
- Do your research
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Initial Contact
Make your first impression count!
Building Candidate Rapport│
Julie Smith│ Talent Acquisition

8. The Interview Process
• Create a conversation, not an interrogation
◦ Get to know the candidate
◦ One size doesn’t fit all
• Use their questions as an opportunity to sell them on FedEx Office
◦ Goes beyond tangible benefits, talk about work/life balance, etc.
• Good rapport can help keep an interview on track
◦ Utilize information you’ve learned about them to guide conversation back
to job-specific territory
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Building Candidate Rapport│
Julie Smith│ Talent Acquisition
“You mentioned a
passion for
developing others…”
“I noticed you won
an award for sales
attainment…”

9. Offer Acceptance and Beyond
• It’s time to celebrate!
• Create a calendar appointment to follow-up with them on their service
anniversary and birthday
◦ Make it personal
• In tough-to-fill or high turnover markets, make it a point to check in every
few months
◦ Express an interest in their career with FedEx Office, both current and
future
◦ Great time to ask for referrals on open positions
◦ Help identify an at-risk TM before they leave
January 27, 2016 9
Building Candidate Rapport│
Julie Smith│ Talent Acquisition

10. Pipeline Rapport
• What can we learn about
the candidate?
• Available resources
• Legal considerations
Identification
• Not likely to have
resume available
• Listening vs. Hearing
• Future wants/needs
Qualification • Catching up on what
has/hasn’t changed
• Recruiter and
candidate
• Importance of timelines
Status
• Don’t make assumptions
• Check for interest
• Explain position duties
• Ask for application
Opening
January 27, 2016 10
Building Candidate Rapport│
Julie Smith│ Talent Acquisition

11. Success Stories
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Building Candidate Rapport│
Julie Smith│ Talent Acquisition
“Based on my rapport with
the candidate, I knew
more about her as a
manager than the
interview told us.”
“ By establishing a
connection with her and
sharing my own experience
in the same situation she
was able to make her
decision to come to Office..”
“…built on mutual network
connections that provided
critical information on the
core competencies of the
candidate…”
“…communicated thru LI for
almost 1 year, staying in
touch, keeping her abreast of
any situation that would be of
interest to her in her
location.”
“This allowed me to speak
specifically to opportunity we
offer that matched what they
liked in their current role as
well as what was important
to them to find in their next
job. ”
“He wasn't a good fit for that
job, but because I got to
know him, I was able to help
him find another job within
the company.”

12. Questions?