Can’t Beat ‘Em? Kill ‘Em with Kindness!

As a “rookie” Recruiter here at Hobson, I have been trying to develop my own personal brand and style to stand out in the ever-competitive recruiting world. I have been taught my entire life to always be kind to others, and have tried to carry this mantra over into my work life.

It is certainly not the easiest approach, especially when people tell you things like: “You sound like a robot”, “Don’t insult me by reading a script”, or “No offense but, I can tell you’re really new”. Once I was even told that I am too nice!…I have found that by using the following tactics, you really can “kill them with kindness” and build genuine relationships and trust -even if sometimes I feel like I’m still learning and finding my way around! =] 

1. Be Considerate – Always be considerate of the person on the other end of the phone. They might be having a bad day/week/month (or life!), and you are probably one more person they don’t want to deal with. Show them compassion, as everyone is fighting a battle and dealing with different situations, some that you will never know or understand. There are also people who are just generally grumpy-  be the one person who isn’t affected by their bluntness, but rises above it and still treats them kindly.

2. Listen – Listen to not just the words people are saying, but the way they are saying them. Reply with empathetic phrases such as: “I can appreciate your thoughts on that”, “I see where you are coming from”, or “Thank you for sharing that with me, which helps me paint a better picture”. You will show them that you are truly listening, and will begin to chip away at their walls, resulting in more impactful conversations.

3. Be Optimistic – Treat every call as a new one, and don’t let any lash backs or hang-ups affect your next one. When someone is rude and abrupt, I just tell them “I’m glad that you are happy and don’t need my services- best of luck. My goal is to find someone who is unhappy in their career and to make their day! “ Keeping that type of optimistic mindset really sets the tone of the conversation, and your overall day.

4. Be Relatable - Remind them that you are a person too. Always be yourself and be completely open and honest with whoever you are talking to. Authenticity is refreshing and makes the conversation overall more enjoyable.

I have learned a lot of these call tactics through trial and error. Since day one I have told Joanne, our in-house recruiting trainer, that I learn best by “messing up”. Since implementing this new style, the quality of my calls has drastically improved. I may still have occasional terrible calls, hang-ups or nasty responses, but at least I know I did my best- and killed ‘em with my kindness!

-Emily