In this article we will analyze the role and functions of a Tech Recruiter. As well as the skills and aptitudes that are essential when it comes to managing in the position.
First, let’s go deeper into what a Tech Recruiter is and how it differs from other types of recruiters.
The action spectrum of the Tech Recruiter
Although the job of a recruiter is often limited to managing candidates and guiding them through the recruitment process for a company, it actually involves much more.
In addition to recruiting, aTech Recruiter performs sourcing and headhunting.
By sourcing we mean the active search for candidates for a given position, candidates who are not necessarily looking for work.
With Headhunting we refer to the specific work that Tech Recruiters performwhen it is necessary to search for a highly specialized technical or high executive level profiles.
This third point is what mainly distinguishes a Tech Recruiter. When working in an advanced technological environment, you must have a minimum of knowledge and control of the subject, in order to find the best candidates for the best positions. A tech recruiter who controls all three functions can be called a Full Stack Tech Recruiter.
Key skills that a Tech Recruiter should have
Next, we review the different skills that a Tech Recruiter should have in their specific position. Many of them are shared with the job of a conventional Recruiter. But we will see that there are particular and different elements and
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Must have high communication skills
In a Recruiter, the communicative ability is fundamental, since they will make use of it at all times. By communicative ability we mean several elements.
On the one hand, the ability to speak and write in a reliable way, since he or she will use the word to seduce and convince both the candidate and the company with coherent arguments.
On the other hand, the ability to listen. Empathy is fundamental in order to have a clear perspective of who the candidate is, what capabilities he or she has and if he or she fits the position. Low emphatic capacity often leads to prejudices and forecasting errors that can spoil many recruitment processes.
In addition to being a good listener, you must be able to conduct interviews with candidates with a reasonable knowledge of the technical subject matter, in order to properly assess the candidate’s skills, needs and objectives with the right questions.
Knowledge of the upper environment
A key element that sets a Tech Recruiter apart from other types of Recruiters is the need to operate in highly technical environments. As specialists are being hired in the selection process, an intelligent recruiter will be committed to training and understanding the subject matter before entering “hands on”.
In addition, there must be a knowledge of the handling of databases, social networks and other possible sources of candidate search. The goal is to make the sourcing process faster and, above all, more effective.
You must have the ability to sell...
Be careful, with “ability to sell” we don’t mean “selling smoke”, “talk”. By this term we mean the ability to offer the candidate and the company solid, convincing and seductive arguments.
In this sense, there are many ways to sell. All those that take into account the circumstances (the job being sought, the nature of the candidate and the company) have the ability to adjust to the environment and build a coherent discourse.
When it comes to selling, the recruiter must know how to seduce without appearing “needy”. In this search and hiring process, he or she must know how to sell the job to the candidate, know how to touch his or her sensitive fibers to motivate the hiring. And, of course, they must know how to explain well and clearly what the objectives of the company offering the job are.
Be detailed and proactive
An essential feature of a Tech Recruiter, and Recruiters in general, is proactivity. A Recruiter is always on the lookout, never waiting passively. And once they have found the ideal candidate for the ideal company, they anticipate possible problems and seekto pave the way as effectively as possible.
To this is added the element of detail. Giving and asking for feedback, following candidates closely, asking about their needs even if they do not express them, all these are elements of detail that combine with being proactive, and lead to an image of neatness and professionalism that is convincing.
As they say, in the details lives God ;).
Be self-sufficient and self-managed
Another key element of Tech Recruiter’s employment, compared to other jobs, is its independence of action. In many cases, recruiters operate by results. The process for obtaining those results depends entirely on them. On their capacity for self-sufficiency and self-management.
Self-management to know how to manage the time and the large volumes of candidates that theywill have to check before finding the right one. Order and precision are needed here, and a clear ability to “pull yourself out of the fire”.
Self-sufficiency is a complement: a quality Tech Recruiter is usually able to carry out a whole process with the different parties involved without the help of others.
And the most important thing: knowing how to deal with failure
We finish with a fundamental point. Tech Recruiting’s work is particularly demanding because in the Tech field, demand and supply work somehowdifferently from other labor markets.
There is a lot of work on offer and few fully available candidates. Moreover, although there is a lot of jworkoffers, it is usually very specialized in a field or area of Tech knowledge, so it is not so easy to find the ideal candidate for the ideal position.
Thus, many times the recruiter must know how to fit failure into broken or non-functioning processes, even in advanced phases (when the honey of success was almost touching). Knowing how to fit it in quickly will allow him/her to continue with the search without stopping to gloat over the failure itself.
Rising from the ashes quickly is fundamental to be able to get the best candidate for the best position effectively. For this reason, it is highly recommended to work on stress and error tolerance.