4 Tips for Training Non-Tech Savvy Recruiters

August 11, 2014 at 1:30 PM by Kathleen de Lara

how to train recruitersGone are the days of the perfect candidate as the 80/20 rule comes into play – hiring candidates who have 80% of the job skills required, leaving the remaining 20% to be filled by in-house training.

It’s a hiring method that allows recruiters to fill open job reqs in a shorter time span than sourcing an employee that’s the exact fit for the role.

Not only does providing training for employees create a more time-efficient onboarding process, it also promotes a positive company culture and engagement between colleagues through teaching. 

With the ever-changing range of recruiting tech and tools, your team may find it challenging to keep up with the latest news and updates. Similarly, your entry-level recruiters may not be at all familiar with any type of sourcing and recruiting solutions. Here are a few tips to get the team started on building their modern recruiting arsenal. 

Pinpoint one team member from each department as the go-to contact.

At some point, your recruiters will interact with at least one other employee from another department. Whether it be to clarify details on the role you’re sourcing for, or to follow-up on a candidate’s progress through the talent funnel, designating a contact (or more) in each department can prevent recruiters from getting bounced between multiple people for an update or answer, which can slow down the hiring process.

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Have recruiters shadow a fellow sourcer or recruiter through the sourcing processes.

Put training into action by allowing entry-level team members to shadow a more seasoned tech pro during their searching and sourcing processes. This gives a more in-depth learning approach to run-of-the-mill tasks like building Boolean search strings to find more specialized candidates or placing prospects into the company’s applicant tracking system. After a period of shadowing, have trainees demonstrate their learning and provide feedback to apply for the next search. Be sure to check in on their skills progression by correlating sourcing practices with the quality of candidates.

Encourage employees to join open source communities. 

Open source communities like GitHub, Bitbucket, and Kiln can give recruiters a better understanding of the tech roles they may be required to fill. Recruiting for tech talent arguably lies on the side of more complex sourcing tasks because of the job titles, relevant subroles, and the duties and skills required to fill the open req with a qualified candidate. In addition, the hiring process for such highly specialized tech positions can take anywhere between two to three times longer than hiring for other roles. By joining (and maybe even participating) in open source communities, sourcers and recruiters can learn more about the difference between a candidate who looks good on paper and a candidate who is willing to show off, illustrate, and be critiqued for his or her skills.

Try one of these tools for further online learning. 

Along with modern recruiting comes the ease of modern learning. Here are some massive open online courses (MOOC) to bolster recruiters’ tech skills even more:

Learn more tips for tech recruiting in our eBook, “The Modern Tech Recruiter’s Guide.” You can download your free copy here! New Call-to-Action

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