{"id":4358,"date":"2014-01-30T08:45:49","date_gmt":"2014-01-30T16:45:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/recruitloop.wpengine.com\/?p=4358"},"modified":"2023-05-15T10:55:03","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T17:55:03","slug":"why-are-you-such-a-scaredy-cat-about-approaching-candidates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zippia.com\/employer\/why-are-you-such-a-scaredy-cat-about-approaching-candidates\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Are You Such a Scaredy Cat About Approaching Candidates?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Does this sound familiar?<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve met the perfect employee after months of looking! There\u2019s just one problem:<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t know they want to work for you yet.<\/p>\n

In fact, they think they\u2019re in their \u201cdream job\u201d making pretty great pay to commute to an office right on the transit line to their 3 bedroom house around the corner from where their kids go to school, blah blah blah. They\u2019re blissfully unaware of how much their life would be transformed by working in your wicked awesome company.<\/p>\n

So now you\u2019re a big, puddly mess of wishing they would just come and work for you right this instance.<\/i> The thought of picking up the phone to call them or sending them an introductory email makes you more nervous than a cat on a deflating pool toy.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to get over it and get those perfect employees on your team!<\/p>\n

Why are you such a wuss, anyhow? I have some theories as to why you recoil at approaching passive candidates:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. You don\u2019t want to be seen as a Spammer<\/li>\n
  2. You\u2019re afraid of rejection<\/li>\n
  3. You actually just\u2026 well, don’t know how! So you use the phone? Email? Hang outside their office pretending to tie your shoe all day\u2026?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Get over it!<\/p>\n

    Seriously. There is no other way out of your fear than through<\/b> it. Need a hand? Glad you asked. Here are some ways to address your fears:<\/p>\n

    1. You\u2019re Afraid You\u2019ll Be Seen As a Spammer<\/h2>\n

    So don’t spam. <\/b><\/p>\n

    There\u2019s more on this in point 3 but if you have any other method of contacting that person other than an InMail on LinkedIn, DO IT.<\/p>\n

    If you have to send a message, make your messages good & not generic. Don’t do stupid things like send a recruitment email to the CEO of your top competitor. You have the unique advantage that you are genuinely interested in connecting with that person as an individual. It\u2019s a personal connection, so make it a personal email. Read our advice on how to write LinkedIn messages that will attract perfect job candidates before you get started.<\/p>\n

    2. You\u2019re Afraid of Rejection<\/h2>\n

    Rejection happens. A lot. The bridge to what you want is made up of a whole lot of no\u2019s. It\u2019s easy to say, but harder to really believe.<\/p>\n

    Nobody likes rejection, even those people who you think are immune to it. Here are some ways top salespeople get over their fear and the pain of rejection:<\/p>\n

    a) Don\u2019t take it personally<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

    Reframe the voice in your head that says, \u201cThey\u2019re rejecting me\u201d or \u201cThey\u2019re going to say no because I\u2019m going to say something wrong.\u201d There are plenty of reasons why they would reject your call \/ message \/ offer and 99% of them have absolutely nothing<\/i> to do with you. You\u2019re not that big a deal \u2013 or dealbreaker. You\u2019re just someone making an offer or trying out an idea.<\/p>\n

    b) Prepare<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

    The more prepared you are the better you will feel about making the call. Write down options of what you want to say. If you\u2019re alone, practice saying it outloud. If you\u2019re making multiple calls, trial a bunch of different scripts to see which one keeps you on the phone with the prospect longer. Don\u2019t assume some magic fairy of charisma will anoint your tongue once you\u2019re halfway in to the conversation.<\/p>\n

    c) Stop Preparing<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

    Or rather, don\u2019t use preparation as an excuse. Decide on a reasonable amount of time to prepare and schedule the day and time you will make the call. Ask a colleague to keep you accountable for making the call.<\/p>\n

    \n

    If you wait until you feel 100% ready, you\u2019ll never get off the starting line.<\/p>\n

    Just. Do. It.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    3. You Just Don\u2019t Know How<\/h2>\n

    Okay, this one makes a little more sense to me, so I figured you could use some tips. Work your way down the hierarchy of connection options, starting with the one most likely to get you a positive \u2013 if not affirmative \u2013 response: face-to-face.<\/p>\n

    a) Face to Face<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

    Will they be attending any of the same events as you in the future? Do they buy coffee from the same place as you? Even if you have to send them a message as an introduction, a message of \u201cHey, I think we\u2019re both going to be at ABC event in a couple of weeks, and I\u2019d love to chat,\u2019 is much more likely to get a positive response than an outright recruitment email.<\/p>\n

    b) Through a Connection<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

    Are you connected to anyone they know? It\u2019s better to receive an introduction, even if that\u2019s through phone or email. Introductions are simple: contact the person you know who also knows them and ask them to introduce you. They should know them well enough to have their email address and can cc you both on an introduction email that goes, \u2018Johnny Bravo, meet Awesome Hiring Manager, he heard about your work at XYZ Company and wanted an introduction. He\u2019s doing some seriously wicked awesome stuff with…\u2019<\/p>\n

    c) Phone Call<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

    There\u2019s debate about whether a phone call is a good way to go in recruiting. It interrupts the candidate and can catch them in really awkward situations (i.e., at work!) where they can\u2019t talk to you. However, a phone call is much harder to ignore than yet another<\/i> recruiting email. You took the time to personally contact them, which, along with the tone of your voice, conveys your sincerity and excitement.<\/p>\n

    If you think a phone call is the best way to go, try to obtain a mobile number and call in times when they will be more likely to be out of the office (e.g., around lunchtime). If you do catch them at work, be brief, state your purpose, and suggest straight up that you were calling to see if they\u2019re up for a chat (at a better time) about your awesome job opportunity.<\/p>\n

    d) Email \/ InMail<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

    As we said before, check out our advice on how to craft the perfect introductory message before you send it off. Contacting a candidate through LinkedIn is a legitimate but truly overused method. You really<\/i> have to get it right if you\u2019re going to stand out.<\/p>\n

    Now that you\u2019ve read this post, there are no more excuses! Get out there, get in touch, and get those rockstar employees on your team!<\/p>\n

    Photo courtesy of Stefan Tell.<\/em>
    \n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    You\u2019ve met the perfect employee after months of looking! There\u2019s just one problem:<\/p>\n

    They don\u2019t know they want to work for you yet.<\/p>\n

    So now you\u2019re a big, puddly mess of wishing they would just come and work for you right this instance. The thought of picking up the phone or sending them an introductory email makes you more nervous than a cat on a deflating pool toy.<\/p>\n

    Here’s what to do.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[73,63],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Are You Such a Scaredy Cat About Approaching Candidates?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You\u2019ve met the perfect employee after months of looking. There\u2019s just one problem: They don\u2019t know they want to work for you yet. 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