by Shannon Short, Colorado Springs Recruiting Assistant
There are 3 main factors that I feel contributed to my success here at Vector.
URGENCY:
WHY it's so important?
First off, when we don't focus on urgency several things can happen.
1. Applicant Forgets or something comes up
2. Their friends and family may tell them rumors that they heard, thinking that they're helping the applicant, when actually they're hurting them.
When the applicant hangs up the phone, if we did our job right, they are very excited about their interview. If too much time passes after this initial excitement, it can fade and eventually disappear.
MOST IMPORTANT PERSON
The second factor of my success is how I treat the caller. I make a strong effort to make each applicant feel like they are my #1 priority. I'd like to start this section off with a quote, I don't know who this quote came from but it is one of my favorites. "To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you might be the world." With the job market being so rough, this quote couldn't be truer. Some of our applicants have been looking for employment for many months, putting in dozens of applications without even a single response. We ARE the world to that caller! One way we can make the caller feel like they are important is HOW we read the script. Think about how you feel when you call a company and you can TELL that the person on the phone is reading from a script. Kind of makes you feel like one of many on an assembly line of people right? If we read the script as if it were the first time we had said it, as if it were coming from us just off the top of our heads, it can make a big difference in how the caller feels about us, and our company. Another thing that can make a big difference in how the caller feels, is how they're treated. When we think of our callers in terms of numbers instead of friends, they may not know why, but for SOME REASON they will feel the call was impersonal, and again feel like they are one of many on an assembly line. Another way to make the caller feel important is to build rapport.
POSITIVITY
The last thing I want to focus on and probably the most important, is positivity. We are usually the first contact that the applicants have with the company. We want them to feel like this is a great company to work for because the receptionist sounds like they love their job. Try smiling when you're talking to an applicant. Usually smiling while you are talking can change your voice in such a way that others can actually HEAR that you are smiling. This sort-of outward positivity is very important, but even more important is your inward positivity. Remember, if you tell yourself something good or something bad, it WILL be true. For some reason we all have this slight telepathy. I know it sounds silly but people are interconnected with each other and our applicants can sub-consciously pick up on how we think and what we feel. If you tell yourself the caller will not be interested, they won't be. It sounds ridiculous, but something as simple as telling yourself this is a great opportunity and I'm helping this person out can make a HUGE difference!
