It’s rare for a recruiter never to lose a top prospect. After all, “A” players are in demand, and retaining them from first contact to job acceptance involves not only a deft recruiting approach but also that magic “fit” with the right opportunity at the right company.

Still, there are things recruiters can do – and do better – to give themselves every chance of closing the deal with a top candidate.

Consider this: In a recent survey of nearly 200 managers and executives, fully 25% reported that something had occurred during the hiring process that made them decide not to work at a particular company. These negative experiences included such things as rude treatment, long waits, insufficient follow-up, a protracted selection process, and unprofessional behavior on the part of the interviewer.

Thus, as the hiring climate tightens, it makes sense to look at your own behaviors to make sure that you are not losing a top prospect through neglect, oversight, or another easily remedied activity.

Recruit like you mean it

•Respond to resumes. As simple as it sounds, just confirming receipt of a resume is a smart strategy that will elevate you above the vast majority of recruiters and employers.

•Stay in touch with candidates. When you’re promoting a candidate for an immediate opportunity, naturally you stay in touch. But what happens when the process bogs down – when the hire is put on hold or hiring managers are slow to act?

Candidates frequently complain that they don’t hear back following an interview, can’t get their calls returned, and feel like they’re in limbo. In many cases they assume the opening has been filled with no word to them, and they are left with a bad impression of the recruiting industry and the hiring company. So when you get back to candidates two or three weeks later, don’t be surprised if they treat you coolly or inform you they are no longer interested.

You can help prevent these misunderstandings and negative outcomes simply by letting candidates know what to expect and staying in touch – even when all you’re reporting is “no news.” Not only will you make your candidates happy, but you’ll reduce or eliminate repeated follow-up calls from candidates wanting to know what’s going on.

•Provide honest feedback. If candidates are not a good fit, let them know and let them know why. They will appreciate and benefit from your honesty.

Influencing the hiring manager’s actions
Undoubtedly you have limited influence over the actions of hiring managers; you can’t control how your hiring manager conducts his or her end of the search process. But consider these ideas to help make the process more efficient and effective.

•Clearly define job scope, challenges, and desired competencies. Sometimes companies rush to hire without thinking through their needs. This leads to aborted searches, a bad fit, or a long-drawn-out process during which the job description morphs from one definition to another.

As a recruiter with a trusted relationship with your internal clients, you can help ensure that they are searching for the person they really want. Ask questions about the role and the expectations. Ask for clearly defined performance standards that you can share with candidates. Don’t worry about stepping on people’s feet – if hiring managers don’t know what they want, you have very little chance of making a successful placement. So iron out the details up front to increase everyone’s satisfaction with the process and the result.

•Improve interviewing. As a placement professional, you have extensive interview experience and skill. This is not the case with all hiring managers. You can help them do a better job by supplying them with suggested interview questions or providing group training sessions. By becoming a valued resource, you will be an even more important partner in their success.

•Smooth the way. “Nothing makes a recruiter angrier than to hear a good candidate say ‘They treated me poorly,’” says Neil McNulty, president of McNulty Management Group, a placement firm in Virginia Beach, VA. In the past McNulty has found that companies may take “an arrogant tone” when they interview candidates, and this is especially harmful with recruited candidates who are not actively searching for a new position.

As a liaison between the hiring manager and the candidate, you can make sure the schedule and process have been well planned and that both your internal client and the candidate have been briefed about each other.

Most importantly, if you have a good relationship with the hiring managers, you can let them know when and if an incident occurred that has turned away a candidate. The good news about retaining key candidates is that little things can make a big difference.

Author and consultant Louise M. Kursmark, MRW, CPRW, JCTC, CEIP, CCM, is an expert in employee hiring issues: what motivates job seekers, how candidates prepare for interviews, and how companies can improve employee selection and retention. Her book on behavior-based interviewing, How to Choose the Right Person for the Right Job Every Time, was published by McGraw-Hill in 2004.