When you recruit a MPC (Most Placeable Candidate) who has great skills, presents well, and just hits all those check-marks, it can be frustrating when they are not the candidate given the job offer. So what do you do with them then?
If you are part of a recruiting network, you can share the candidate with your trading partners or post the candidate to your network’s internal database for other recruiters to find and possibly place – after all, half a fee is better than no fee at all.
Or, you can utilize a MPC presentation, which is calling up a potential or existing client and telling them about a “Most Placeable Candidate” who would succeed and have a great impact on your client. Clients don’t want to lose out on difference-makers who can make an immediate, positive impact on their team. And they especially don’t want their competitors to get that top talent.
By marketing a very strong candidate, it can “kick down the door” and allow you to engage with and develop a relationship with the key decision makers in the company. Or, if you market the candidate to a trading partner, they may be a perfect fit for one of their job requisitions, and can help foster a prosperous trading relationship.
The Most Placeable Candidate typically:
- Has a highly desired skill set and a track record of proven success
- May address diversity issues in companies
- Is marketable – realistic about their wants, open to looking and relocating, etc.
- Is ready to interview and reference-checked
- Is currently employed and not already passing their CV around to other recruiters/companies
When you market an MPC, don’t tell the client who it is. For example, you can use the line “we’re working with an individual who is currently a sales director within one of your direct competitors” — that line alone will get their attention. Then give them a few bullet points about the candidate, highlighting their skills and achievements, as well as how this candidate would help their team. If you catch their attention and them interested, talk through with the senior executive what challenges they have in the business now, and where have they struggled to find skills and people. When you finish the call, you want that contact to remember you and call you in the future. Follow-up with an email with a bit more information about the MPC if there was interest… that way, they have your contact info.
But remember, you must also gain the candidate’s trust. You need to build a great relationship with that candidate so they trust you to introduce them to clients and your trading partners, and keep their search discreet. You don’t want to throw a candidate’s name around and alert the whole market that they are looking. You want to first ensure there is interest from the company or your trading partner before disclosing who your MPC is.
You need to know what the candidate is looking for – learn about what they desire in a company, and if there are any companies they want to avoid. If they only want to work for small start-ups, you don’t want to be marketing them to the Amazons of the world. Once you know what the candidate is looking for, you must select the right companies to target and contact.
Even if you don’t place that specific candidate with the company, clients are sure to be impressed with the caliber of candidate you work with, thus increasing your credibility, which may help you secure a search assignment in the future.