In our daily life as recruiter these are certain flaws we make it in the name of networking .This is to help others to do a proactive networking rather termed as bad recruiter….
Here are the ones we do it regularly
Contact collectors
They use their so-called "network" to establish their credibility in the industry and people actually congratulate them for it. These are the people that try to connect with you via some networking tool, but there's never any exchange of info. You are a number to them ("Let's all congratulate so-and-so on their one-thousandth person in their network"). I don't connect with these people. Really, how valuable can their "network" of 1500 people be, given that they asked me to join and I don't know them? One thing I have noticed about the people that do this is that they try to establish their industry in other ways too (creating cool sounding titles that don't exist, working feverishly to book speaking engagements). There's a credibility issue there. .
(Need to take notice ,very much important ,even me included …J )
Do-my-job-for-me
These one check it out. I get an e-mail from someone I don't know asking for help with a position they are trying to fill (not a recruiter position....one of their open requisitions). Without much lead-in, they dump the job descriptions on you and let you know that "any help would be greatly appreciated"
These are the folks that know that they should be in contact with you but they don't know why. The mails are awkward and sometimes overly complimentary. They want to keep in touch with you but they don't know how. They are probably more selective than the contact collectors, but they don't know what they are driving for.
Here's is the philosophy on networking and some tips for effective networking
¨ Effective networking is a relationship. A network of any value is a connected group of trusted individuals. That trust comes from knowing them. In the internet age, you can find just about anyone online. So unless your own network is trusted, there's little value. The way I think about these relationships is like this:
what's in it for me + what's in it for you) X (trust through knowing you) = relationship
the what's in it for me/you piece gets established straight away.
This is how you share. You obviously want to get something out of the relationship, but
you need to offer something too. That gives you a platform to build from. It
makes you a "contact". The exchange of valuable information between the 2
people is what makes it a "relationship". That is a building process.
¨ Have a point.
Even if you are just contacting the person to ask a question. I get mails all the time from folks who want to "synch up". My question: "about what?" Points are good. Everyone should have one. I certainly don't mind answering questions from anyone if I have the info
¨ Know what's in it for them, but don't force it on them.
If someone contacts me because they want information on how I do something, they should be able to articulate what I can learn from them as well. Frame it as sharing: "I'd love to get your thoughts on XYZ. We are doing some exciting things with regard to ABC if you are at all interested in hearing about that". I do a lot of this kind of sharing with people and I find it really valuable. It justifies the time investment.
If your first contact isn't quid pro quo, be a giver...you can be a taker later.
I get mails from people saying "Hey Heather...you are fabulous...and by the way, I thought you would be interested in this article". I love that! The ones who I've never heard of before that want me to help them fill their open position...well, those mails get deleted
Note : We as recruiters that we tend to do it out of responsibility on us and client urgency to fill the positions .. It is not to say that way we are doing is wrong ,we need to use network in such a way that the relationship doesn’t get lost .
Here are the ones we do it regularly
Contact collectors
They use their so-called "network" to establish their credibility in the industry and people actually congratulate them for it. These are the people that try to connect with you via some networking tool, but there's never any exchange of info. You are a number to them ("Let's all congratulate so-and-so on their one-thousandth person in their network"). I don't connect with these people. Really, how valuable can their "network" of 1500 people be, given that they asked me to join and I don't know them? One thing I have noticed about the people that do this is that they try to establish their industry in other ways too (creating cool sounding titles that don't exist, working feverishly to book speaking engagements). There's a credibility issue there. .
(Need to take notice ,very much important ,even me included …J )
Do-my-job-for-me
These one check it out. I get an e-mail from someone I don't know asking for help with a position they are trying to fill (not a recruiter position....one of their open requisitions). Without much lead-in, they dump the job descriptions on you and let you know that "any help would be greatly appreciated"
These are the folks that know that they should be in contact with you but they don't know why. The mails are awkward and sometimes overly complimentary. They want to keep in touch with you but they don't know how. They are probably more selective than the contact collectors, but they don't know what they are driving for.
Here's is the philosophy on networking and some tips for effective networking
¨ Effective networking is a relationship. A network of any value is a connected group of trusted individuals. That trust comes from knowing them. In the internet age, you can find just about anyone online. So unless your own network is trusted, there's little value. The way I think about these relationships is like this:
what's in it for me + what's in it for you) X (trust through knowing you) = relationship
the what's in it for me/you piece gets established straight away.
This is how you share. You obviously want to get something out of the relationship, but
you need to offer something too. That gives you a platform to build from. It
makes you a "contact". The exchange of valuable information between the 2
people is what makes it a "relationship". That is a building process.
¨ Have a point.
Even if you are just contacting the person to ask a question. I get mails all the time from folks who want to "synch up". My question: "about what?" Points are good. Everyone should have one. I certainly don't mind answering questions from anyone if I have the info
¨ Know what's in it for them, but don't force it on them.
If someone contacts me because they want information on how I do something, they should be able to articulate what I can learn from them as well. Frame it as sharing: "I'd love to get your thoughts on XYZ. We are doing some exciting things with regard to ABC if you are at all interested in hearing about that". I do a lot of this kind of sharing with people and I find it really valuable. It justifies the time investment.
If your first contact isn't quid pro quo, be a giver...you can be a taker later.
I get mails from people saying "Hey Heather...you are fabulous...and by the way, I thought you would be interested in this article". I love that! The ones who I've never heard of before that want me to help them fill their open position...well, those mails get deleted
Note : We as recruiters that we tend to do it out of responsibility on us and client urgency to fill the positions .. It is not to say that way we are doing is wrong ,we need to use network in such a way that the relationship doesn’t get lost .
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