12 Recruitment Experts Share Their Best Networking Advice

Carlos Hernandez

Miami, Florida

Jessica Dragiotis

Melbourne, Australia

Tatiana Wicke

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

Stacie Ratliff

Los Angeles, California

1. Be genuinely interested in others – People love it when others take a sincere interest in them. Passive candidates want to feel validated as unique individuals and not feel as though they are in a cattle drive.

   They also appreciate it when recruiters care about them as a whole person and not just the skills they bring to the table. Find out what someone is passionate about and build a rapport around mutually-interesting subjects.

2. Build real relationships – In the age of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms there may be a tendency for some to rely too much on online outlets as a means of connecting. The fact is that connections are great but they are not relationships.

   Relationships are cultivated over time through in-person contact, trust, and nurturing. Networks are critical to your business success so make it part of your long-term career strategy.

   Convert some of your connections to friends and stay in touch with your contacts. Don’t just reach out when you need something.

3. Practice the “Law of Reciprocity”- This is a social-psychological principle that basically says when we do good things for others and put positive energy into the Universe with good intention, that good eventually comes back to us.

   If you present yourself as someone who is honest and sincere and who also takes the time to help others when they need it, without seeking anything in return, it inspires people and builds trust.

   People often can’t resist the urge to return a favor and sometimes in much bigger ways than the original action. Take the time to refer someone for a job opportunity, offer suggestions and advice, or send business leads someone’s way.

   A great example of this is a business colleague who, to my pleasant surprise, gifted me his Cabo San Lucas presidential timeshare suite because I had given his company some recommendations, which resulted in business opportunities. So pass it on and pay it forward.

Wendy De Audney

Sydney, Australia

As a recruiter, networking is vital to success.

Here are my top 8 networking tips:

1. I always keep business cards with me to hand out to people I meet because I never know who could become a candidate or a client, or who might refer my services to others

2. I always try and be a good listener, and I don’t just mean when taking a job brief, but in conversation generally. I find that to get a rapport with people they mostly like to engage and talk about themselves

Peter Medgyesi

Budapest, Hungary

The best way to get comfortable talking to new people is to just do it. The more people you meet and connect with, the more comfortable you’ll start to feel with the idea of networking.

Busi Shibodze

Johannesburg, South Africa

I always try to improve my professional profile and to make sure it stands out. I maintain and keep client relationships and always keep track or follow, in that way I get to be introduced to new contacts.

I join professional networking groups and I always make sure my networks get updated with any changes, broadcasts, publishes, or comments I make on social media.

Nadia Gil

Malaga, Spain

When I meet people I try to find out what their needs are from a career or hiring perspective. How is their business going? What challenges do they face from a human resource perspective? Are they looking for change?

Maybe I won’t be able to help them in that moment but it opens the door for future collaboration. Networking is not about filling your Rolodex with names. It’s about delivering value to people and helping them make valuable connections.

Kellie Shaffier

Melbourne, Australia

My most valuable resource is time and to make sure I stay relevant in the ever-changing recruitment market I dedicate an hour of my time each day to connecting with other recruiters, potential clients, and candidates to ensure my ear is always to the ground.

I also make sure that I get to at least 1 industry event bi-monthly.

Networking can be daunting however I always plan a strategy ahead of time and remind myself that connecting with new people helps to grow my business and can assist with overcoming future obstacles.

My best tips for networking events are: listen lots and ask questions. This is one time I apply the 80/20 rule to all conversations. Know your USP as this will help you stand out.

Personalize your conversations because people like doing business with people they like, so talk about things that matter to you outside of business. Most importantly follow up with each new contact and always drop an email or connect via social media following the event. Good Luck!

Thomas Marino

Boston, Massachusetts

I entrench myself in social media. LinkedIn, for my technical niche, is starting to be so saturated and overused that I prefer Twitter’s less formal, more personal platform as a format. Because software developers are so hounded by recruiters Twitter is a great place to show a more personal, less “salesey” side.

Whether in person or in social media, I attempt to portray myself as someone who likes to build things as well: I build teams of people who build amazing things.