Ayobami Esther Akinnagbe: The Three Top Qualities of a Talent Acquisition Specialist

Sometimes last year, I interviewed a candidate for an urgent vacancy. I had shortlisted her based on her work experience and qualifications, and I intended to find out more about her during the interview. When I spoke with her on the phone before the interview date, she sounded so confident and very well-spoken.

On the day of the virtual interview, I was so excited to chat with her but all my high hopes were crashed just under a few minutes. Why? What happened? I wasn’t impressed due to her nervousness. She kept mixing up her words and breathing heavily, making concentrating on her answers difficult. I knew she was anxious, and for me to get the best out of her, I had to tweak things. I paused the interview and said to her: “Hey. I want you to please be free with me. I don’t eat or bite, I just want to get to know you better. I want you to see me as a friend, okay? I know you are very nervous right now, but I need you to understand that you were shortlisted for this position because you are qualified for it, okay? So begin to see yourself as that.”

I asked her to exhale three times after the pep talk, and we started the interview all over. This time around, it was so good. She answered all the questions confidently and thanked me profusely for not giving up on her. Another recruiter might have dismissed her for being incompetent, thereby losing out on a great talent. But I decided not to give up on her, and she, likewise, didn’t disappoint.

As a talent acquisition specialist, it is important to be more humane in that position and there are the top three qualities one must imbibe.

The first one is empathy. As an HR professional or recruiter, it’s important to possess the trait of understanding and empathy towards your team or candidates. During interviews, candidates may feel nervous, so it’s your responsibility to ease their anxiety and make them feel comfortable. Building a rapport with them can help them feel more relaxed. To embody this trait, think back to when you were job-hunting and wished to be treated well by recruiters. By being empathetic, you can bring out the best in your candidates.

The second is patience. As a recruiter, it is essential to practice patience because you will come across candidates from various backgrounds and personalities. Some candidates may appear frustrating, slow or friendly, but you should not let their attitudes affect your ability to identify top talent. It is crucial to remain composed and ask relevant questions required for the position you are hiring for. Take your time to select candidates with the right skills and expertise who can be trained to improve their weaknesses. Remember to prioritize quality over the candidate’s personality or behaviour during the hiring process.

The third quality is emotional intelligence. As an HR professional, it is crucial to exhibit a non-negotiable attribute of intentionally making decisions without being solely influenced by emotions or making hasty judgments. This will help you avoid the trap of the Halo and Horn effect that most recruiters usually struggle with due to implicit prejudices. The Halo effect leads to focusing on just one skill that a candidate possesses and wrongly assuming that they will be equally good at other areas, which can lead to missing out on red flags and ultimately resulting in a bad hire. Similarly, the Horn effect makes you concentrate on one negative feature in a candidate and mentally disqualify them concerning other aspects. Therefore, it’s important to ensure you do not let emotions sway your decisions easily, and instead, try to be logical to make the best choices for the company.

HR Professionals should always strive to spread love and kindness wherever they go. It’s important to avoid acting like a mini-god and speaking to candidates condescendingly. Instead, we should aim to reassure them and make them feel comfortable, especially when they start to feel nervous. Your relationship with candidates is crucial in bringing out the best in them. Providing an amazing candidate experience can greatly contribute to your firm’s employer branding, as you are an extension of the company you work for.

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