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By Caroline Ceniza-Levine – Forbes

Too often there is a mismatch between what recruiters expect and what job seekers do. Recently I interviewed recruiters from Loyal Source, a healthcare staffing firm, about what job seekers do that impresses – or falls flat. Their insights mention things job seekers too easily forget. Here are seven critical details that may seem small among all the other things you need to do for your job search, but that loom large in the hiring process:

1 – Research the interviewer

Too many job seekers don’t do enough research. If they do any at all, it’s typically about the company or industry, not the interviewer. Yet, knowing your interviewer can make a strong impression.

My LinkedIn profile is pretty up-to-date, and if someone knows that I grew up in New Jersey or worked for specific companies, that’s pretty impressive.

Kate Rutherford, Marketing Manager, Loyal Source
2 – Show enthusiasm
Employers hire people who want the job. Showing hesitation or playing hard to get doesn’t make you more desirable. It makes you more likely to be passed over.

For me body language tells me a lot about a person….I usually try to ask candidates questions like, “what gets you out of bed in the morning” and “what’s on your bucket list” or “if you only had one day left on this Earth, how would you spend it and why” to try and identify things that they get excited about. If you talk about it while slumped over in your chair and speak in a mono-tone voice, that speaks volumes.

Kate Rutherford, Marketing Manager, Loyal Source
3 – Be responsive

One way to show enthusiasm is to be responsive during the hiring process.

Any time a candidate sends me back their necessary documents that are required to submit them to a position within a half hour of our initial conversation, that always impresses me. It tells me that they’re serious about the position, and that I need to move quickly as well because if they have these items organized and ready to send at a moment’s notice, they could be sending them to someone else just as quickly.

Jeff Shannonhouse, Recruitment Manager – Physician Division, Loyal Source

4 – Be proactive during your hiring process

Being responsive also means that you take the lead in your hiring process. Recruiters are busy with multiple searches and therefore multiple candidates to juggle. Following up with recruiters is a great way to stay top-of-mind in the process.

The simple things are the best. In the world of recruiting, the phrase “time kills all deals” is incredibly true. So, when a timeline is set and agreed to; meet that timeline…..I recently had a candidate that sent a follow-up e-mail letting me know that she had completed X, Y, and Z so that I was aware. I appreciated it and she quickly moved to the top of my to-do list for that day.

Danny Gover, Division Manager of Travel Nursing

5 – Share your personality

Yes, the hiring process is about following up and being professional, but you also spend a lot of time on the job. Just like you want to like your colleagues, you also want them to like you – the real you.

You spend a lot of time at work with your coworkers ,so you should try to find something you like to do with people who you like. I feel that when people put on a façade (not to be confused with the best foot forward) that it doesn’t typically end well for either party.

Kate Rutherford, Marketing Manager, Loyal Source

6 – Ask questions about the job, not just compensation

When you practice for the interview, don’t forget to prepare questions to ask the interviewer. Having questions at the ready is a great way to show your enthusiasm and demonstrate your research. Preparing questions in advance also ensures you don’t ask the wrong questions – such as asking about compensation (i.e., what’s in it for you) rather than focusing on the job (i.e., how you can help the employer).

If the first thing you want to know is what the comp is over things like who the patients are, what is the caseload like, or even what the community is like in that area, I already have a bad taste in my mouth about you.

Jeff Shannonhouse, Recruitment Manager – Physician Division, Loyal Source

7 – Mind your email and phone etiquette

Something simple and controllable that makes candidates less presentable is e-mail and phone etiquette. We understand that people have their personal lives and work lives, however it is best to keep those things separate, especially when on the job trail. First, use a professional e-mail for your correspondence lilmamababy22@……com is not the best choice when communicating with the C-Suite. The same goes for voicemail messages that are unprofessional or crude. It is best to just have your [voicemail message] provide your phone number. Finally, remember to clear your voicemail so that people can leave messages. There are few things more annoying than listening to a long message on to hear that a voicemail box is full. Good bye!

Danny Gover, Division Manager of Travel Nursing

Have you checked your email and phone details to ensure they are professional? Do you have questions to ask during an interview? Do you research your interviewer in advance? Many of these recruiter insights may seem like common sense but, as a recruiter for 20+ years, I have seen firsthand that too many job seekers don’t mind these small but critical details. Don’t make the same mistake!

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