Recruiting Is Sales and 7 Other Lessons from a Global TA Leader at UNLEASH Amsterdam

Ahead of her session on the second day of UNLEASH Amsterdam, we bring you eight lessons from recruiting-rockstar, Tracey Allison.

Talent Acquisition right now is unquestionably a candidate’s market, with 73 percent of employers in the US reporting skill shortages in their field. Today’s applicants want a candid look inside your company before they even apply. So it’s all about evangelizing everyone in the company to become an ambassador for your employer brand. Gone are the day of actors in career videos – job-seekers want to hear from real people about what working at your business is actually like.

It’s not enough to have a “corporate brand”, you need grassroots authenticity. So how do you become the type of recruiter who gets everyone in the company on-board for your talent acquisition strategy?

For this answer, we talked to Tracey Allison, the director of global talent at Avery Dennison. She’s an avid tennis player, a self-proclaimed people pleaser, and a recruiter through and through. Tracey has seen a thing or two… or million in her tenure as a recruiter and TA leader. She laughs recalling the good old days when she would put a job ad in the Sunday times and wait for the resumes to roll in.

A conference veteran, having spoken at the  Hiring Success Conference in San Francisco and Europe, and now on her way to UNLEASH Amsterdam. Now, she’s imparting wisdom that only a recruiter with two decades in the game can share.

8) Recruiting is Sales: Recruiting is sales, and don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t. In fact, recruiting is sales on steroids – you aren’t just selling an inanimate object to a person, you are selling a person to a person.

7) Ask for what you want: If there’s a decision you want to be a part of, say so!  When Avery Dennison was shopping for a new ATS, the Global TA team asked the CHRO to be in on the decision. Since they made the choice, it’s automatic buy-in.

6) Take a minute: It’s ok to say you don’t have the answer or you need time to think. It takes confidence, but it leads to better decisions in the long run.

5) Say no: It’s ok to say no if you know something is impossible and/or unreasonable. You can’t always make a unicorn appear… only sometimes!

4) No role is boring: Some jobs you hire for may seem banal, and it’s hard to stay motivated. Just remember that, for the person who has trained for the last five years to do this role, it’s anything but boring. Try spending time with people who live and breath that role, and you’ll find new aspects of the position that excite and engage you.

3) When recruiters win, they win twice: Tracey calls it the “double bubble”, when you make a sale you have two happy people – or more – and you should celebrate that!

2) Get to know the team: The more buy-in you have from your entire hiring team (not just your TA team) the better. Shadow your hiring manager for a day, go on a customer visit with them, work a shift at the plant – do whatever it takes to understand the role and the team! They will notice and it will pay off ten-fold in terms of engagement.

1) Collaboration is the best way to earn credibility: When you partner with someone, be sure to give as much as you take. When other teams know you are a partner to them, they offer you a seat at the table.

Check out Tracey’s session from #HIRE18 EU and be sure to visit her talk on deploying a global recruiting strategy Wednesday, at UNLEASH!

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