The Exelare team is proud of our applicant tracking software, which provides recruiters with a suite of time-saving organizational and communication tools. Nonetheless, there’s no denying that technology can never fully replace the human element that has traditionally played such an important role in recruiting. Good recruiters tend to share certain personality traits that promote successful outcomes in this field.

Communication skills – Like “detail-oriented,” this is one of those in-demand traits listed in seemingly every online job description, but, for a recruiter, there is more to communication than standard workplace conversation. A successful recruiter should be comfortable with sending email/text messages, conducting formal in-person interviews, and writing clear job descriptions.

Listening skills – Good recruiters aren’t just smooth talkers; they can listen as well—and not simply stop their monologue for a moment while they let the other person have their turn. They’re also good at tactfully prompting the other party to reveal relevant information. This is especially important when dealing with business clients who can seem vague or indecisive about their recruiting needs. Recruiters sometimes should be able to “read between the lines,” so to speak, to make accurate inferences about the other party’s desires.

Interest in people – Good recruiters tend to be the type who can remember a casual acquaintance’s name months after a brief meeting. For them, recruiting is about creating relationships, not just carrying out business transactions. That enables them to get potential candidates to open up to them like old friends, which helps in developing an accurate sense of the candidate’s skills and interests.

Ability to take criticism – Recruiters should never get too settled in their ways; they should be open to the possibility of improvement. That’s why it’s important to be able to take criticism—and even ask for criticism when appropriate. Did a promising candidate turn down a job offer? Is there an aspect of the recruiting process that seems to alienate applicants? The recruiter should try to find out from them what went wrong.

Interest in technology – A successful recruiter understands that the world of technology continues to evolve, rapidly creating new opportunities for candidate sourcing. A decade ago, Twitter was almost unknown; today, most recruiters use it routinely. Cloud computing, once a science-fiction fantasy, is now an important component of many business functions. Recruiting software such as Exelare keeps evolving as well—providing a steadily expanding range of benefits for the professional who is willing to take advantage of this technology.