One of the most important assets you can have in the recruitment industry is a good memory. Between meeting candidates, visiting clients, taking enquiries about roles and organizing interviews, even the most organized industry professionals can find that details slip their mind. A good memory is an essential prerequisite for a consultant in the recruitment industry as it ties together many of the threads that make an individual successful.
A consultant's measures of success include their attention to detail, rapport building skills and ability to generate new business opportunities through networking. Indirectly it is an individual's memory that affects the quality of the service they deliver and ultimately their ability to achieve sustainable outcomes and repeat business in their chosen field.
'Attention to detail' is essential to success in recruitment. The ability to instantly recall relevant and specific details in a beneficial context is a skill that certainly takes practice.
For example, a good consultant will always provide as much detail and information to a candidate to prepare them for an interview with a client. An example of this might be to advise on the appropriate dress code of the organization so they can dress accordingly for the interview. Taking note of the attire of the company's employees during client visits and other interactions will provide a valuable insight into the expectations and calibre of candidate they seek. Recalling this detail when preparing a candidate is an excellent example of the benefits of attention to detail and good memory.
The same importance should also be attached to the details of your candidates. While on paper your candidate may seem like a great fit for a role – it is the ability to recall outside factors that will lead to a more fulfilling role for your candidate and sustainable outcome for the consultant. For example if your candidate is the primary care-giver to children it is important to take into account the hours of work, childcare, family leave etc to get the best result.
The same is true with building a rapport with your clients. It is always beneficial to meet a client in person as often people can just become a voice on the telephone or an email address. After meeting a client for the first time it is always important to recall several details in order to humanize the process of dealing with them in the future. For example looking at someone's desk can reveal a lot about them – for example observing which football team they support is a great way to build an initial rapport and if their memory is as good as yours then they will also remember you!
The inability to recall a person's name, for example at an industry event, can not only be embarrassing but also commercially detrimental to your future business. When meeting a potential client or industry contact it is extremely important to remember their name and details of their role. When meeting someone for the first time it is often beneficial to use their name in a sentence as soon as possible. This will show that you have noted their name and also ensure that you have it correct. It is also often a good practice to associate their name with some relevant information – for example where they work or where you met them. This will assist you in future should you introduce this person to others.
Unfortunately there are rarely structured days in the recruitment industry and the ability to 'think on the run' and recall details while multitasking is a key quality to success. Everybody has a different memory or different methods they like to use to recall significant information. It is important to find a system that works for you individually and the good news is that a memory can be improved!