RZ Recruiting Checklist to Success

RestaurantZone Recruiting Matt’s CheckList ✓

✓ Any “lead” or candidate you source or that applies to a job. The goal is to get them on the phone. First always call a candidate, phones = gold in recruiting. Using a false time constraint like “do you have a few minutes” or “may I talk to you very briefly about” is key. Focus on being positive, warm, and ready to engage the candidate. This is your opportunity to get him/her on your team.

*Note: Any candidate you can’t reach out to directly. Should get “starred” in your inbox or placed on a to-do list to follow up with. Every day you should review your starred emails or to-do to ensure candidates are called at least within the first 24 hours. Recruiting is all about speed and timing sometimes 🙂

✓ If a candidate does not pick up, what do you do?

You do three things all on the same day….
a) Leave a warm and compelling voicemail. The key is to stay positive and focus on a friendly tonality. Careful not to sound too salesy and don’t oversell yourself. Experiment with different voicemails. Try to get a read on the candidate, e.g. if he’s a very serious professional you may want to experiment with a more serious tonality. If he’s more easygoing, sounds calmer and approachable (keep it more casual). The key with voicemails is to let your own personality shine and at the same time mirror your candidate. You may sometimes hear the candidate’s voice on a voicemail, which could give you a quick read into his personality.

1. b) Craft a catchy text message and text him. The key here is to captivate your candidate, he will see your text! Personalization is key, and will increase your response rates – make candidates feel special! “E.g. “John, Love your experience at Red Lobster! I have an opportunity with…”. The key to the text is to clearly indicate the location (state, city) of the job. And also be sure to sign off your name, position, and the company you work for. Also mention you’re representing a client. This is key so the candidate doesn’t think your message is spam. Include something you like about the candidate, including the location of your opportunity, the salary, and the key is to find unique things about our clients to include in the text and that can compel a candidate. (If your puzzled about what to sell to the client, pick up the phone and have a conversation with them! This will help when it comes to candidate marketing). 
2. c) Email your candidate. The same applies here, focus on your subject and body. Keep it short and simple, but captivating. Don’t sound spammy or salesy. The template can be very similar to the text message. Consider including a link to the ZipRecruiter ad.

*If the candidate doesn’t respond after all three attempts. Write in a text and email “Any interest here? 

**Super key: if the candidate was sourced by Sourcing Team or Matt, ask the sourcer to send a follow-up email and communication to the candidate. Especially if it appears to be a good candidate for the client.

✓ If the candidate picks up, proceed with an interview. Key things to do in any interview:

1. a) Find a nice balance between building rapport and screening questions. Keep things light, and focus on the candidate. Ask them what gets them ticking. What are things they’d like in their career. Ask them about their lives. Ask them what they’re good at and ask them what they are not good at. The screen on things that are critical to the client. Use your own interview style of course. 
2. b) After your interview thank the candidate for their time and tell them what the next steps are. Tell them you’re going to work as fast as you can in terms of setting up an interview and tell them to expect to hear back anywhere from 1-3 business days.
3. c) VERY KEY text the candidate once you’ve submitted them to the client. “Hi XYZ, just letting you know I sent your resume and my notes over to XYZ. It was a real pleasure to speak with you and I’ll keep you posted on the next steps!”
4. d) Keep the candidate engaged throughout the process

✓ When Submitting a Candidate to a Client, put good energy into every email.
a) Catchy Subject Line is key, and be sure to reply to the previous thread from the client (this improves email deliverability) but then change the subject line. “Ronald – High Volume GM” “Don – Energetic FOH Manager!”

1. b) The first couple of sentences are key. Make sure to highlight things that really stand out about this candidate and are things the client wants.
   c) After sending the email gives the client 1-2 days MAX to review.

✓ If no response in 1-2 days (Client), then do the following:

1. a) On 3rd-day send a follow-up email, and wait 1-2 hours. Then follow up with a text message.
2. b) If “a” doesn’t work call the client later on 3rd day, and leave VM if they don’t pick up.
   c) If “a” and “b” don’t work. Wash rinse repeat (text/email/call) for the entire week until the client responds. I would do it every other day. So for instance if you did a/b on Monday. Wait one day then do Tuesday. Then wait. Thursday. Then wait, Sunday/Monday.
3. d) If none of the above works, notify the partners Kenny and Matt to get involved.

**Remember our clients get busy. So it’s important to use positive persistence when there is silence. E.g. Educate the client that you want to ensure he interviews these awesome candidates because his/her market is competitive and you don’t want them to lose out. E.g. Congratulate the client on getting through your submissions, but kindly let him know others in the funnel. E.g. Create emails with batches of candidates ready to be interviewed. Think outside of the box & of creative ways to get the client to interview.

✓If the candidate is interviewed.
a) Help with everything, scheduling, interview coordinating, client coaching, and candidate coaching (it’s key to give at minimum an email or text to the candidate coaching him lightly before the interview). It’s key for you to control everything. You’re the broker of this deal. You should be involved with the client and job-seeker. Your job is to make everything happen and find solutions to make the deal go through.

✓When a candidate starts working.
a) Get referrals from that candidate! Or get job orders from that candidate!

1. b) Check in with the client and ensure satisfaction. Then get more job orders!

✓ Finally, remember recruiting is easy (it’s not rocket science) and as long as you stay calm and relaxed but at the same time positive/persistent you’ll do great. Always keep a solutions-oriented mindset and find a way to solve the problem. If you do everything in the above checklist & work lots of orders, clients, and candidates… you’ll keep killing it and keep improving with time…$$$$$$! Soon you’ll be adding things to this checklist for future team members. Thanks for reading  🙂

Created by Matt Rodgers