A Day in the Life of a Direct-Hire Recruiter
Recruiting is more than just matching candidates with jobs-it’s about building relationships, staying organized and maintaining a strong focus on the details. Brandon Schabbel, a National Recruiting Consultant at HealthCare Support, knows this well.
Q&A with a Direct-Hire Recruiter: Featuring Brandon Schabbel
Q. How does your day typically start? Are there any routines or preparations you do each morning to set yourself up for success?
A. My mornings typically start by first checking in with my candidates who have been submitted to various job orders. Before I get any additional outreach done, I like to make sure my candidates are set up for success and they have everything they need from me. Once that is complete, I begin my days with messaging new or recently active candidates across multiple recruiting platforms, followed by calls and text messages to the candidates I just sourced. I feel staying consistent in this industry is critical to success. Some weeks are more active than others, but the important thing is to not let a bad week keep you down, figure out how you can improve and apply it to the next week. I have found personal success by sticking to this formula.
Q. What is the first thing you check when you log in or start working, and why is it important?
A. First thing I check is my internal candidate submissions and make sure all my candidates are updated with the latest news and see if I need to follow up with my manager on any outstanding items. This is important because it is critical after you submit a candidate to keep them engaged. We check in with candidates even if there is no true update. This lets the candidate know that we are actively representing them, and we are doing all we can to make sure they have the best possible chance to get the position we submitted them for.
Q. How do you prioritize your tasks each day? With so many candidates and positions to consider, what tools or strategies help you stay organized?
A. I use a mix of a few different applications / tools to stay organized each day. First, my outlook calendar is an integral part of my organizational process. Everything from Prescreens, to interviews, follow ups, candidate check-ins, and task reminders go directly into my outlook calendar. I am a visual learner so if I do not see the reminders or tasks on a daily basis, it is easier for things to slip through the cracks. Another way I like to stay organized is by creating a personalized daily check list with the top priorities of the day to be checked off first followed by tasks that need to be done but maybe do not have the same amount of urgency as other tasks. We can get busy with active recruiting and following up with candidates so staying organized is key if you want to see consistent success throughout the weeks.
Q. What part of the day do you usually spend reaching out to candidates? Could you share a bit about your process for initial candidate screenings?
A. Typically, around 9/9:30 am is when I start getting my outreach done for the specific job orders I am working as well as some jobs that I have working in the background. I do like to get new messages out in the morning because that leaves more time for candidates to get back to you. One thing that I feel is very important when it comes to sourcing new candidates is switching up your search string as much as possible and adding new language in your messages every few weeks, even if the job details remain the same. Keeping my outreach messages fresh and not recycling the same templates repeatedly have proved to get me in front of more skilled and qualified candidates. Like fishing, if you do not switch your bait and fishing spot, after a while the fish will no longer bite. Keeping things new is what I found works best for me.
Q. How do you stay connected with hiring managers? What’s your approach to balancing candidate needs with the client’s requirements? – Our desk structure enables me to dedicate my focus on candidate relationships while our Account Managers connect with hiring managers.
A. As a recruiter, having open and transparent conversations with our Account Managers is extremely important because they are the ones speaking with our clients directly. For me to best represent my candidate, I must communicate with my manager so they can effectively present them to the client as if it was my manager who spoke to the candidate directly. Meeting the client’s requirements and needs is one of the most important aspects of this position. We must make sure we are only presenting qualified candidates who are committed to the hiring process. This can get tough when the candidate’s schedule and the clients schedule do not line up. To balance this, we try to get as much information about the candidate as we can during our prescreens so we can eliminate unnecessary back and forth questions to expedite the interview process as much as possible.
Q. What are some challenges you face throughout the day, and how do you handle them?
A. Some of the challenges I face throughout the day in this role is struggling to get candidates on the phone. Majority of the time we are working the same hours as they are so establishing a good rapport with your candidate is key to consistent communication throughout the process. Another struggle in this role could be even finding new or passive candidates to begin with especially if you are working a job in a remote area. This is where strategic sourcing can be very useful. To over come this, we can expand out search to see if we can find a potential candidate willing to relocate, we can switch up our search string to maybe pull candidates who are qualified but might not have a fully updated resume, or after we have exhausted all options, go back to the client with market intelligence and provide guidance on different strategies to fill the position.
Q. How do you manage follow-ups, whether it’s with candidates, hiring managers, or other team members?
A. I live through my outlook calendar. After I place each candidate and we establish their start date I will go in my outlook calendar and set reminders after their first week, second week, first 30 days, first 60 days, and first 90 days to follow up and make sure they are enjoying their new role. It is especially important to follow up with candidates within in the first few weeks of them starting a new role as orientations can get overwhelming. You want to make sure everyone is set up for success and if they are not then we must do everything in our power to get our candidate the support they need.
Q. What are some of the most rewarding parts of your day? Are there specific moments or tasks that make you feel especially accomplished?
A. Most rewarding part of my days are conducting check-ins with candidates who we recently placed. When a candidate loves their new role and thanks you for helping them throughout the whole hiring process, that is what I find most rewarding. We really have an opportunity to help others in healthcare expand their experiences, make better income, or present them opportunities that they might not even know they were qualified for. That is my favorite part about being a recruiter.
Q. How do you use feedback from previous placements to improve your recruiting process or help other candidates succeed?
A. Getting feedback from previously placed candidates can set everyone up to be more successful down the line. It goes back to establishing a good rapport with your candidate. The easier is it for your candidate to speak to you, the more information they are likely to provide regarding the interview process or questions. This helps us better understand what hiring managers are seeking. By focusing on their strengths and aligning their skills with the position, we give our candidates an advantage in the interview process by ensuring they are confident and well-prepared. I feel it is our duty to do the best we can to prepare our candidates for interviews, empowering them with knowledge, not scripted answers, so they can be authentic and never feel caught off guard.
Q. When you wrap up your day, are there any end-of-day routines or reflections that help you prepare for the next day?
A. At the end of each day I make sure to tie up any lose ends that might have opened throughout the day. I like to ensure no candidate is waiting on me for anything whether it be an email, update, or check in. In this business you will have days that do not go according to plan, candidates can resign, reject job offers, or go unresponsive. It is important to leave the bad day behind and not carry that with you into the next day. I like to shake off any thing that negatively impacted me and set my self up for a better tomorrow.