What my Beagle can teach me about recruitment

So it is now almost the end of my 5th week in my new career path as a Recruitment Consultant with a niche recruitment consultancy, Electus Recruitment, and it got me thinking as to what my Beagle Rahi can teach me about recruitment. After all, he has given me some valuable lessons around networking (see: What my Beagle can teach me about networking), so let's see what the little fellow with the big nose and floppy ears has to add here.

Greet (happy to talk): no matter what type of day you're having (busy, frustrating, problematic), greet someone in a warm and friendly manner, and focus just on them, and not on whatever else is happening in your little part of the world. Rahi is always eagerly friendly with greeting friends; new or old, and everyone needs to be greeted.

Pay attention: don't just hear, listen, really listen and take in as much as you can. A dog handler once told me not to bother speaking to Rahi as he won't understand the spoken word ... ah, wrong. Rahi knows "walk", "drive", "bathroom", "sit", "bed", "dog park", plus a few more. Someone's been paying attention, big time!

Get to know you: okay, a Beagle uses his big black nose (normally wet) to really get to know you, and once he knows you, he never seems to forget. While I don't condone the use of a wet nose and smell, do take the time to get to know the person you are speaking to, and find out how you may be able to assist them.

Be positive: always interact in a positive manner, regardless what sort of day you're having, or what sort of news you have to deliver. If it is bad news, stand in the other person's shoes and work out how you would like to receive the news (especially if it is bad news). Rahi is pretty adept now at judging moods, and he leans in and cuddles in a bit closer, if he senses your day has gone to pot.

Feedback: Rahi thrives on feedback, and learns from it. He cannot read your mind, and relies on body language and other signals. Same with me ... if you don't tell me, and we are not sitting face to face, chances are I'll miss something important (and I cannot mind read). But, if you tell me, like Rahi, I can work on the feedback; good, bad, indifferent ... it's all very important to me.

Follow up: My Beagle is really rather clever at remembering people, places and things, and isn't backwards in coming forwards to follow up on these opportunities when he has the chance to (although it must be said, there are other things that he should not be doing (sitting on a bed perhaps?) and he blissfully chooses to be ignorant. And so it is with recruitment ... when a course of action is taken, follow up is an integral part of the work flow. I have been complimented on my follow up processes in the past, and it's one skill I was pleased to bring with me to the recruitment industry.

Be persistent: Beagles are known in the dog world as one of the most stubborn breeds, and a breed that doesn't normally just take "no" for an answer. Rahi is certainly no different. But thinking about it, neither do I, and I am known to be patient and persistent, when there is a task that I know has a conclusion that just has to be reached, and more importantly, I know it will add value to the other party, I will be persistent and follow through (Rahi on the other only thinks of himself with some of his wants *wink*).

Now to print this article off and tape it to the wall near my desk, so I am continually reminded of my Beagle's lesson about recruitment.

I hope you have a productive week.

Thomas