Why it is either a yes or a no

Spotlight is our series on the people shaping the future of hiring and talent. We ask them how they work, what they believe, and where AI actually helps.

This time we spoke with Tim Sackett, one of the most widely read voices in the talent space and an investor in Alex.

Tim has spent more than twenty years in talent acquisition and HR, from leading corporate recruiting teams to now leading HRUTech.com. He is known for telling it like it is.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in hiring or talent?

It's either a "yes" or it's a "no"; there's no in between in recruiting. Our only job in recruiting is to find out whether someone wants the job or doesn't. Until you get a "yes" or a "no," it's always a possibility. The best recruiters understand that concept keenly. "Oh, I contacted them, and they didn't respond, so they aren't interested." Nope! That's not true! You don't know that!

What skill has mattered more than you expected in this line of work?

The best recruiters are amazingly great at follow-up. It's so simple and so hard all at the same time. But, if you think about follow-up as a long-term investment in your career in talent acquisition, you'll be ahead of the game. We talk to thousands of people in recruiting, the vast majority we can never help, until we can. That's why follow-up is critical. You never know when the person you spoke to nine months ago will be needed. If you did a great follow-up, they can't wait to take your call. If you were a jerk, you will have a short career in recruiting.

What is a hiring belief you hold that most people would challenge?

No one knows who you are. There are a dozen unicorn brands in the world. Everyone knows them. No one knows who you are. Some leaders will see that as a negative. It's really a non-issue because every other brand is just like you. Most people will believe what you tell them. So, find the best version of yourself and sell that. Not everyone will experience your best version, but some could, and you want to sell the possibility of what's possible.

How can AI make recruiters better, not just faster?

Most recruiters spend their day surviving. Fighting fires, only to come back the next day to a fresh set of fires! AI gives us the chance to go beyond firefighting. To actually get ahead of the game and discover noticeably better talent for our organizations. The average recruiter looks at fewer than 10% of applicants for their jobs. Not because they don't want to, but because they don't have the capacity to look at hundreds or thousands of applicants. AI can change all of that and give each candidate a chance at every job. So, the human recruiter gets to focus on building great relationships with great talent, and every candidate gets an at-bat, for the first time in human history!