Whether you are a full desk or half desk, hitting that golden 4-hour daily call time target can feel like chasing a unicorn. But fear not, fellow phone warriors! We’ve got some tricks up our sleeves to help you not just meet that goal, but crush it while building stronger candidate relationships and beefing up your BD prowess.

First things first, let’s break down what counts as call time:

For those of you who are 180 desk recruiters, it’s all about candidate calls. From cold calling to pre-qualifying, from that “Oh my God, they answered!” moment to the full-blown interview and opportunity presentation – it’s all considered call time before the sendout.

For our 360 desk recruiters, split that pie between recruiting and BD. On the BD side, count everything pre-proposal. From cold calling and prospecting, to the first and second discovery calls, and any follow-ups before you hit send on that proposal. All of that is BD call time.

Now, here’s where the magic happens – extending those candidate calls without feeling like you’re pulling teeth. Let’s dive into some conversational meandering techniques that’ll have you building up your talk time while building solid relationships:

1. Make them the expert: Ask candidates to help you craft killer interview questions for their role. It’s an ego boost for them and a goldmine of insider info for you. You can also make them the expert on a past role and use this information to expand your market. Let’s not forget, you’ll quickly suss out if they’re top-tier talent you’ll want to keep in your back pocket.
2. Get personal (in a good way): Once the formal stuff is out of the way, shift gears to their passions. This is your ticket to random acts of kindness and rapport-building. Maybe they’re into obscure board games or have a side hustle making artisanal hot sauce – file it away for future reference. When the passion aligns with one of yours, the rapport is real.
3. Culture deep-dive: When a candidate isn’t a fit, pick their brain about company cultures they’ve experienced. Ask for specific examples and stories which bring those cultures to life. This isn’t just fluff – it’s ammunition for your BD calls to their previous employer.

Here’s the kicker. By extending these calls, you’re not just padding your numbers for the sake of metrics. You’re building a treasure trove of information that’ll make your future calls warmer, your BD more targeted, and your relationships stronger. Candidates and clients often work with the recruiter they remember. All that takes is a little extra time.

For the next couple of weeks, challenge yourself to meander a bit more in your candidate convos. Whether you’re fishing for random acts of kindness inspiration, gathering BD intel, or crowdsourcing interview questions, you’ll be amazed at the doors opening when you let the conversation flow.

Remember, in our world of recruiting, sometimes the most valuable insights come from those moments when you’re not laser-focused on the job at hand. You’ve heard this is a relationship business; you’ve heard this is a numbers business. The extra phone time is how it is both. So lean into that conversational meandering – your call time (and your success rate) will thank you for it.