When I started recruiting, I always looked forward to meeting candidates for interviews. It was mostly curiosity, but I also wanted them to feel welcome and begin building a relationship whether we became work colleagues or not. But as remote work becomes more common, I no longer see candidates in person – and it’s drastically impacted my relationships for the better.
What was once a handshake and a few minutes of small talk has transformed into long-term, interactive relationships. Social media, video technologies, and other virtual collaboration tools allow us to communicate and build real relationships with people we’ve never met. Much like with in-person relationships, close bonds can form without ever meeting face-to-face.
For me, the relationships I’ve built remotely aren’t just where we’re connected on LinkedIn and see each other’s updates daily, but people that I consider friends. I know their kids’ names, their birthdays, and all that we have in common. For example, I once co-owned and operated a company with a business partner I never met in person. We had 25 employees, none of whom ever met in person, and we ultimately sold our business to a publishing company who – you guessed it – we never met in person. These people, my former colleagues, have become close friends of mine.
As recruiters and talent professionals, your business is inherently about building relationships. But your daily work is increasingly being completed online. Instead of user groups or conferences, candidates are registering for webinars and attending online development courses. They’re spending more time online and expect to be engaged there too. And yet, many recruiters struggle with forming strong, online relationships.
Tips for building real work relationships online
1. Be personal
Self-disclosure is a fine line, particularly in professional relationships. But common ground is crucial to gaining trust in professional relationships. It can be as simple as sharing your love for cats (or dogs), your favorite sports team, or even your passion for cooking. Being personal goes a long way in relating to your connections and knocking down barriers or hesitancies.
2. Be helpful
Small, unexpected acts of kindness are a building block in remote relationships. In person, it can be simple acts like holding open a door, picking up lunch or buying treats for colleagues. Online, it might be taking someone’s survey, sharing a LinkedIn post or donating a small amount to a colleague’s meaningful cause. Be helpful, but also be sincere.
3. Be visual
Share pictures and videos instead of just written messages. This increases emotional connection with your audience and helps them see you as the person you are. The more you showcase your “realness”, the deeper the connections you’ll make.
4. Be yourself
Just like in real life, your online persona can’t be all things to all people. Honesty and transparency go a long way. Be true to who you are – your colleagues and candidates appreciate it.
5. Be consistent
Using social media to recruit is a journey, not a destination. You’ll need more than LinkedIn status updates with job postings to attract the best talent. You need to post regularly to stay in their consciousness. That way when they realize it’s time for a career change or need a change in scenery, you and your company come to mind.
6. Be engaged
Direct, personal engagement that lays the groundwork for a relationship built around trust, honesty and openness. Interact with your network on an individual level, not just an aggregate one. As a recruiter, you’ll likely have to initiate direct, personal conversation. If someone posts about cats, direct your next cat-related post at them. Silly perhaps, but relationships won’t develop if built solely around, “Looking for a new career opportunity? Apply here today!”
Final thoughts on building relationships online
As technologies improve and people become more accustomed to building work relationships remotely, recruiters need to master the techniques of effectively building them online. This isn’t a natural process for anyone, especially since tech is always evolving. But by transitioning offline relationship-building techniques to the online world, you can grow your virtual network into one filled with valuable relationships.
About the expert
Former Manager – Technology Analytics, Cielo
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