Active listening is one feature that makes a manager a good leader. Working in a fast-paced industry such as recruitment, many people try too much and too hard to “sell” their message and speak more than they listen. Listening skills in recruitment are overlooked, so when Dave and I founded Adria Solutions 20 years ago, we wanted to ensure the importance of active listening wasn’t overstated.
Successful recruitment consultants must do more than talk: They must communicate and understand the conversation, read between the lines, and respond thoughtfully and proactively. In today’s lesson, I’ll explain why active listening is important for managers, talent and HR professionals, hiring managers, and business owners and how to use your listening skills in recruitment.
Why is Active Listening Important for Managers?
By actively listening, managers can show that they value their team’s input, which leads to higher employee satisfaction and retention rates. When team members feel heard, they are more likely to share their ideas, which can lead to innovation and improvement. I don’t have to describe the positive effect on your team’s morale and productivity, right?
Additionally, active listening helps managers better understand their team’s strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to provide more effective support and development opportunities. Listening makes you a better manager.
So, What Happens when Managers Don’t Listen?
When managers fail to listen, the consequences can negatively affect the organisation. Miscommunication becomes rampant, leading to errors and decreased productivity. Team members may start to feel undervalued and ignored, resulting in low morale and high turnover rates.
Without good listening skills, managers miss out on critical feedback and insights that could improve processes and drive success. I recall an extreme case where a lack of listening created a toxic work environment. As a result, the company’s top-performing employees left, and its reputation was badly damaged. If you are a manager, I’m telling you now: you don’t want to be in their shoes.
Active Listening: How to Use your Listening Skills as a Manager
If you are convinced about improving your listening and communication skills, here’s how to start:
- Be more present and give the speaker your full attention to show that you are genuinely interested in what they have to say. Put away distractions like phones or laptops and maintain eye contact. A good listener pays attention to facial expressions.
- Summarise what the speaker has said and ask clarifying questions if needed. It will ensure that you have understood their message correctly and demonstrate that you are engaged in the conversation.
- Try to understand the speaker’s perspective and feelings. Empathy can build stronger connections and trust and help resolve conflict, too.
- Avoid interrupting. Instead, let the speaker finish their thoughts before you respond. Interrupting can make them feel rushed and undervalued.
- Offer thoughtful and appropriate feedback or actions based on whatever you discussed to prove that you value their input and are committed to addressing their concerns or suggestions.
Listening is Essential in Recruitment
Active listening is especially vital for effective 360º recruitment. I have always been a big advocate of active learning, talking with clients, candidates and even colleagues. Without listening, how will you truly understand the employer’s and candidates’ needs and preferences?
By effectively listening, a recruitment consultant will be able to:
- Understand what a hiring manager is looking for, what skills are important for the role and the company, the nice-to-have skills, and other aspects likely to influence their hiring decision.
- Identify the right candidates faster and more efficiently to optimise your client’s talent search and speed up your candidate screening process.
- Build relationships and trust with clients and candidates. Candidates who feel listened to are more likely to have a positive experience, even if they don’t get the job. Effective communications candidates builds trust!
- Uncover hidden talents. Sometimes, the best candidates might not be the most obvious ones on paper. Active listening will help recruitment consultants engage with those potential candidates who would otherwise get overlooked.
- Establish open communication channels with hiring managers and candidates throughout the recruitment process to reduce misunderstandings and create a positive experience for everyone involved.
The Next Steps to Become an Active Listener
Active listening is not just a skill but a powerful tool that can transform your company’s dynamics and your organisation’s recruitment process. I hope you find my tips helpful and that you now understand what happens when managers (and recruiters) don’t listen and why listening is important in recruitment.
Want to learn more about how we work? Message me, Nick, and let’s start a conversation.
