Sponsored by

The AIRS
Recruiting Competency Model

2009
Notices

The AIRS: Recruiting Competency Model™

Copyright ©2004 AIRS.

All Rights Reserved

This publication is protected by copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of it may be reproduced or transmitted
by any means or in any form without prior consent in writing from the AIRS.

Principal Author:
David C. Forman
President Sage Learning Systems
Chair, HCI Educational Board

Acknowledgments
The following people provided instrumental assistance in the development of the AIRS Recruiting Competency Model

Jeremy Eskansi Mike Foster

Riviera Advisors Human Capital Institute

Marc Hutto Christian Forman

Wachovia Corporation AIRS

Danielle Monaghan Tracey McGinnis

T-Mobile USA, Inc AIRS

Rob McIntosh Sharon Cook

Microsoft Corporation AIRS

Donna McKenna
Pfizer, Inc.

Maryclaire Ryan
Abbott Laboratories

Ed Sayson
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Historical Approaches to Recruiting Recruiters . . . . . . . . . . 3

Job Competencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Examples of Competency Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Successful Recruiters: Views and Perspectives . . . . . . . . 10

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Purpose and Uses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Recruiting Competencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Future Visions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Core Recruiting Skills Indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Performance Traits Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Executive Search and Partnership Indicators. . . . . . . . 27
Introduction team to interview prospective software
engineers at leading universities such as
Canada's Waterloo University.

There is virtually universal agreement

Recruiters can have an additive impact
that today's economy is driven by the
on the new global enterprise. Their
talent and intangible capital of
value can go far beyond their own
organizations. The competitive strength
individual position, salary and
of companies and even countries is not
performance. It extends to the impact of
tied to physical resources but to the
the people they have ushered into the
knowledge and skills of its people.
enterprise. This new role and
Talent is the fuel for the global economy.
importance is yet to be understood by
It is now clear, for example, that 80% of
many who cling to past, unflattering
a company's market value is not
perceptions of both recruiters and the
determined by buildings, cash or
recruiting profession. It is not an easy
equipment but by its
conversion to now regard recruiting as
people.
being mission -critical and strategically
vital. It requires new ways of thinking
Recruiters are not only part of an
and acting, both within the organization
organization's human capital; they can
and for recruiters themselves.
propagate and extend its influence. A
great recruiter can find, attract and enlist
This AIRS White Paper on Recruiting
tens if not hundreds of people who bring
Competencies is divided into four parts.
new ideas, skills and networks to the
The first part briefly examines different
enterprise. These new entrants become
approaches to hiring recruiters over the
the lifeblood of the organization and the
years, and the use of competencies as
source of its future competitive strength.
indicators of performance. Part II
If this flow of talent slows or is reduced
presents examples of competency
in quality, the organization can be
models in business and industry. This
impaired for years.
treatment is valuable because it shows
how others have addressed the issues
Most CEOs understand very clearly the
that currently face the recruiting
relationship between talent and the
profession. The third part presents
performance of the company. It is a
thoughts and perspectives on successful
major concern for them as more than ¾
recruiters by three industry experts, and
of CEOs doubt that their companies can
this discussion serves as a foundation for
attract top talent. Because of the
Part IV which is the AIRS Recruiting
criticality of bringing new talent into the
Competency Model. This model is based
enterprise, top executives often get
on interviews and surveys of leading
directly involved themselves, and not
experts and practitioners, and it forms
just for "C" level positions. Bill Gates,
the basis for the AIRS Recruiting
for example, accompanied the Microsoft
Assessment tools and systems.

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 1

Part I:
Historical Approaches to
Recruiting Recruiters
Excellent recruiters find, attract and
assist in hiring great talent; mediocre
recruiters lack the judgment, knowledge
and skills to achieve the same results on
a consistent basis. It becomes vital then
to be able to distinguish between
excellent and poor recruiting
performance, and to select and develop
recruiters to these standards. If not, the
organization's talent level is left to
chance and will likely whither.
Recruiting is culture, nationality and
time bound. Because the essence of
recruiting includes finding and hiring
candidates who will be successful in
their jobs, it is important to recognize
that "success" can have different
meanings across cultures. The attributes
to be successful in an individualistic
culture, for example, are different than
those optimized for a collective culture.
Similarly, there are many differences
among national rules and regulations,
particularly related to the amount and
privacy of data collected and displayed
(SHRM, 2003).
The time dimension is very apparent just
from the last half a dozen years. The
supply and demand of jobs and skill are
two factors which impact what
recruiters need to do to be successful
and where the talent resides. Sourcing
candidates, for example, can be very
2 The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
different when there is a surplus as
opposed to scarcity of available labor.
The use of technology is another factor
that is time-dependent. A decade ago
the face of recruiting was quite different
than it is today.
The current challenge is to hire excellent
recruiters for North American
organizations in the years 2004-5. There
are several different ways to approach
this task. The first is to believe that
excellent recruiters are born not made;
and because they use many different
approaches to achieve results, it is
virtually impossible to predict who will
be successful beforehand. While it is
certainly true that there are many ways
a recruiter can be successful, this
approach ignores the progress that has
been made in scientific selection systems
over the years.
This is termed the laissez faire approach
because it wasn't particularly earnest or
systematic. Hiring decisions were
usually made on the basis of a loosely-
structured interview that focused on
several skills and attitudes that seemed
relevant at the time (Wheeler, 2003).
This approach significantly narrowed
the candidate pool, often discriminated
against candidates not fitting the
manager's private sense of reality, and
also is expensive and wasteful to
operationalize. It essentially leads to
hiring a bunch of recruiters and "seeing
who works out."
The next iteration of recruiting hiring
practices was more structured, less
casual, and anchored in job descriptions
 and requirement statements. Jobs were
often categorized in terms of formal
education and experience required, and
the resume became the ticket for entry.
These factors were easy to measure and
verify, and because of their objectivity,
they helped to reduce or eliminate
screening based on sex and race. While
this pre-requisite approach was an
important step, it had its own share of
disadvantages.
We have learned over the past 40 years
that people who qualify for jobs based
on their education or experiences alone
are not necessarily good performers.
We now know that simply selecting
people by generic measures such as
education and experience don't work
very well and discriminate against
those with the real skills who do not
have the required credentials.
Kevin Wheeler 2003
Selection decisions in this case were
made on the basis of what was objective
and easy to measure, not what was more
predictive of successful performance. In
addition, resumes have become less than
accurate representations of experience,
calling into question one of their few
advantages.
Given the weaknesses of these two
approaches, the next step was to begin to
base recruiter hiring decisions on
selection criteria more directly related to
actual job performance. As we have
seen, proxy indicators such as education
The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
level are not effective. Instead measures
of, for example, market knowledge and
technology proficiency must be
developed so that data could be
gathered and analyzed. It did not matter
what potential recruiters said they could
do, it mattered what they could actually
do. There were two requirements that
needed to be in place before this
performance-based approach was
workable.
The first requirement is that the job of
recruiting must be more carefully
understood and analyzed. Job analyses
must be performed and validated. At
one level, this seems like an obvious and
simple task. Everyone knows the basic
activities of recruiting! It is probably
true that most people in the field can
agree on a list of recruiting tasks and
activities; but the debate begins when
these tasks need to be prioritized. The
debate increases in intensity when
people are asked to differentiate between
excellent and substandard recruiters in
terms of behaviors, motivation and
knowledge, both now and in the future.
These answers are not always obvious,
intuitive or easily obtained.
The second requirement for more
performance-based selection is the use of
multiple measures in the selection
process. Each measure or way to gather
information about a prospective hire has
its own strengths and weaknesses. One-
on-one interviewing, for example, can
provide more time for in-depth
discussions and be a more casual and
comfortable environment for exchanges.
But criteria among various interviewers
3
 can vary, and this type of interviewing
can favor candidates with strong
language fluency. It is vital, therefore, to
make sound and reliable selection and
hiring decisions based on input from
various sources, including:
• Review of previous experience and
skills
• Standardized measures
• Self assessments
• Simulations
• Work samples
• One-on-one interviewing
• Panel interviewing
• Reference checking
Performance-based selection methods
can be used when a coherent and valid
job model is established and then
multiple measures are used to gather
data on each aspect of the model. The
job model then becomes the basis for the
questions to be asked and the data to be
gathered on prospective candidates.
Job Competencies
A job analysis details the tasks and
activities that comprise a job. A
competency analysis is similar but it
identifies behaviors, motivations and
knowledge of successful and
unsuccessful job incumbents.
Competencies are typically more useful
because instead of just lists of tasks, they
identify behaviors that indicate success
at tasks. Competency frameworks are
also typically more manageable because
they can focus on selected key behaviors
that cut across multiple tasks.
4 The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
Boyzatis (1982) was one of the early
proponents of using competencies to
profile performance. He defines them as
having attributes of knowledge, skills,
attitudes, values, traits, motives and
social role. Others have preferred to use
KSA or knowledge, skills and abilities to
define competency. In both of these
definitions, there is room for subjectivity
around such terms as traits, abilities,
motives and social role. Byham and
Moyer (1996) at Development
Dimensions International (DDI) use the
terms behaviors, motivation and
knowledge to describe competencies.
This definition is useful because it
emphasizes observable and describable
job behaviors.
Competency models help to develop a
common language and set of
expectations within the organization.
This common language not only
facilitates communication but
organizational performance as well.
Competency models are versatile tools
that can have many organizational roles.
While the AIRS Recruiting Competency
Model is to be used primarily as one tool
to help select and hire excellent
recruiters for the organization, there are
other valuable uses, including (SHRM,
2003):
• Recruitment
• Development
• Performance Feedback
• Staff Planning
There are several distinctions related to
competencies that are worth discussing.
The first is the difference between core
 and specific job competencies. Core
competencies are those apply across
several jobs, roles or even the entire
organization while specific competencies
provide greater detail in a targeted area.
The advantage of core competencies is
that they can enable an organization to
reinforce its strategy and vision with all
employees or a profession to highlight
its most important values. Many
contemporary competency models
include both core and specific
competencies.
The second distinction is between the
behavioral and clinical or psychological
approach to measuring and defining
competencies. The behavioral approach
concentrates on job relevant behavior,
motivation and knowledge. The clinical
approach focuses on underlying
characteristics that are independent of
any connection to the job. The clinical
approach often deals with traits and
personality factors (Byham and Moyer,
1996). Both approaches have value, but
for our purposes the AIRS Competency
Model will use the behavioral approach
because it is more practical, easier to
define and has stronger value for
business applications.
The third distinction pertains to how
competencies are derived. Competencies
can be research or strategies based. The
primary distinction is if competencies
are derived from observing and
surveying employees or from logical
extensions of a company's strategy and
values. Both approaches are valid and
useful based on circumstances. For
example, if the focus is on future as
The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
opposed to current competencies; then a
strategies-based approach is
recommended, primarily because it is
difficult to gather data on competencies
that do yet exist. Even with a strategies
based approach, however, it is important
to validate the competency model once
data are accessible and can be gathered
The fourth distinction is simply to
acknowledge that competency models
vary in terms of precision, complexity,
breath and stability. There must be a
delicate balance between too much and
not enough detail. A general listing of
six to eight competencies is probably not
discrete enough, but a competency
dictionary of hundreds if not thousands
of behaviors is too overpowering to
implement. Stability is a key concern
with rapid changes in jobs,
responsibilities and even professions.
Overly specific competencies can limit
responsiveness, agility and the ability to
quickly change based on new market
conditions.
5
Part II:
Examples of
Competency Models in
Business
Competency models have been
developed for many different types of
jobs, roles and even professions. It is
worthwhile to review several of these
models to understand their structure,
level of specificity and approach. The
models that will be reviewed are:
• Competency Model for the New
HR. The Society for Human
Resource Management (SHRM),
the University of Michigan
Business School and the Global
Consulting Alliance developed this
model based on recent changes in
business and in the HR profession.
• Global Leadership Skills.
Gundling (2003) has identified 12
critical skills/competencies for
doing business internationally in
today's global economy. These
skills are grouped into three main
categories.
• Sales Competencies for the 21st
Century. MOHR is a training and
consulting company that has
worked with high-performance
sales organizations for 20 years.
Several years ago, MOHR
observed that successful sales
executives were using different
skills and spending their time
doing more than simply
traditional sales skills.
6 The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
• Executive Competencies.
Development Dimensions
International (DDI) has been
developing competency-based HR
systems for over three decades.
Their methodologies and findings
have been subject to extensive
validity research. The executive
competencies listed are part of an
executive development program
designed by DDI.
The five categories of new HR
competencies cover a wide range of
activities. This study not only looked at
individual competencies, but also at the
difference between HR professionals in
high and low performing organizations.
High-performing companies, for
example, have HR professionals
involved in strategic business decisions.
The five categories of competencies are
not equal in importance. Strategic
contribution accounts for twice as much
HR impact as any other category. The
single highest impact HR practice is
culture management, and there is a
growing value placed on HR
professional's ability to strategically
connect the firm with its external
environment. In the past HR has been
internally focused; this is no longer the
case for high-performing organizations.
The data from this study also indicate
that the competencies in which HR
professionals are strong do not serve to
distinguish HR professionals in the high
performing companies from those in low
performing ones. The competencies that
 do differentiate organizations are the
following:
• Knowledge of the external
environment
• Staffing
• Organizational design
• Culture management
• Setting the direction of change
• Contributing to business decisions
Staffing is a key value adding area that
directly pertains to recruiting.
HR Competency Categories
Strategic contribution
Personal credibility
HR delivery
Business knowledge
HR technology
Figure 1: 2002 Human Resource Competency Study
University of Michigan, SHRM and Global Consulting Alliance
The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
Great organizations focus on the
consequential few, not the
inconsequential many.
Description
High performing companies have HR professionals
involved in the business at a strategic level. These
HR professionals manage culture, facilitate "fast
change," are involved in strategic decision making
and create "market-driven connectivity."
HR professionals must be credible to both their HR
colleagues and line mangers that they serve. They
need to develop effective internal and external
relationships, have a reliable track record and
strong communication skills.
HR professionals must provide excellent results in
four major operational areas: staffing,
development, organizational structure and
performance management.
Superior performers understand the business of the
company, its integrated value chain, and how the
firm creates wealth.
HR technology HR professionals need to be able to
leverage technology for HR practices and use e-HR
channels to deliver value to their customers.
7
 Gundling (2003) identifies three groups
of skills/competencies. He makes no
distinction between the two terms
because of his practical, "how to"
approach. He acknowledges that there
are core values that underlie the 12
people skills, but these values (e.g.,
empathy, trust, respect) are difficult to
measure and implement. It is best to One great programmer is worth
focus on more practical skills. He sees a 1000 good ones.
loose hierarchical relationship among the
skills: proficiency at the interpersonal Bill Gates
level enables one to function better in Microsoft
groups, which in turn can lead to
organizational success. Many empirical
competency models are based on
independent factors that are not related
in an hierarchical or sequential
relationship.

Global Leadership Categories Global Leadership Skills

Interpersonal Establishing credibility

Giving and receiving feedback

Obtaining information

Evaluating people

Group Building global teamwork

Training and development

Selling

Negotiating

Organizational Strategic planning

Transferring knowledge

Innovating

Managing change

Figure 2: Global Leadership Skills

Gundling, 2003

8 The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model

 The MOHR study of sales competencies
(1997) is interesting because it includes
both emerging and traditional sales
competencies. Often, competency
studies focus on one or the other
orientations but not both. It also
recognizes that while some accounts call
for a more consultative and strategic It is what you learn after you know it
approach, others can be serviced and all that counts
closed with more conventional tactical
skills. In rating these competencies with John Wooden
customers, MOHR found with one UCLA Basketball
exception that emerging competencies
were rated as more important but less
frequently done than traditional
competencies. A positive statistically
significant relationship has also been
demonstrated between top performers
and their use of the emerging sales
competencies.

Emerging Sales Competencies Description

Aligning customer/supplier strategic Building and executing strategic account

objectives penetration plans
Listening beyond product needs Cultivating basic selling skills

Understanding the financial impact of

decisions
Orchestrating organizational resources

Consultative problem solving

Establishing a vision of a committed

customer/supplier relationship
Engaging in self appraisal and
continuous learning

Figure 3: Sales Competencies for the 21st Century

MOHR, 1997

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 9

 The DDI executive competency project
not only lists the competency areas but
also provides data on those
competencies in need of greater
development and training. As
mentioned earlier, competency models
can be used for many purposes
including both selection and
development. In this particular case,
development energies need to be
devoted to visionary leadership,
building business partnerships, coaching
and delegation. The data that have been
gathered are valuable in helping to
prioritize the amount of time and
resources needed to further develop key
executive competencies.

Sample Executive Competencies Developmental Need

Visionary leadership 59%

Building business partnerships 47%

Communication/presentation skills 0%

Coaching 71%

Delegation 47%

Establishing strategic direction 29%

Marketing and entrepreneurial insight 18%

Operational decision making 12%

Managing the job 12%

Valuing diversity 0%

Figure 4: Sample Executive Competencies

Development Dimensions International (DDI) 1996

10 The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model

Part III: Successful
Recruiters-Views and
Perspectives
The recruiting literature includes many
discussions of what it takes to be a
successful recruiter. Some of these
discussions are empirically derived
while others are based on expert opinion
and experience. These perspectives are
useful in providing more background
and foundation for the AIRS Recruiting
Competency Model. The three
perspectives that will be presented are
those of industry experts Wendell
Williams, Lou Adler and Kevin Wheeler.
Williams (2004) begins by identifying
four general responsibilities of
recruiters. There are: 1) identifying job
requirements, 2) finding candidates, 3)
assessing candidate skills and 4)
"selling" the organization. He then
makes the distinction between a reactive
and a strategic recruiter across these
four areas of responsibility.
Strategic recruiters look at the bigger
picture, are viewed as "people experts"
because they are comfortable performing
job analyses, developing competencies
and not wasting the time of hiring
managers. These recruiters are
comfortable using different measures to
determine if a candidate is qualified, and
they make the right job match 90% of
the time, as opposed to 50% for reactive
recruiters. Among key additional
competencies for the strategic recruiter
are analysis, problem solving, technical
knowledge, persuasion and ability to
learn.
Williams then develops a checklist to
distinguish between a strategic and
reactive recruiter. Excerpts from this
checklist are included in the following
table.

The competencies of a strategic recruiter

are very different than those recruiters
who wait for job requisitions and do not
take responsibility for the quality of the
hire. Management does not value
reactive recruiters and consequently this
role is a candidate for being outsourced.
Among the primary competencies for
reactive recruiters are oral
communication, planning and
organizing, extraversion and teamwork.

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 11

 Strategic Recruiter
Organizes job titles into a workable number
of job families
Works from competency lists for each
family
May not be an expert but knows the
Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection
and the Standards for Educational and
Psychological Testing
Converts changing business strategy into
job competencies
Knows what competencies can and cannot
be measured
Uses only situational or behavioral interview
technology
Takes full responsibility for sending hiring
managers fully qualified candidates
Never ceases recruiting even though there
are no open positions
Conducts formal studies to determine the
predictive ability of each hiring
Uses multiple hiring tools depending on the
competency and required accuracy
Figure 5: Strategic and Reactive Recruiters
Williams 2004
Adler (2004) takes a somewhat different
perspective by identifying what needs to
occur to make recruiting a more
systematic business process. He
contends that too much time and
opportunity are lost because recruiting
activities are ill-defined and poorly
controlled. He identifies five core
processes that must be significantly
enhanced.
• A dramatic improvement in the
types and methods used to source
top talent
12
Reactive Recruiter
Looks primarily at job titles
Works from job descriptions and old job
requirements
Never heard of them
Waits for job requisitions
Makes up competencies that cannot be
measured
Uses a few favorite interview questions
Tries to get managers to do more in the
hiring process
Recruits only when there are job openings
Takes vendor claims at face value
Relies primarily on interviews
• A radical upgrade in the
performance and efficiency of IT
systems supporting the recruiting
process
• Significantly increase every
recruiter's ability to work with,
coach and influence hiring
managers
• Move from a reactive to a
proactive mindset at every process
step
• Profoundly increase each
recruiter's ability to recruit top
talent
The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
 He then proceeds to focus in on great
one-on-one recruiting skills that will be
needed to support these process
changes. He refers to these as core
competencies.

Core One-on-One Recruiting Competencies Description

Listening skills Great recruiting is about engaging with top

people, understanding what motivates them
to excel, and then presenting the right
opportunities.

Persuasion Recruiters must be able to convince top

people to consider their openings above all
others.

Counseling The best recruiters are career counselors

Persistence Things always go wrong. The best

recruiters must be able to forge ahead
despite negativity and conflict.

Risk-taking Getting names, pushing the envelope, and

trying new things are part of the job.
Savvy Be street smart, have lots of common
sense, have a lot of ingenuity and be quick
on your feet.

Great phone skills Using verbal skills alone, recruiters must be

able to present the most compelling case.
Networking ability Recruiters must be able to generate a
stream of great names from everyone they
meet.

Figure 6: One-on-One Recruiting Competencies

Adler 2004

Wheeler (2002) looks at the recruiting

profession through an historical lens. He
believes the skills that once defined a You can hear a lot by really listening.
successful recruiter are now detrimental
to success in this new era. He identifies Yogi Berra
five distinct areas that are now vital to
success.

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 13

 • The ability to build relationships.
The most important new skill is
the ability to find great people and
build relationships with them.
This is what great executive search
gurus do, it is now necessary for
all recruiters to do. The
relationships need to be both
within and external to the
organization so that the widest
possible set of resources can be
utilized.
• Knowledge of the market.
Recruiters must know the job
market, supply of talent and
competitive positioning for local,
national and even global
resources. They must be aware of
new sources of talent that become
available, and be able to forecast
likely change in the future. This
market knowledge not only is
valuable to hiring managers but
enables recruiters to concentrate
time in highest value areas.
• An understanding of technology.
This is no longer an option;
technology already dominates
recruiting. If recruiters are not
technically agile and informed,
they cannot be successful.
• The ability to demonstrate their
own value. Recruiters need to
become better business people.
They need to put together business
cases for solutions they suggest,
programs they want to initiate or
systems they want to buy. They
need to define a core set of metrics
that demonstrate how they have
14
added value, raised quality,
improved profits or saved time.
• The ability to sell. Recruiters
need to be good at selling
candidates and hiring managers.
They need to offer solutions, work
out compromises, negotiate and, in
the end, make the hire happen.
These three perspectives are all useful.
There are similarities and differences
among the three viewpoints. Moving
away from reactive recruiting, using
technology and focusing on top talent
are common themes. Some of the
differences reflect the backgrounds and
expertise of the authors. Williams is a
world-class expert in scientific selection
systems so his guidance often relates to
the more technical aspects of data
gathering and testing while Adler's more
detailed listing of competencies reflects a
more tactical approach as exemplified in
his book Hire with Your Head. Wheeler
strikes an effective balance between both
forward-thinking and practical advice to
recruiters.
In April 2004, Sullivan (2004) added to
these perspectives by detailing a list of
31 different activities or things that
successful recruiters do. This list is
based on Sullivan's extensive career in
research, writing and time as the Chief
Talent Officer at Agilent Technologies.
He categorizes his 31 observations into
the following categories.
1. Great recruiters make data-driven
decisions (four factors)
2. Great recruiters utilize market
research (five factors)
The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
 3. Great recruiters get managers
more involved (three factors)
4. Great recruiters complete a
competitive analysis (two factors)
5. Great recruiters use leading-edge
sourcing tactics (eight factors)
6. Great recruiters learn quickly (two
factors)
7. Great recruiters make use of
technology (four factors)
8. Other practices (three factors)
These valuable insights run the gamut
from advocating customer satisfaction
and rejection surveys to viewing
retention as part of the recruiter's job.
Sullivan comments that many people
enter recruiting as a stepping stone to
other HR or OD jobs and consequently
they never strive to become experts at,
what for them, is a transitory job.
It is clear that as useful as all of these
perspectives are, they do not form a
comprehensive picture of the recruiting
profession and they are not stated in the
detail necessary for being able to hire
excellent recruiters. They provide
guidance and direction, but not the
necessary focus and specificity. It is to
these tasks that we now turn.
The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
Part IV: The AIRS
Recruiting Competency
Model
During the Winter and Spring of 2004, a
dozen in-depth interviews were
conducted with industry-leading experts
and practitioners in recruiting and hiring
practices. These interviews focused on
the substantive differences between
excellent and mediocre recruiters, and
on how the recruiting profession is
changing. The results of these
interviews were synthesized and then
reviewed for logic, consistency, accuracy
and realism.
Once the high level competency
groupings were identified, a series of
performance indicators were developed.
These indicators demonstrate how each
competency is evidenced in the
workplace. These indicators were
reviewed for accuracy, realism and
logical relationship to the competency.
In addition, reviewers were asked to
rank the top three indicators for each
competency in terms of importance and
proficiency. These data will be used not
just to sharpen the competency model,
but also to assist in the preparation of
assessment items based on the
competency model.
The next step in the development and
review of the AIRS Recruiting
Competency Model is the nation-wide
broadcast of the model to an audience of
recruiters and HR professionals. Several
15
 hundred people will be participating
and feedback will be solicited on the
high level competencies and most
significant indicators.
Purpose and Uses
The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
provides a common language on
recruiting and hiring practices within a
consistent framework. This shared
vocabulary is important because it helps
to insure that everyone is working from
the same foundations and
understandings. This common
viewpoint is particularly meaningful
when discussing issues related to
performance and success.
The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
can be used for several different but
complimentary purposes. These
purposes are:
Recruiting Competencies
• Job analysis - Consistent views
and comparisons of one recruiting
job to another. Clarity of desired
behaviors.
• Recruitment - Common language
for describing open positions.
Clarity of expectations for open
positions. Vehicle for gaining
consensus from hiring manager.
• Selection - Consistent basis for
evaluating candidates. Vehicle for
discussing strengths and
weaknesses of candidates.
Common basis for interview
protocols and other selection tool
usage.
16
• Performance feedback - Common
language between manager and
employee on expected results.
Consistent criteria across different
performance appraisal periods.
• Learning and development -
Clarity of desired behaviors.
Consistent linkage between
development and training
programs and desired behaviors.
Concrete descriptions of career
development plans.
• Staff planning - Consistent
framework to describe future
requirements. Common data and
requirements can be gathered
across business units. Standard
language for staffing metrics.
Common linkage between
replacement and succession
planning
Three high-level groupings of
competencies emerged from the
interview data and review comments.
These groupings, in turn, support 16
different competencies. Competencies,
as discussed earlier, can include
knowledge, skills, abilities, and other
personal factors. The three high level
recruiting competency groups are Core
Recruiting Skills, Performance Traits and
Executive Search and Partnership
Competencies.
Core Recruiting Skills have defined
recruiting for many years. They
commence when a job requisition lands
The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
 on the recruiter’s desk and conclude
when a candidate is hired. These skills
pertain whether the recruiter resides
within a corporation or an agency. They The Next “Killer Application” in
are heavily influenced by persuasion, recruiting is the recruitter.
communication, negotiation and sales
skills. Technology is now central and Mike Foster
essential for these skills. Core Recruiting HCI
Skills are described in the following
figure.

Competency * Description

Profile and Plan Build successful candidate profiles, clarify required job skills and
competencies and use the best sourcing strategies and
techniques for each job category.

Source and Contact Can attract and find the right candidates for each job, use each
sourcing technique effectively and establish rapport with
potential candidates.

Assess Is able to use and interpret various assessment methods in order

to make the most valid and reliable decisions about a
candidate's fit to the company, team and job.

Present and Close Presents strengths and weaknesses of leading candidates,

overcomes objections in the hiring process, sells the opportunity
and negotiates final agreement.

Figure 7: Core Recruiting Skills

* Specific indicators for Core Recruiting Skills as well as for the other recruiting competencies
are included in the Appendix.

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 17

 The second high-level grouping of
competencies is Performance Traits.
These are personal qualities exhibited on
the job that separate excellent from
Southwest Airlines hires for
substandard recruiters. These types of
attitude and personal
traits exist in any profession and
competencies and trains for
recruiting is no exception. Successful
knowledge and skills.
people not only have excellent skills but
an attitude and approach that make
them successful. These Performance
Traits are:

Competency Description

Drive for Results Is dedicated to achieving the best results, perseveres and uses
metrics to analyze own performance.

Inquisitiveness Wants to know more and understand the reasons for a problem
or issue, asks intelligent questions and looks for better ways to
accomplish tasks.

Sales and Service Commits to quality conversations, responds quickly to

Orientation questions, goes the extra step to please clients and candidates.

Relationship Builder Takes a genuine interest in people, listens well, enjoys linking
people up to opportunities.

Flexibility Adjusts easily to change, learns quickly, and understands how

internal and external factors impact decisions.

Passion Ardently believes in the value great recruiting brings to the

organization, enjoys helping people achieve their goals, is
committed to integrity and the ethics of the profession.

Figure 8: Performance Traits

The combination of Core Recruiting province of the most successful

Skills and Performance Traits
characterize successful recruiters. But
the key to ongoing, continuous success
in an increasingly sophisticated and
complex environment is the third high-
level grouping of competencies:
Executive Search and Partnership
Competencies. As the name implies,
these capabilities were once only the
executive recruiters but now are more
universally required. Standards have
been raised; and traditional, tactical
recruiting skills are no longer enough.
Recruiters are now expected to have
market, business, consulting and
partnership abilities in addition to core
recruiting skills. These new
competencies are:

18 The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model

 Competency Description

Market Intelligence Knows the external factors that impact the supply of top talent,
understands the competitive position of the company and has
knowledge of salary levels, supply and candidate requirements
for different job categories.

Business Savvy Understands the company's value proposition and strategy,

distinguishes among opinions, activity and results measures,
and constructs solid business cases to support positions.

Organizational Gains respect from the hiring manager, knows the formal and
Management informal sources of company influence, sets expectations for the
hiring process, and follows through on organizational
commitments.

Candidate Management Gains respect from candidates, understands the motivations and
interests of candidates, responds quickly to questions and is
able to work with many candidates at once.

Network Building Views every meeting as a network opportunity, uses technology

to systematize candidate information, and provides regular, high-
value communication to network members.

Figure 9: Executive Search and Partnership Competencies

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model shown, along with their specific
is depicted in the following visual. Each individual competencies.
of the three high-level groupings is

Drive for Results

Assess Inquisitiveness
Profile and Plan Core
Performance Sales and Service Orientation
Source and Contact Recruiting
Traits Relationship Builder
Present and Close Skills
Flexibility
Passion

Executive Search and

Partnership Competencies

Assess

Market Intelligence
Business Savvy
Organizational Management
Candidate Management
Network Building

Figure 10: The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 19

 The various parts of the model work
together to provide a view of trends in
the field of recruiting. Reactive
recruiters can still be effective if they
excel in Core Recruiting Skills. But
when the market demands a more
proactive approach, the value of
Performance Traits and the Executive
Search and Partnership Competencies
becomes more central. Similarly, as
recruiters move along a continuum from
supporting to participating to leading
the acquisition of top talent new sets of
skills are required.
Core
Recruiting Performance
Traits
Skills
Reactive
Requisition-Based
Supporting Participating
Figure 11: Role of AIRS Competency Groupings
Future Visions
Competency Models are anchored in
time. Five years ago or five years from
now the competencies for recruiters will
look different. This is why it is
important to continue to monitor labor,
market, technology, economic and
business practices. For example, the
current emphasis on human capital and
talent management is having a major
impact on the present and future role of
recruiters. Many recruiters are now
20
The ability to make good decisions on
people represents one of the last reliable
sources of competitive advantage, since
very few organizations are very good at
it.
Peter Drucker
Executive
Search and
Partnership
Competencies
Proactive Mindset
Solution-Based Hiring
Leading Roles
concerned about subsequent candidate
job performance and retention, and not
just the initial hire. Their horizons now
include the full talent management
lifecycle.
The emphasis on talent has also brought
into clear focus the consequential role of
game-changing talent within the
enterprise. For years companies have
talked about the value of their people,
but all too often their actions still view
The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
 people as labor, a cost and
interchangeable resources. Foster (2004)
has segmented the new human capital
market as follows.

Executive Game
and Changers
Senior Leaders

Multi-Skilled
Critical Hires
and Hard to Find
Professionals

Single-Skilled Employees
in Commodity Jobs Team Strength

Figure 12: Types of Talent and Their Role in the Organization

The game changers are not simply
people with the highest title in the
organization. They relate to the strategic
job categories (Kaplan and Norton, 2004)
and include: the CE0, top executives
and their successors, sales leaders and
product innovators. Critical hires are
employees with excellent skills in
building, selling and delivering products
and services and who add value to their
primary interactions with customers.
Team organizational strength is
comprised of back and front office
employees who work hard and deliver
as promised.
It is then useful to array recruiting
approaches-both past and future-to
support this human capital model.
In the past, companies relied on
executive search and contingent
recruiters to acquire their best talent.
Now, this ability needs to come inside
the organization because it is so vital to a
company’s ultimate success.
The most important thing that we
have learned is that there is a
tremendous need to grow talent and
maintain a strong pipeline of talent.
That's a real critical success factor for
us.
Michael Dell
USA Today. April 5, 2004

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 21


Executive Search
Contingent Recruiters
Ads and Job Boards
Figure 13: Past and Future Recruiting Approaches for Human Capital
It is not easy for recruiters to make the
shift from the bottom of the pyramid to
the middle and then the top. But this is
precisely where they can bring the
greatest value to the organization. To do
this, however, they must earn the right
to be responsible for the critical assets of
the company-its best people. The AIRS
Executive Search and Partnership
competencies define the way to gain the
respect of both hiring managers and the
best candidates.
Conclusion
Recruiting is moving from a practice to a
profession. This transition is not
complete but the signs are unmistakable.
Other professions are more closely
regulated, monitored and measured, but
recruiting has its own technologies,
methods, designations and now a set of
competencies for excellence in
recruiting. Recruiting is also finding a
home within the themes of human
22
Insource and Specialized
Game Consultants
Changers
Critical Hires Insource
Team Strength Contract or Outsource
capital and talent management.
Recruiters are now seen as having an
additive impact on the organization,
advancing far beyond their own
desktops.
The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
is a further sign of the emergence of the
recruiting profession. Now, there is a
standard vocabulary and language that
can be used in analyzing jobs, selecting
candidates, developing recruiting talent
and planning for succession. These
competencies are not immutable and
need to be reviewed and revisited as
market conditions and technology
change. There may also be other ways to
present these competencies and skills as
this model is used and applied in
professional contexts. AIRS welcomes
such adjustments and improvements.
The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model
References Wheeler, K. “Too fast to fathom.” Electronic
Recruiting Exchange. November 26, 2003.

Wheeler, K. “What’s a recruiter anyway? five

Adler, L “Become famous! Make hiring top
talent a systematic business process.”
Electronic Recruiting Exchange. January
16th, 2004
critical skills for success.” Electronic
Recruiting Exchange. July 3, 2002.
Williams, W. “Are you hiring a reactive or
strategic recruiter?” Electronic Recruiting
Exchange. March 7, 2002.

Adler, L. “A look back at 2004 from a CEO Williams, W. “Test your recruiting
perspective.” Electronic Recruiting knowledge.” Electronic Recruiting Exchange.
Exchange. January, 9, 2004. September 30, 1999.

Boyatzis, R. The Competent Manager: A

Model of Effective Performance. New York,
NY: John Wiley, 1982

Byham, W., and Moyer, P. “Using

competencies to build a successful
organization.” Development Dimensions
International. Pittsburg, PA: 1996

Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.

Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection
Procedures. 1978

Foster, M. “A Supply Chain of the Best and

Brightest”. AIRS, 2004

Gundling, E. Working GlobeSmart. Palo

Alto: CA: Davies-Black Publishing, 2003

Kaplan, R and Norton D. “Measuring the

Strategic Readiness of Intangible Assets.”
Harvard Business Review. February, 2004

MOHR. Sales Competencies for the 21st

Century. Ridgefield, CT. 1997

SHRM. SHRM Global Learning System.

Alexandria, VA: Society for Human Resource
Management, 2003.

Sullivan, J. “31 things that set great

recruiters apart from the average.”
Electronic Recruiting Exchange. April 5,
2004.

University of Michigan. “The New HR

Agenda: 2002 Human Resource
Competency Study Executive Summary.”
May 2003

Wheeler, K. “The year of great change is

dawning: some end of year thoughts.”
Electronic Recruiting Exchange. December
17, 2003.

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 23

Appendix

Core Recruiting Skills Indicators

Profile & Plan

Understands how to build a candidate profile that can drive an efficient sourcing program

Asks questions of hiring managers to clarify ambiguous job requisitions

Asks questions of hiring managers to unearth hidden success factors and skills for each requisitions

Is able to determine the best sourcing method for different candidates

Can develop a diversity recruiting plan to meet corporate objectives

Has ability to develop a sourcing plan that maximizes sourcing dollars and reduce time to hire

Source and Contact

Develops effective ads and job postings

Recognizes the difference between excellent and poor job postings

Knows how to research and find other productive sources for different job categories

Finds active candidates

Finds passive candidates

Finds passive candidate resumes on the deep web

Finds people linked to companies, colleges and organizations

Uses employee referrals to find candidates

Uses personal network to find candidates

Knows the best sources for diversity candidates

Evaluates the effectiveness of different sources of candidates for completed searches

Understands how to use email and the phone for candidate contact

Knows how to quickly build rapport on the phone

Lacks fear of cold calling

Clear written and verbal communication skills

Assess

Recognizes the profile of candidates who are most likely to be successful for specific job categories

Identifies quickly candidates that are under qualified from reviewing resumes

Gathers relevant information from a resume for specific job categories

Assesses candidates true goals and motivations

Uses technology to assist in the screening process

Is able to screen multiple candidates for many different jobs

24 The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model

 Assess (cont’d)

Understands the different purposes and value of different assessment methods

Understands the concepts of reliability and validity in measurement

Prepares structured interview protocols

Conducts behavioral interviews

Listens attentively to candidate responses and accurately records results

Assists others in the hiring process on conducting effective interviews

Knows when to use standardized tests for selection

Checks references effectively

Does not make snap judgments

Knows how to balance all the feedback about candidates

Makes the best recommendations based on the match between company and candidate

Finds passive candidate resumes on the deep web

Present and Close

Presents advantages of the candidate to the hiring manager

Asks questions to anticipate potential objections or problems in closing

Presents advantages of the company and the job to the candidate

Is persuasive in communicating benefits

Answers questions quickly and responsively

Explains clearly the features and ramifications of the offer

Explains clearly the features and ramifications of the offer

Overcomes typical objections, including salary level, career growth, counter offers and hesitation

Negotiates effectively to achieve results

Gains commitment

Follows up after hiring to ensure satisfaction

Summarizes key activities and tracking information for hiring manager, including EEO requirements

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 25

Performance Traits Indicators

Drive for Results

Is motivated to win

Is dedicated to results, not activity

Has tenacity and perseverance

Does not quit if discouraged

Finds better, faster ways to achieve results

Uses metrics to judge performance

Does things before being asked

Inquisitiveness

Ask questions

Does not settle for obvious and simple answers

Wants to know more

Wants to understand "why"

Looks for different and better ways to accomplish tasks

Looks for reasons and not just symptoms for problems

Sales and Service Orientation

Puts internal clients and candidates first

Treats people with respect and interest

Responds quickly to questions

Does not let internal bureaucratic processes interfere with customer activities

Commits to quality conversations and the time to grow the relationship

Goes the extra step to please clients and candidates

Relationship Builder

Establishes rapport quickly

Takes a genuine interest in people

Listens well

Has a positive outlook and sense of humor

Enjoys linking people up and making connections

Likes to share and make opportunities available to others

26 The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model

 Flexibility

Adjusts easily to change

Tolerates ambiguity

Is not rigid in approach

Does not strictly adhere to a job description

Can modify a position if evidence is presented to the contrary

Understands how internal and external factors can affect decisions

Can assimilate and synthesize a great deal of information quickly

Learns fast

Passion

Is enthusiastic about recruiting

Advocates the valuable role that recruiting plays in strengthening human capital and the competitive
position of the company

Enjoys helping people achieve their goals

Articulates value propositions and strong feelings well

Wants to be the best

Gets satisfaction from great matches between companies and candidates

Is committed to integrity and the ethics of the profession

Executive Search and Partnership

Indicators

Market Intelligence

Understands demographics, labor supply and skill gaps

Aware of new and alternative sources of talent

Knows competitive positioning of the company

Knows supply, demand, salary levels, and candidate needs and requirements for specific job
categories

Knows the supply and demand for diversity candidates for different job categories

Can find answers to market, labor and competitive positioning questions on the web

Anticipates future trends and workforce characteristics

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 27

 Business Savvy

Understands the strategy, business and competitive positioning of the company

Recognizes the different perspectives and priorities of executives and functional groups within the
company

Looks at multiple sides of issues

Anticipates the consequences of actions or situations

Can describe the company's value chain

Knows how to construct a business case

Understands the difference between activity and results measures and the key concepts of the
Balanced Scorecard

Conducts surveys to pinpoint issues and problems proactively

Uses data and results to make decisions

Recognizes the value and best use of different types of data

Can use the web to find out information about businesses and metrics

Organizational Management

Gains respect of the hiring manger

Understands the organizational culture and "how to get things done."

Knows departmental objectives and priorities

Can operate within the formal and informal structure of the company

Listens to the needs of hiring managers

Sets expectations for all involved in the hiring process

Gains agreement on schedules and responsibilities

Follows through on commitments and activities

Manages activities for all involved in hiring process

Thinks beyond the words on a job requisition to understand what is needed

Has a strong commitment to all internal clients

Projects future needs and hiring levels

Provides value-added information and advice to hiring managers

Services multiple searches and hiring managers effectively

Makes the best match between organizational and candidate needs and requirements

Keeps in contact after the hire has been made

28 The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model

 Candidate Management

Gains respect of candidates

Understand motivations, needs and interests of candidates

Listens to each candidate

Presents properly the company and job opportunity

Sets expectations clearly

Provides feedback and status at each stage of the process

Communicates frequently and meaningfully with candidates

Answers questions quickly and clearly

Follows through on commitments and activities

Treats every candidate with respect

Adds every candidate to the network

Uses technology to streamline applicant tracking/management

Services effectively many candidates simultaneously

Keeps in touch after the hiring period

Network Building

Views every meeting as a network opportunity

Uses technology to systematize candidate information

Includes past, present and not yet successful candidates in the network

Includes internal and external contacts in the network

Maintains the network by deleting inactive members

Provides regular communication and value-added messaging

Targets specific messaging to specific groups/individuals in the network

Treats every member of the network with respect

Uses technology to build the network and find new members

Quickly matches network members to new jobs

The AIRS Recruiting Competency Model 29