Skill vs. Talent: What Makes a Great Recruiter?

When staffing recruiters are the subject of debate, and since recruiters play a vital role in meeting a company’s hiring needs, Barbara Lopez, LEAD Corpus Christi Regional Manager happily weighs in on this debate: Can you teach someone to be a recruiter, or does a recruiter have natural talent? Talent versus skill is a debate had in all types of scenarios –on a football field, in a surgery suite, on stage, in the classroom, and even in the board room.

Barbara’s desire for LEAD Corpus Christi to be the top skilled trade staffing company, combined with her skill and talent in leadership, has led to honors and recognition with LEAD’s President’s Cup earlier this year as well as the national skilled staffing company’s annual safety award. “You can be great at any job, but what truly helps you succeed in a career – most any career – is that you love the work you do and want to succeed. So, before you look at talent and skill you should consider desire and passion.”

The drive to accomplish a goal is fueled by passion. How you get to that goal is based on a varied combination of skill and talent, says Barbara. She says, “LEAD recruiters play a vital role in our success; they use their skill and talent to get results for LEAD clients. However, I have found that the best recruiters are those who have both skill and talent who then use their passion and desire to become star recruiters.”

LEAD Corpus Christi has a team of expert recruiters who find the best skilled tradesmen when their company partners face staffing gaps or other staffing issues. Her team of recruiters have helped companies develop and manage workforce fluctuations in the local and national oil and gas, and waste disposal industries, as well as other craft trade industries.

What makes a successful recruiter? Barbara says, “Excellent communication with follow-through, the ability to manage people and responsibilities, a solid foundation that fosters reciprocal relationships, and an understanding of the industry are some of the key characteristics of LEAD recruiters.”

“A recruiter can check all the boxes – communication, time management, problem-solving, relationship building, industry knowledge – but hard work, dedication, continued education and training is what gets you to star recruiter status,” says Barbara.

Hard work and effort is a significant factor in success. “If you put in the work, you will see results,” says Barbara.  “Sure, there may be times when hard work just isn’t enough for an individual to thrive at something, but the more hours a person puts into building their skill, the better they are at that skill. Great skill coupled with natural talent will increase your success rate.”

Most anyone who has the desire to become a successful recruiter can succeed. “Being naturally talented at communication will certainly make it easier to excel at the skill and wanting to excel gets you that much further,” says Barbara.

Education and training also factor into excellent recruiters. “A person with an open mind, willing to continue to expand their knowledge and practice what they learn also makes a star recruiter,” says Barbara.

Although natural talent can be helpful, skills can be learned and enhanced with hard work and training. Companies seeking a talented team of skilled staffing recruiters who excel at identifying, attracting, and selecting superior trade workers to meet project goals can learn more at LEAD Corpus Christi, the staffing company with OSHA certification and human resource specialists ready to get to work. Call 361-208-7708.