One reader recently asked: When I follow-up with my recruiting prospects, I feel like I’m annoying them. How can I be persistent without being a pest?

We become annoying to others when our overtures are unexpected and/or unhelpful.

The first problem is easy to solve, the second issue is more challenging.

When you’re near the end of the interview, ask for permission to contact the prospect after the interview. 

Try something like this:

Not sure about you, but I feel like we’ve had a great conversation today.

[pause and wait for them to agree with you]

Would it be OK if I occasionally followed-up with you to cover some of the issues we didn’t get to today?

[most people say yes]

Is email the best way to contact you?

What email is best for you?

Recruiting is like direct marketing. You’re successful when you’re able to turn strangers into colleagues, and colleagues into team members.

Asking permission to follow-up changes the way recruiting prospects view your follow-up information—it’s now expected and has a better chance of being appreciated.

In the next Insight, we’ll discuss how to make your follow-ups more helpful.