Last Friday, I attended our company’s annual management training. One of the topics we discussed was trust.
Our trainer introduced the trust equation, T = (C+R+I)/S. This means that a person’s Trustworthiness (T) is equal to the sum of their Credibility (C) + Reliability (R) + Intimacy (I) divided by Self-orientation (S). Each of these can be measured out of 10, whereby for (C), (R) and (I), the higher the score the better, whereas the lower the score the better for (S). My blog is not intended to educate you on this formula, but learning about this reminded me of just how critical trust is in my day-to-day job.
As a recruiter, I rely heavily on communication. From business development calls, to face-to-face interviews, to follow-up calls with candidates, to delivering offers, to taking a job brief etc., there is so much information shared through different methods of communication. So, referring back to the equation, how can trust be established and maximised in all of the above dialogues?
Let’s break it down into what each component of the equation means:
- Credibility is measured based on our credentials and the information that we provide.
- Reliability is how other people perceive the consistency of our actions.
- Meanwhile, intimacy comes in a less rational and measurable form, since it is defined as how secure or safe someone feels sharing information with us, or a reflection of how well we are able to build meaningful connections with people.
- Self-orientation, the denominator, refers to the level of selfishness in one’s actions.
Putting this all into context, calling as an experienced recruiter from a reputable agency (C), being persistent in calling at different times during the day (R) and, as a recruiter, there is always a level of perceived selfishness when performing our role (S). Thus, to maximise the level of trust, intimacy (I) is what I consider to be the most influential factor to the equation and the key to differentiate a good and poor recruiter. Honesty is vital when building trust. Both clients and candidates appreciate open dialogues and, nine times out of ten, they probably need a second opinion to confirm their doubts or an objective opinion. In my own experience, acknowledging questions I don’t have an answer to is better than pretending to know the answer to everything. As a big believer in developing long-term business partnerships, cultivating on intimacy (I) seems to be the most relevant attribute regarding trust, based on the trust equation.
Building intimacy (I) requires time and patience, particularly in our current skeptical modern society. Additional effort is needed to build connections and to enable them to flourish. This is not to undermine the importance of credibility (C) and reliability (R), yet by spending a little bit more time on cultivating intimacy (I), one will definitely solidify the trust foundation.
Since I place a large importance on building this intimacy, alongside my credibility and reliability, I pride myself on being a trustworthy recruiter whom you can always count on to help you achieve your goals.
If you are looking for a new role and would like to speak to Links about how we can help take your career to the next level, please put your trust in us and don’t hesitate to contact us now.