Another Favorite Recruiting Technology Tool - Google Voice

I like to call this my number one under-appreciated recruiting tool.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Google Voice or GV, it is a totally free tool put out by Google.  You sign up for an account, you select an area code and a phone number.

Personally I chose (815) for an area code because I recruit for Rockford area jobs quite a bit.

I thought to myself, a strange number shows up, would I pick it up?  If someone from an area code that I am not familar with shows up, I'm more than likely not going to pick it up.  Using Google Voice, I can at least raise the odds of getting a pickup the first time!

I also give out my 815 number to people.  They call that phone number, it calls both my work lines, cell phone, office, and gmail phone number.  I can pick it up from any one of those, and someone can always track me down (its filterable for those of you recruiters that have a work life balance)

Thanks to Blog.frontrush.com for the following:

One application that we have been using in our office here at Front Rush is Google Voice. The advantage in having a Google Voice number is that it keeps you connected and accessible at all times. It helps to alleviate the fear of missing that key recruit call. It also gives you instant feedback so that if you do, you can get right back to the recruit (assuming that it is within compliance at your level)."

Takeaway: Its a great tool for staying connected, for finding people who might be more passive, and for what I call the "double tap" method where you call someone, and if they do not pick up, immediately call them a second time.