One of the hiring managers I work with asked a great question earlier this week:

I just set up a recruiting appointment with a prospect to whom I was referred.

In my email response to her initial questions, I was more emotional and not as streamlined or process oriented.

Should I be more direct and scripted in my responses? 

When recruiting, the first priority is to connect to the human side of a person.

Process, metrics, and data have their place, but it shouldn’t be given priority over the emotional connection.

It’s important to first relate to and connect with a prospect’s fears, aspirations, and sometimes irrational concerns. 

Seth Godin once wrote:

You must embrace the fact that human beings are 94% irrational, making decisions based on feelings, expectations, and culture.

By ignoring the feelings, you only have a 6% chance of winning.