Social Engineering The human element of sourcing/recruiting

#NWRA

I cannot teach

anybody anything.

I can only make them

think.

Smart people learn from

everything and everyone,

average people from their

experiences. Stupid people

already have all the answers.

Socrates Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Talent acquisition is all about people. So why

aren't sourcers and recruiters more focused

on understanding people, what motivates them,

and how to best communicate with and

influence them? Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Social engineering is the art, or better yet, science, of skillfully maneuvering

human beings to take action in some aspect of

their lives...

Chris Hadnagy Security Consultant & Social Engineer

Creator of the Social Engineering Framework

https://www.amazon.com/Social-Engineering-Art-Human-Hacking/dp/0470639539 Glen Cathey | #NWRA

When you are finding and

engaging potential candidates, what decisions

and actions are you looking for them to make?

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Social engineering is the human element of

sourcing candidates*

* aka outbound recruiting Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Source: Stack Overflow survey of 26,086 developers from 157 countries

http://bit.ly/1JaglKW Source: Indeed Inbound Recruiting eBook: http://bit.ly/1QoCPMP

Glen Cathey | #NWRA Source: LinkedIn Talent Trends

"Similar to recruiters, salespeople must master many people skills. Many sales gurus say that a good salesperson does not manipulate people but uses their skills to find out what people's

needs are and then sees whether they can fill it. The art of sales takes many skills such as

information gathering, elicitation, influence, psychological principles, as well as many other

people skills." – Chris Hadnagy

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Manipulation | Persuasion | Influence

Manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the behavior or perception of others through abusive, deceptive, or underhanded tactics.

Persuasion involves causing someone to believe something to do something, especially through reasoning, argument or sustained effort. Persuasion can be used to spur someone to action or to make a decision without actually earning their sincere buy-in.

Influence is defined as "the power to change or affect someone or something: the power to cause changes without directly forcing them to happen" and involves moving someone to think or act because they want to - inspiring them to take action or make a particular decision.

"True influence is elegant and smooth and most of the time undetectable to those being influenced." - Chris Hadnagy

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

As a sourcer or recruiter – what is

most often your first opportunity to make

a first impression?

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

First Impressions The stereotype content model (SCM) is a psychological theory that suggests that flash judgments are really based on two data points:

1. Warmth: Do I like you? 2. Competence: Are you good at what you do?

In other words, people ultimately reduce everyone they meet into four buckets:

1. Warm + Competent 2. Warm + Incompetent 3. Cold + Competent 4. Cold + Incompetent

You never get a second chance to make a first

impression

A person's first impression will

influence their overall opinion of you

New research suggests that first impressions are so powerful they are more important

than fact Glen Cathey | #NRWA Source: The Muse - http://muse.cm/2arKtTE

Source: The Muse - http://muse.cm/2arKtTE Glen Cathey | #NWRA

• How can you come across as competent?

How can you immediately exude competence? Glen Cathey | #NWRA

What can you do to be likable?

Likable: Easy to like; having pleasant or appealing qualities

recruiting

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

People like people who like them

You have to like interacting with people, care about them and be genuinely interested in helping the people you're trying to influence

Make them smile Don't be afraid to leverage humor - being funny makes you likable and making someone smile makes them feel better…

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

http://bit.ly/1rxEbcb http://amzn.to/2cphZgn http://bit.ly/2dtZ46o

I think you should take your job seriously, but not yourself – that is the best

combination.

Judi Dench

Glen Cathey | #NWRA Southwest flight attendant video: http://bit.ly/1eJKwoU

Deliver WOW Through Service

Create Fun and A Little Weirdness

Be Likable • Have fun!

• Be a human first and a sourcer/recruiter second; use a friendly and conversational tone

• Project a confident and positive attitude – they can read/hear your smile. What you project onto others is what they are more likely to feel

• Compliment them (genuinely!)

• Ask lots of questions, actively listen and be genuinely interested in what they are saying

• Establish rapport

Glen Cathey | #NWRA Photo: Just Ard

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

It's Not About You

Unfortunately, when messaging or speaking with prospective candidates, many recruiters talk only in their own language and the subject of the message/conversation is me, me, me: my company, my opportunity, etc. Instead, it should be about them, them, them – the prospective candidate: Their current situation, their challenges, their plans and desires. Speak in their language in order to build rapport.

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

"Filling a need for the person you are talking to drastically increases the

chances of building rapport. Do it without appearing to

have an end game, do it with a genuine desire to

help, and be amazed at the results. Perhaps no other

avenue is more valuable for social engineers than being able to meet these needs."

Chris Hadnagy

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Ideal Recruiting Process

1. Developing the relationship

2. Creating/Identifying the need

3. Preventing/overcoming objections

4. Filling the need/providing benefits

5. Advance/close

Source: http://www.ere.net/2008/07/10/stop-telling-and-start-selling/ Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Common Recruiting Process

1. Filling the need/providing benefits

2. Developing the relationship

3. Creating/Identifying the need

4. Preventing/overcoming objections

5. Advance/close

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

How can you fill a need for someone if you don't take the time to discover their need first?

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Objections/Conversation Stoppers Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Source: 24 seconds in http://bit.ly/2cCWP1I Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Anticipate | Preempt | Address

"If you wait to think about how you will handle potential conversation stoppers or disruptive influences until the first time you hear them you will most likely fail to handle them. That presents an interesting thought then. You have to sit back and think like the target: what objections would he raise? When a person he does not

know calls or approaches him, what might he say? What objections might he raise? What attitudes would he portray? Thinking through these things can help you to

make a game plan for these potential problems. Write down your thoughts and the target’s potential objections and then role play. Practice until you feel comfortable, but not scripted. Remember the comeback is not to be structured so stiffly that you

cannot alter it at all."

-Chris Hadnagy Glen Cathey | #NWRA

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another

Empathy is the key to rapport and is hard to feel if you think you have the

solution to someone's problem. Empathy is the tool of the social

engineer. Nothing builds rapport more than when people feel like you "get

them." – Chris Hadnagy

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Listen | Understand | Reflect

Source: Agilitrix: http://bit.ly/2cFocCE

Empathy

Mirroring "By matching the client’s volume, tone, and rate of speech (paralanguage), they often can overcome the client’s reluctance to communicate."

"Once interviewers establish rapport, barriers disappear, trust grows, and an exchange of information follows."

Glen Cathey | #NWRA Source: FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin: http://bit.ly/2dic9jB

Framing

A frame of reference is a set of ideas, conditions, or assumptions that determine how something will be approached, perceived, understood or reacted to.

Anything that can alter people’s perceptions or the way they make decisions can be called framing.

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Understand your prospective candidate's frame and look for ways to either align yours with theirs or

transform theirs into yours. Be aware that everything you write or say will evoke a frame.

"Painting a picture with words is a powerful way to use framing. By choosing your words carefully you

can cause a target’s mind to picture things you want him to picture and start moving him to a frame you

want." – Chris Hadnagy

Miracle question If there were one thing you would change about

your current situation, what would it be and why?

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Preloading

Preloading involves using words, language and imagery to "preload" the target with ideas and information to: • Influence them before an event

• Get them thinking in your desired mindset/frame

• Be more receptive and react positively

• Take action

• Build anticipation

Source: Social Engineering - http://amzn.to/2ajMItm Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Preloading examples • "What is the next step in your career?"

• "What would your dream job be?"

• "Not sure if you would be interested in opportunities that involve ________"

– Working from home

– A shorter commute

– Exciting new development

– Working with a top notch team…

• "Most of the people I talk with aren't actively looking to make a change"

• The best time to look is when you don't need to…

• "…I won't waste your time…"

• Mention a personal or shared interest (preloading rapport/likability)

• Pay them a genuine compliment (preloading rapport/likability)

• Be very specific with regard to their experience (preloading competence and potential match)

• Preloading for honestly and disclosure: "Now think very carefully before you answer my next question…"

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

So, I would normally leave these first-contacts short and sweet, but I am really intrigued by your statement "What

you look for in that dream opportunity..." It is the most interesting statement I've come across [and it] makes me feel human. Out of mere excitement about the question,

here's my first shot at answering it:

candidate response

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

If you do not know how to ask the right question, you discover nothing.

W. Edwards Deming,

Engineer, statistician, professor, author, lecturer, and management consultant.

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Elicitation

To draw forth or bring out or to arrive at a conclusion (truth, for instance) by logic.

Alternatively, it is defined as a stimulation that calls up or draws forth a particular class of behaviors.

Source: Social Engineering - http://amzn.to/2ajMItm

To draw or bring out or forth; educe; evoke: to elicit the truth; to elicit a response with a question; to arrive at a

conclusion (truth, for instance) by logic.

In social engineering, it can also involve a stimulation that calls up or draws forth a particular class of behaviors.

Elicitation

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Source: http://bit.ly/2aJc8RO Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Elicitation

You can fashion questions that draw people out and stimulate them to respond and take the behavior you want.

Expert elicitation can result in your target wanting to answer your every request.

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Elicitation Techniques

• Appeal to their ego – Be genuinely complimentary, but don't overdo it, and never be insincere

• Express a mutual interest – One of the easiest ways to be immediately likable (do your research!)

• Make a deliberately false debatable statement – Many people feel compelled to correct wrong statements and share their opinion on

polarizing topics

• Volunteer information – Offering up information in conversation almost compels people to target to reply with

equally useful information

– Reciprocity & mutual disclosure are largely automatic and unconscious

Source: Social Engineering - http://amzn.to/2ajMItm Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Are you:

• Looking?

• On the market?

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Intelligent Questions

• Open-Ended questions – Sometimes open ended questions can be met with some resistance, so using the pyramid

approach can be helpful: Start with narrow questions and then ask broader questions at the end of the line of questioning

• Closed-Ended questions – Not used for gathering information. Typically only one of two answers, used to lead the

prospective candidate where you want

• Leading questions – Leads the prospective candidate where you want them to go, but allows for the opportunity for

them to expand. Common examples include stating a fact and asking for the prospective candidate to agree or disagree.

• Assumptive questions – Questions phrased in such a way that you're assuming the prospective candidate has a

particular motivation, opinion or some specific knowledge to determine whether or not they do

Glen Cathey | #NWRA Source: Social Engineering - http://amzn.to/2ajMItm

Why does elicitation work so well?

• Most people have the desire to be polite, especially to strangers

• Professionals want to appear well informed and intelligent

• If you are praised, you will often talk more and divulge more

• Most people would not lie for the sake of lying

• Most people respond kindly to people who appear genuinely concerned about them

Source: Social Engineering - http://amzn.to/2ajMItm

Getting people to talk about themselves and their accomplishments is remarkably easy!

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Scarcity

People often find objects and opportunities more attractive if they are rare, scarce, or hard to obtain because they are viewed as having more value

Scarcity is often used in social engineering contexts to create a feeling of urgency in a decision-making context.

Leverage #FOMO and competition

Glen Cathey | #NWRA Source: Social Engineering - http://amzn.to/2ajMItm

If you would persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect.

Benjamin Franklin

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Appeal to Curiosity In 1994, George Loewenstein, a behavioral economist at Carnegie Mellon University, provided the most comprehensive account of

situational interest. It is surprisingly simple. Curiosity, he says, happens when we feel a gap in our knowledge. Loewenstein argues that gaps

cause pain. When we want to know something but don’t, it’s like having an itch that we need to scratch. To take away the pain, we need

to fill the knowledge gap.

One important implication of the gap theory is that we need to open gaps before we close them. Our tendency is to tell people the facts.

Chip Heath & Dan Heath, Made to Stick: http://bit.ly/U437rB Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Appeal to Emotion

Use quotes and tell stories - the brain processes stories differently than

other information.

Appealing to emotion forces the listener to use their imagination. Ask questions and using phrases such as "What happens…" or "How do you

feel when…," which will require them to imagine something to answer,

evoking a frame and corresponding emotions. Source: Neuromarketing by Roger Dooley: http://bit.ly/1sK1UA1

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

"Knowledge is what prepares a person for action, logic convinces him the action is good to take, but emotion is what makes the action happen. If you are emotional about your "cause" the target will feel that emotion."

- Chris Hadnagy

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Social Proof

Social proof, also known as informational social influence, is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation.

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Source: Barry Feldman http://bit.ly/2cR3lMx

Social Proof Stating or even implying that others have taken a particular action can increase your chances of success.

– "Most of the people (specific titles/roles) I speak with aren't actively looking to make a change…"

– "The folks I've been speaking with have said ___________" – "I've heard back from # of others so I'm hoping to get in touch with you" – "I've been speaking to folks from X, Y, Z" (companies - and even same

company when accurate) – "People who have recently interviewed have said _____________" – "We've recently hired folks from X, Y, Z and they've said ___________"

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Obligation & Reciprocity

• Providing others with something of value can make them feel obligated to reciprocate – What can you provide prospective

candidates that they would find valuable?

• Follow up compliments with requests to leverage obligation – Compliments can also help make people

more agreeable to influence

• Simply being persistent can make people feel obligated to respond

• Even something as small as a question can create obligation – leverage the power of silence

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Listen & Assume

• Be a good listener – Repeat back what they share with you for rapport and

confirmation that you get what they're expressing to you

• Assume, assume, assume! – Assume the prospective candidate will respond and act the

way you want – Assuming that what you want to happen will happen affects

your mindset. Being positive and confident increases the probability of the desired response.

– Resist the urge to always ask, "Is now a good time to talk?"

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Referrals Referrals

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Source: Jobvite: http://bit.ly/2949dQY

#1 Source of quality hires

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Why would someone give you a

referral?

Why not?

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Execute a 5 Whys Exercise with your team

Referrals

• What's your why/story? Sell, don't tell!

• Don't ask on first contact unless they've absolutely ruled themselves out. First contact is and should always be 100% genuinely about THEM.

• "Who do you think would be interested in being considered for this opportunity/working for _______?

• "The manager/director/vp of ________ is interested in identifying talented (insert target talent), who would you recommend?"

Glen Cathey | #NWRA

Key Takeaways • Be empathetic - seek &

communicate understanding

• Leverage mirroring, framing and preloading

• Master elicitation

• Leverage scarcity & social proof

• Appeal to emotion & curiosity

• Leverage obligation and reciprocity

• Listen & assume the best outcome

Glen Cathey | #NWRA www.linkedin.com/glencathey www.glencathey.com www.booleanblackbelt.com www.twitter.com/glencathey

• Engineer great 1st impressions

• Be likable & project competence

• Be positive, have fun & make them smile

• Make it about them - discover their needs

• Leverage framing

• Anticipate & preempt or address objections