How To Improve Your Relationship with Hiring Manager

Discover effective strategies to improve your relationship with hiring managers. Learn how to turn bad relationship into fruitful one in few steps.

In the world of talent acquisition, recruiters and hiring managers are comrades, collaborating to find the best candidates for their teams. Their mission is clear: to attract, hire, and onboard top talent that will drive the company's vision forward efficiently.

It's a shared goal that, in an ideal scenario, should create a camaraderie even stronger than a perfectly brewed cup of office coffee.

However, the ground reality often tells a different tale. The path to successful hiring is strewn with miscommunications, differing expectations, and occasional bumps that can make the journey feel more like a rollercoaster ride than a collaborative venture.

Often, the synergy between recruiters and hiring managers becomes like static interference. They don't fully grasp each other's viewpoints, leading to delays in the hiring process and impacts on quality hires. But we need to shift this narrative and bridge the divide.

We can do this by understanding and appreciating the unique roles of recruiters and hiring managers. By fostering a collaborative spirit, we have the power to reshape the hiring process into a harmonious and fruitful endeavor. And significantly enhance the candidate experience.

Let me share a few examples of responsibilities for recruiters and hiring managers. Recruiters may already be familiar with these, but it’s good for everyone reading this to know.

Understanding the Roles

Recruiter’s Role

1. Identifying and Attracting Potential Candidates:

   • The recruiter is the company's ambassador, the first touchpoint for potential candidates. They cast the net wide, diving into various talent pools to find individuals whose skills and ambitions align with the company's ethos.

2. Screening and Shortlisting Candidates:

   • With a discerning eye, recruiters sift through the avalanche of resumes (sometimes), picking out the right profiles that hold promise. They engage with candidates, gauging not just their skillset but their fit within the company culture.

3. Coordinating Interviews and Feedback:

   • The recruiter's realm is also one of seamless coordination, ensuring that the hiring process stays on a smooth keel. They arrange interviews, gather feedback, and keep the communication channels buzzing between candidates and hiring managers.

Hiring Manager's Role

1. Defining the Job Requirements and Expectations:

   • The hiring manager holds the compass to the specific skills, experiences, and attributes needed for the role. They craft the job description that will beckon the right candidates, laying down the expectations clear as day.

2. Evaluating Candidates for Job Fit and Team Fit:

   • Once the recruiters usher in the candidates, it's the hiring manager's turn to delve deeper. They assess the candidates' prowess, their ability to mesh with the team, and their potential to thrive and contribute.

3. Making the Final Hiring Decision:

   • The buck stops with the hiring manager when it comes to saying 'yes' or 'no' to a candidate. Their decision is the final seal on the meticulous process that began with a job vacancy and culminates with a new hire ready to embark on their journey with the company.

Hiring managers and recruiters bring their own unique flavor to the hiring process. So, why do we often see disagreements between recruiting teams and hiring managers?

The main cause of issues between hiring managers and recruiters boils down to two things: setting expectations and sharing responsibilities.

Setting the Expectations

Nurturing a fruitful relationship between recruiters and hiring managers starts with setting the right expectations from the get-go. It's like going on a first date; it's all about understanding each other's likes, dislikes, and most importantly, what each one is looking for.

Here's an approach to align your hiring process:

• Importance of Early Communication
  The cornerstone of any successful partnership is open communication. Right from the outset, have a candid conversation about what the hiring manager is looking for in a candidate, the timeline to fill the position, and any challenges foreseen. It's about laying all the cards on the table, so there are no surprise "gotcha" moments later.

• Utilizing Data in Setting Expectations
  Numbers don’t lie, and in the recruitment world, they speak volumes. Recruiters, bring the hard data to your initial meetings. Show the hiring managers facts and figures regarding the available talent pool, average time-to-hire for similar positions, and other relevant metrics. This data-driven approach will help in setting realistic expectations and making informed decisions.

• Involving Hiring Managers in the Initial Stages
  Remember, hiring is a team sport! Involve hiring managers early in the recruitment process. Share with them the sourcing plan, the channels you will be using to attract candidates, and perhaps even seek their input on the job description. This inclusion not only fosters a sense of ownership but also gives hiring managers a glimpse into the recruitment world's intricacies.

Shared Responsibilities

The age-old question: Who’s really in charge of finding the right candidates? It's not a solo but a duet!

This is how the shared responsibilities tune unfolds:

• Addressing the Misconception

  The notion that recruiters are the sole bearers of the “finding candidates” torch is a myth that needs debunking. Sure, recruiters are the vanguards in the talent attraction battlefield, but hiring managers too, have a role to play. It's a collaborative effort where both parties bring their strengths to the table to snag that perfect candidate.

• Proactive Involvement of Hiring Managers
  The involvement of hiring managers in the hiring process is like the secret ingredient that enhances a recruiter’s efforts. Their industry insights, network, and influence in their field can greatly enhance the recruitment process. Encourage them to participate in industry events, write thought leadership articles, and engage with potential candidates on professional platforms such as LinkedIn. When they are actively involved in the field, it resonates with prospective candidates who are not only seeking a job, but also a leader they would be enthusiastic to work with.

• Complementary Roles

  Think of recruiters and hiring managers as two sides of the same coin. While recruiters excel in finding and attracting potential candidates, hiring managers have the knack for evaluating technical skills and team fit. By blending the recruiter’s sourcing prowess with the hiring manager’s industry and job role acumen, a harmonious hiring melody is created that echoes in the corridors of successful talent acquisition.

In the journey of shared responsibilities, it is crucial to comprehend and esteem each other's roles and contributions.

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How To Improve Your Relationship with Hiring Manager

Fostering a harmonious relationship between recruiters and hiring managers is like nurturing a garden; with the right amount of understanding, communication, and teamwork, the result is a flourishing hiring process that benefits the entire organization.

Here are six actionable tips to bridge any gaps and work together seamlessly:

1. Open Dialogue is Your Friend

   Keeping the lines of communication open is crucial. It helps steer the hiring journey in the right direction. Share expectations, challenges, and progress regularly. It’s essential to have a clear understanding from the get-go about the roles each one plays in the hiring saga. It’s not just about airing what’s on your mind but also about lending an ear to understand the perspectives and concerns of your hiring manager.

2. A Little Learning is a Wondrous Thing

   Take the time to educate each other on the nuances and challenges inherent in your respective roles. A recruiter could share insights into sourcing strategies, while a hiring manager could provide a deeper understanding of the job role and the qualities that make a candidate a good fit. When you walk a mile in each other's shoes, empathy and understanding naturally follow.

3. United We Stand

   Setting mutual goals is akin to having a shared destination on your GPS. It ensures you are both on the same page regarding what needs to be achieved. Define realistic timelines, agree on the candidate persona, and set achievable targets for the recruitment process. Remember, when goals are met, it’s a win-win!

4. Constructive Criticism is a Two-Way Street

   Engage in regular feedback sessions to understand what's working and what's not. It’s all about growing and improving together. Provide constructive feedback to each other and be open to receiving the same. This open exchange of feedback will only serve to enhance the process and the relationship.

5. Spread the Word

   Encourage your hiring manager to be proactive in networking events, social media, and industry forums to spread the word about open positions. Their industry connections can be a goldmine of potential candidates. And hey, a little mingling and jingling in industry circles could open doors to passive candidates you didn’t even know existed!

6. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

   Utilize the hiring manager’s industry knowledge and the recruiter’s talent sourcing skills to form a powerhouse duo. When you play to each other’s strengths, attracting the right talent becomes less of a chore and more of a collaborative success story waiting to happen.

Incorporating these tips into your working relationship with hiring managers will not only smooth out the recruitment process but also foster a culture of mutual respect and teamwork.

Next time you find yourself at a crossroads with your hiring manager, remember, together you are a formidable team capable of overcoming any recruitment challenge thrown your way.

Case Study: Unlocking Success Stories

I want to share this case study with you that was shared by a friend of mine. While I can't disclose his name or the company he's with, it's still worth sharing because it demonstrates excellent results when there's smooth cooperation between a recruiter and a hiring manager.

In a medium-sized tech firm based in San Francisco, the recruiting team and hiring managers decided to bridge the traditional gaps by initiating a collaborative hiring initiative. It all started with a joint meeting where both parties shared their challenges and expectations openly. The hiring managers explained their need for specific technical skills and cultural fits, while the recruiters shared the realities of the current competitive job market.

One of the significant steps taken was the co-development of a realistic hiring timeline and a candidate persona. The hiring managers played an active role in crafting the job descriptions, making them more appealing and precise. They also committed to being present in several local and online networking events alongside the recruiters.

On the flip side, recruiters ensured that they kept the hiring managers updated on the progress at every stage and sought their feedback after every candidate interaction. They also shared insights on the best platforms to source candidates and helped in optimizing the social media profiles of the hiring managers to attract potential candidates.

The outcome was impressive: The time-to-hire reduced by 29%, and the quality of hires improved significantly, with a notable increase in candidate satisfaction. Both the recruiters and hiring managers felt more aligned and reported a better working relationship.

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Recruiter vs Hiring Manager

The journey of recruitment is like a two-seater bike where both the recruiter and the hiring manager need to pedal in sync to move forward swiftly. The case study above exemplifies how a collaborative approach not only speeds up the hiring process but significantly enhances the quality of hires.

Setting clear expectations, communicating openly, and working as a united front are the keystones to successful hiring. It's not about shifting responsibilities but sharing them. When hiring managers take an active interest in the recruitment process, and recruiters understand the intricacies of the roles they are hiring for, magic happens.

It's essential to remember that recruiters and hiring managers share a common purpose: to find the best talent to propel the company forward. Let's shift our mindset from 'Recruiter versus Hiring Manager' to 'Recruiter and Hiring Manager.' This dynamic partnership is the key to successful hiring.

Embrace collaboration, maintain open communication, and always remember: a shared goal is a goal achieved together. Together, you're not just filling vacancies; you're building a robust, unified workforce for the future of your organization.

Enhancing Collaboration with Hiring Managers

Converting a strained relationship with a hiring manager into a cooperative one can be tricky. It calls for a mix of tact, understanding, and initiative.

Here's a step-by-step approach to mend fences and foster a productive working relationship: