What makes the relationship between hiring managers and recruiters tense? For starters, both parties must distinguish their roles up front.
Hiring Manager Role
Hiring Managers have a lot on their plates. They need to be active writing job descriptions for HR and up-to-date on the job search. Only they know exactly the kind of candidate suitable for the position and they need to ensure their needs are concise. Hiring Managers then follow-up with HR after the job posting is created to review the candidates submitted for the position. Based on the quality of candidates, the Hiring Manager may need to reevaluate the job description or even call staff suppliers to clarify the expectations to recruiters.
Recruiter Role
Recruiters need to be experts in the fields they recruit for. They need field expertise and excellent knowledge of the aspects involved for the role they help fill. With the technical experience they have, they will have a better understanding of the requirements and expectations of the position. Recruiters screen candidates, asking questions that a Hiring Manager would not – getting technical and uncovering any fishy information. Their job is to find and recognize the best fit candidate for the role before the candidate is offered to the Hiring Manager.
For the relationship to be the best it can be, both parties should:
1. Build trust – know each other’s goals and motivations
2. Set clear expectations for the relationship together – follow-up with emails after meetings about these expectations with the terms and conditions for the relationship
3. Create clear guidelines for the opportunity profile together – leave the vague verbiage behind and get on the same page
4. Communicate – don’t put off scheduled calls or meetings and be open and honest in discussions
5. Interview candidates collaboratively – work as a team to screen and select the best candidate
6. Close the deal together – the Hiring Manager should make use of the recruiter to negotiate the offer to the candidate
7. Celebrate – after the hiring process is finished, secure the bond with some kind of celebration and review
Relationships between a hiring manager and recruiters can be tenuous for different reasons. We hope to fix that. Let us know if you have some tips to share about how to help these kinds of relationships.