Hiring Manager Role in Recruitment
A hiring manager oversees recruitment, making crucial decisions on candidate selection and onboarding. Their collaboration with recruiters ensures an efficient hiring process.
By Brad Nakase, Attorney
Email | Call (800) 484-4610
Have a quick question? We answered nearly 2000 FAQs.
Table of Contents
What is a hiring manager?
One of the most important people in every company’s hiring process is the hiring manager. Here we’ll go over what a hiring manager does, how they differ from recruiters, why it’s crucial for both parties to have a good connection, and how to do just that. Alright, let’s get started!
The process of filling open positions inside an organization sometimes involves a team leader known as a hiring manager. To put it another way, they will be the new hire’s future manager. A recruiting manager is responsible for posting open positions, receiving applications, interviewing candidates, making a hiring decision, and then onboarding the new hire.
Any employee in charge of a group or division can be the hiring manager; for instance, a sales department’s head of sales or a retail store’s manager could all fit this description. Due to the lack of established teams, the chief executive officer (CEO) of a startup or smaller company is frequently also the hiring manager.
When hiring a new employee, the manager and recruiter work together. Recruiters handle administrative and operational tasks, while hiring managers make the final call.
What is the role of a hiring manager?
Throughout the recruiting process, the hiring manager is responsible for a wide variety of tasks. Let’s take a closer look at these.
1. Start looking for candidates
If a position becomes vacant at work, the hiring manager must formally request the creation of a new post by submitting a job requisition. When they make a hiring decision, they are typically also the ones who finish the recruiting process.
2. Communicate critical details throughout the hiring process
Upon approval of the job request, the hiring manager and candidate meet down to discuss the open position in detail.
To begin the hiring process, the recruiter and hiring manager must make the following clear:
- Which kind of applicant is needed?
- Knowledge, expertise, and character attributes needed
- Standards for success in this position
- A high performer’s effect on the group and company
- Salary and benefits candidates with this profile will seek out
- Working hours on a weekly basis and overtime wage
- The position’s budget
Recruiters can better craft a job description if they collect more precise information during the vacancy intake. As a result, this will positively affect how well the candidates match the role and the culture of the organization.
3. Taking turns being responsible for tasks
No one likes it when recruiters or hiring managers have to handle the majority of the effort and stress associated with the traditional recruitment approach. In order to avoid confusion and wasted time later on, it’s best to establish early on who is responsible for what.
An effective tool for keeping everyone engaged in the recruitment process on the same page is a RACI matrix, which stands for “Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed.”
Blinkist developed a methodology for recruitment operations that they dubbed Decentralized Autonomous Hiring. The company provides a subscription service that summarizes books. In this setup, recruiters and hiring managers work together to fill open positions.
Depending on their level of expertise, recruiters serve as “sparring partners” for the hiring manager, offering assistance, guidance, and education as required. All parties involved, including candidates, benefit from a more streamlined recruiting process as a result.
4. Maintaining constant communication with the recruiter
The manager maintains constant communication with the recruiter throughout the entire hiring process in order to fully grasp the nature of the position and the ideal candidate for the job. This could be an independent recruiter or an employee of a dedicated headhunting agency; the choice is dependent on the company’s size and the presence or absence of an in-house recruiting team.
5. Conducting interviews with candidates
Once the recruiter has identified (selected) viable candidates who have successfully completed the company’s pre-selection rounds, the Irving manager will perform technical and other comprehensive interviews with them before making a hiring decision.
6. Identifying a suitable candidate and ultimately making a hiring choice
As important as it is to find a candidate who will work well with the current team, the hiring manager should also prioritize finding someone who can fill a skill, experience, or behavioral gap that the team has.
The hiring manager takes the last call after conducting multiple interviews with the finalists.
7. Accompanying and supervising new employees
During the onboarding process, the hiring manager is crucial. They take great care to ensure that new hires are comfortable, assimilate into the team dynamic, and have all the resources they need to excel in their positions.
To answer any questions or handle any issues that new hires may have, they are the first point of contact. As part of their job, the recruiting manager is always checking in with new recruits to see how they’re doing and offering suggestions for how they may improve.
8. Acquiring knowledge and growing professionally
A hiring manager’s vision for the team’s growth should be crystal clear, informed by the organization’s strategic objectives, and they should also know how this vision will impact the professional development of each team member.
The hiring manager can communicate future development prospects with candidates when they have a team L&D strategy in place.
9. Additional duties
Coaching, team member development, and employee wellness aren’t technically part of the hiring process, but they do affect your company’s employer brand—the impression it gives to potential workers and job hopefuls.
People looking for work will have a favorable impression of your organization if it has a reputation for consistently prioritizing its employees, such as through wellness initiatives, peer coaching, or mentoring. This will then make it easy to hire the best people.
Recruiter vs. hiring manager
There is a lot of misunderstanding between hiring managers and recruiters, and the two roles are essentially synonymous. Be that as it may, these are two separate functions.
Now, let’s review the key distinctions.
One of the new hire’s supervisors will be the hiring manager. They find candidates, conduct interviews, and finally, bring new hires on board. When it comes to hiring new staff, they have the last word. They are responsible for directing a team in many ways, including hiring.
It is the task of the recruiter to publicize job openings and find, attract, and (pre)select qualified individuals to fill such positions. They work in human resources, talent acquisition, or recruitment.
The hiring manager’s authority to make the final call could lead to tense situations between the two parties. When it comes time to fill open positions on their teams, managers are usually in a panic. They are eager to begin interviewing as soon as they get applications, rather than waiting for a complete pool of individuals.
Recruiters, on the other hand, want to be able accurately evaluate prospects, complete the initial stages of the recruiting procedure, and fill the pool before presenting a list of potential new hires to the hiring manager. As a result, the recruiter must “manage” the hiring manager to persuade them to take their time during the interview process.
Imagine the recruiting manager and the recruiter as two friends seated side by side, rather than adversaries.
Human Resources vs. Hiring Manager
Since both hiring managers and HR experts might be involved in finding new employees, the two roles are often mistaken for one another.
To put it simply, human resources (HR) is a department within a business that, among other things, is responsible for finding new employees, managing the paperwork involved in hiring and onboarding, providing assistance to current workers, ensuring that employees receive enough training, and addressing employee complaints.
Conversely, hiring managers are responsible for determining the staffing needs of their teams, obtaining necessary recruitment approvals, creating comprehensive job descriptions, communicating with candidates, conducting in-depth interviews, and ultimately making the hiring decision.
Recruiters and hiring managers should work closely together because…
Recruiters and hiring managers typically face a balancing act between two opposing goals: (1) finding a candidate as soon as possible and (2) conducting a thorough and methodical selection process.
If you want a smooth recruiting process, to employ the correct person for the right job, and for everyone involved, you need a solid relationship between the hiring manager and the recruiter.
According to research from Bersin by Deloitte Consulting LLP, “building excellent connections with hiring managers” is the most important factor in a successful talent acquisition department. The importance of this relationship is as follows:
Fast, efficient, and high-quality recruiting—The success of any hiring process hinges on the collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers, who each play an important role.
Recruiters are more likely to attract and hire top talent who is a suitable match for the team and company if they have a solid understanding of the hiring manager’s needs and goals for the position. This, in turn, improves the quality of candidates.
Enhanced candidate satisfaction – In addition to being more efficient, a streamlined hiring process improves the overall experience for all applicants. This keeps top talent from defecting to a competitor as a result of poor communication or lengthy wait times between phases of the hiring process.
Reduced new hire turnover occurs when both the hiring manager and the prospect have a clear understanding of the position’s requirements and the ideal candidate’s potential fit with the company.
A further benefit of a solid working relationship is that it makes it much easier to solve problems when they emerge and stops them from becoming bigger problems in the first place.
The best way for recruiters and hiring managers to work together
Here are a few ways recruiters may make the most of their relationship with hiring managers, now that you know how important it is:
- Learn what hiring managers are looking for
It is critical that the recruiter learns the ins and outs of the position they are filling as well as the manager’s expectations. This encompasses not just the necessary knowledge and expertise, but also the dynamics and culture of the team.
To better understand the hiring manager’s needs, come prepared for meetings with questions to ask.
- Make everyone’s duties and obligations clear
It is important for recruiters and hiring managers to meet and discuss the roles and responsibilities of each party involved in the hiring process. Note that this is a joint venture that requires the participation of both individuals. To help everyone understand, a RACI chart can be used, as mentioned earlier.
It is helpful to remind people of their duties at various points in the hiring process so that everyone is on the same page.
- Be sure to communicate clearly
It is important for both sides to keep each other informed about progress, difficulties, and areas where they can use some help. Email, Slack/Teams messages, video calls, phone conversations, or SMS are all acceptable forms of communication, and both sides should be aware of the other’s favored method.
- Arrange for training for hiring managers
Hiring managers, particularly those with little experience building and leading teams, may feel overwhelmed by the process of finding and hiring fresh faces. You can help them out by outlining the steps involved and warning them about common pitfalls.
Training on the legal elements of recruiting, overcoming unconscious prejudice, and conducting effective interviews are all examples of what may fall under this category. Training like this is mutually beneficial because it raises the bar for both your confidence and the quality of your interviews.
Make sure that hiring managers are up-to-date on talent industry news and trends as well. A brief presentation based on your recruitment statistics is one option. As a result, they will be better able to control their expectations and learn about their options and requirements.
- Take the initiative
Don’t sit around and hope that the hiring manager brings up problems or requests. Make it a habit to see how they’re doing, try to guess what they might need, and provide assistance before they even think to ask.
- Poll the happiness of the hiring managers.
Gather feedback from hiring managers on their experience with the hiring process and distribute a satisfaction survey. Inquire as to whether they have any ideas on how to make things better.
If you ask the hiring manager these questions, it will not only help you hire better people, but it will also help you get along better with them.
- Check in
Make sure a new hire is settling in well with the team and their role by checking in with the hiring manager after they start. This demonstrates that you are concerned with the hiring process as a whole, not merely with filling the post.
Work together to identify problems, brainstorm possible solutions, and plan for the future.
Wrapping up
From launching the search to conducting interviews to finalizing the hire and assisting with the new hire’s onboarding, the hiring manager is involved in every step of the recruitment process.
The hiring process works better and faster when the hiring manager and recruiter have a good relationship. Recruiters who are able to establish and maintain these types of relationships put their companies in a better position to attract and hire exceptional people whose values and goals align with their own.
Have a quick question? We answered nearly 2000 FAQs.
See all blogs: Business | Corporate | Employment
Most recent blogs:
See all blogs: Business | Corporate | Employment