September 10, 2015
One of the best strategies to attracting and retaining top talent is to have a strong partnership between hiring managers and recruiters. Avoiding the recruiter vs. hiring manager mindset is key to developing an effective communication plan, ultimately building a positive hiring experience for everyone connected to the process. Continue reading for some key strategies on starting your partnership off on the right foot.
See also, 5 Methods For Developing A Successful Hiring Manager Training Program [Article]
Articulating What You Want
It can often be hard to express what you want in an ideal candidate, but it’s a crucial part of a successful recruitment partnership. This goes beyond simply listing their responsibilities in the role. Be sure to spend time thinking about the top performers in your organization and what you like best about what they do for you. What behaviors do you see in these professionals on a regular basis that makes them successful? Will you have enough time to train the new hire, or will they bring specific skills and expertise?
It might help to tell a story or provide an example about a time when an employee did something that was notable or exceptional. Use these cases as a guideline when describing the kind of candidate you want the recruiter to source. Taking the time upfront to talk about any concerns or important things on your mind is crucial at the early stages of developing a stress-free relationship.
Understanding the Recruiting Process
Breakdown in communication between the two parties can cost valuable recruiting time and money. If you have questions about how the actual recruiting process works, simply ask your recruiter. Will they be only sourcing resumes or will they conduct preliminary interviews as well? Having a clear understanding of the scope of work, timelines and deliverables will allow you to better manage the process as a whole. Have the agreed-upon process written, signed and understood by both parties. This will ensure that the process runs effectively and efficiently.
Recruiters, it is your job to be as transparent and detailed about the recruiting process as possible. If communicated effectively, there shouldn’t be much for a hiring manager to be unsure about. Take the time to fill them in on the process details and expectations so everyone is on the same page and the process remains efficient.
Timelines – Be Realistic
It is estimated that bad hires can cost companies upwards of four hours per week in extra supervision and lost productivity. To prevent a bad hire, managers must be realistic about timelines and give your recruiter time to source candidates that truly meets your wish list. On the flip side, recruiters need to extend the same courtesy.
If a recruiter is given an unrealistic timeline, while it’s important to do the best you can, be sure to explain exactly why this timeline may not be realistic. If you are seeking candidates for a role that is senior, requires niche skills or is highly technical, it may take longer for the recruiter to source qualified individuals. Placing too much of a rush on candidates may result in a recruiter focusing on the quantity of their candidate submissions, and not on the quality. To speed up the search, give recruiters specific details on the type of talent you’re looking for to help them narrow down their search scope.
Make an effort to involve the recruiter in the organization and its hiring procedures. Having a mutual understanding of the role criteria and processes on both sides of the hire will allow your recruiter work to your organization's needs more effectively.
Time is an investment when working with recruiters. The more time you invest in a search, and the clearer you are with your expectations, the better your hiring results will be.
