T H E D E F I N I T I V E G U I D E TO

Recruiter & Hiring ManagerPartnerships

A & C O LL A B O R AT I O N

Table of Contents

Effective recruiting only works when you are able to build a strong

partnership with your hiring manager. This is easier said than

done, but the good news is that it is possible!

In this eBook, we’ll share 10 actionable strategies to help you

create alignment with hiring managers and overcome common

hiring manager roadblocks.

Introduction 3

1 Get on the Same Page 5

2 Have a Strategy 9

3 Define Your Candidates 12

4 Prioritize Skills 16

5 Manage Expectations 19

6 Prepare for Interviews 22

7 Create Time Efficiency 25

8 Incorporate Process Improvement 28

9 Don’t Panic 31

10 Always Put the Team First 34

Summary 37

3

A S U R V E Y B Y R O B E R T H A L F * showed that one-third (36%)

of 1,400 executives surveyed felt the top factor leading to a

failed hire, aside from performance issues, is a poor skills

match. The second most common reason (30%) was unclear

performance objectives.

Getting on the same page with your hiring

manager can make all the difference! And

like it or not, the most important person in

the recruiting process is the hiring man-

ager. A hiring manager holds the power to

prioritize hiring, defines the person you

will hire, and makes the decision to hire the

person you have worked so hard to find.

Introduction

I N T R O D U CT I O N

2011 survey based on more than 1,400 telephone interviews with CFOs

from a random sample of U.S. companies with 20 or more employees.

*

4

However, building strong relationships with hiring managers

can be challenging, to say the least. Too often, a relationship

exists where recruiters don’t understand or trust their hiring

managers, and hiring managers don’t understand or trust

their recruiters.

Good news! We’ve done our research and collected insights

to provide you with this definitive guide to hiring manager

engagement. Follow these strategies and you’ll be well on

your way to fewer headaches and better partnerships.

I N T R O D U CT I O N

5

Get on the Same Page

M O S T H I R I N G M A N A G E R S say that hiring is their top priority,

but, at the end of the day, many either don’t know how to priori-

tize it or just flat out ignore it. This is understandable behavior,

given that hiring managers have full-time jobs that often leave

little or zero time available to recruit. So how do you fix this?

Don’t open the role until the hiring manager has done her part.

Greenhouse has formal kick-off meetings in which the hiring

manager and recruiter run through a checklist that includes:

Designing the candidate scorecard

Writing out the interview plan

Drafting the job description

ST E P

1

TIP: Make it a rule to not

open the position until there

is a kick-off meeting and all

action items are completed.

ST E P 1 : G E T O N T H E S A M E PA G E

6

S A M P L E M E E T I N G A G E N D A

Ensuring that hiring managers are excited and prepared to hire

for the role enables you to work together to find a great hire.

To ensure success and show that you value their time, have an

agenda to set the right tone for the meeting.

A ge n d a I te m D ef i n i t i o n

Describe the team Outline all responsibilities

Create a candidate

scorecard

What qualifications are needed to do the role?

Define the interview

plan

Create stages of interviews, designate focus

attributes, train interviewers, set follow up to

review interview kits

Create a sourcing

strategy

Define where you should look for candidates.

Ask what companies have strong people in

that area? What niche job boards target those

roles? How many target candidates will you

ainticipate from prospects and referrals?

Review sample

candidates

Calibrate on what makes a stellar candidate

ST E P 1 : G E T O N T H E S A M E PA G E

7

S L A S ( S E R V I C E - L E V E L A G R E E M E N T S )

Next, set SLAs and, if they aren’t met, withhold candidates. This

idea is used in DevOps, and is a common practice in sales and

marketing alignment as well. SLA stands for Service-Level Agree-

ment. HubSpot writes that creating an SLA between its sales and

marketing teams “was a conscious decision to work together, set

goals and create agreements between the two teams that helped

align these traditionally acrimonious teams.” The SLA details both

the marketing goals and the sales activities each team commits

to in order to support the other.

Set a formal agreement with hiring managers that, in order to

make new hires, requires them to complete recruiting-related

tasks in a timely manner. One of the SLAs to set with hiring man-

agers is about candidate feedback; for example, an interviewer

scorecard must be completed and submitted within one day. The

hiring manager not only needs to make sure she is submitting

feedback within one day but also needs to ensure her team is

submitting scorecards within one day.

If a hiring manager doesn’t meet this requirement of the SLA, she

receives no more candidates. Now a word of warning: turning off

candidate flow can make your relationship with a hiring man-

ager worse. You have to agree upfront about the requirements

of your SLA and track them, so you can tell the hiring manager

why you are no longer providing candidates.

ST E P 1 : G E T O N T H E S A M E PA G E

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Action Plan

S E T A C O M M U N I C AT I O N C A D E N C E

During your kick-off meeting, have a discussion with your hiring manager

about the communication platform and cadence she prefers. Then, stick to

it. Some hiring managers prefer a weekly, 15-minute meeting to review can-

didates. Others prefer weekly email updates. A few hiring managers might

prefer text message updates. Whatever the case, if communication with you is

part of their regular rotation, they are not likely to ignore you.

U S E T H E R I G H T R E P O R TS

Use hard data to show how important the hiring manager’s attention to the

process is. Your applicant tracking system (ATS) should make it easy to pull

reports that speak the language of your hiring managers. For example, be sure

to track things like hiring speed and how long it takes for a candidate to get

an offer from your company. It’s also easy to see how many candidates you

lose because you aren’t moving fast enough. Track this information and share

it with the hiring team to drive further improvements.

B E A S Q U E A K Y W H E E L

Pick up your laptop and sit at the desks of hiring managers until they return.

This way, you are the first person they talk to when they got out of the meet-

ing. Don’t be afraid to send multiple reminders. Your work depends on the

decisions of others and you should never feel like you are bothering people

when you need a decision.

ST E P 1 : G E T O N T H E S A M E PA G E

9

Have a Strategy

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T H I N K B A C K T O T H E L A S T T I M E you searched for a job. You

probably prepared, spent time showcasing your personal and

professional attributes, and then waited. Far too often, can-

didates don’t hear back from recruiters or hiring managers

because of a severe lack of communication internally. This

inefficiency can cause you to lose candidates to competitors

and can be frustrating for both sides.

To keep your candidates in the loop, it’s imperative to have a

strategy and keep an open line of communication between

the recruiter and hiring manager.

Here are a few tips.

ST E P 2 : H AV E A ST R AT E GY

10

M A K E F E E D B A C K E A S Y T O G I V E

When a task doesn’t feel like a chore and the process has visible

impact, interview team members are more likely to provide feed-

back throughout the process. Glassdoor has a simple thumbs up,

thumbs down or middle-of-the-road rating system. If interviewers

want to add more candidate feedback, they can do this in free

form text boxes. This is a great way to provide direction to the

recruiter on next steps for the candidate, so she can quickly move

on action items.

W E E K LY D E B R I E F M E E T I N G S

If your ATS makes it too difficult to leave feedback, have a weekly

recruiting debrief where you can review all candidates in the mix,

talk about folks whom you’ve interviewed in the past, whom you

want to move forward with or even whom to cut loose. This isn’t

ideal because you want to have feedback in your ATS. But at least

this way, the recruiter can potentially add a quick note on behalf

of the managers and also know how to close out candidates or

keep them moving forward.

ST E P 2 : H AV E A ST R AT E GY

11

Action Plan

Once you have a strategy for gathering feedback and keeping the process

moving, ensure there are checks and balances to escalate issues when

they come up. No one makes a better advocate for a hire than the person

in charge. Creating a constant feedback loop is essential for success.

Generally, department heads understand the importance of recruiting the

best and should be willing to request feedback. They’ll also be the best at

getting everyone on the same page and ensuring everyone is in constant

communication.

Make it easy to stay in constant communication

with your team throughout the recruiting and

hiring process.

ST E P 2 : H AV E A ST R AT E GY

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Define Your Candidate

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YO U M AY H AV E A H I R I N G M A N A G E R who

says something like “we only hire the best

people,” but is unable to define what that

means. Alternatively, you may have a hiring

manager who wants a “unicorn,” someone

with a rare combination of skills. Or, you

may have a hiring manager who wants

to compensate an experienced, senior executive far below

market. If your hiring manager doesn’t know what she is

looking for, it prevents you from sourcing the right candidates

and conducting effective interviews.

So, how do we help hiring managers figure out whom they

want to hire?

ST E P 3 : D E F I N E YO U R C A N D I D AT E

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D E F I N E “ T H E B E S T ”

Greenhouse holds mandatory, official kick-off meetings for each

and every role. The first order of business is defining what hiring

managers are actually looking for in candidates. This will shape

your sourcing strategy, how you write your job description and what

questions you should ask throughout the interview process.

“The best” candidate also

must share the core val-

ues of your organization.

Have an explicitly defined

culture credo and dedicate

an interview to assessing

whether a candidate shares the specific traits you decide on. It

can take months to collect these insights and create a culture

credo for your company, but having these values accepted by the

entire organization means you will have a concrete list of criteria

to reference during interviews.

I D E N T I F Y K S A S

Don’t let hiring managers describe the candidate as a “stellar

marketing professional who can create exceptional content that

can generate interest from multiple audiences.” This is a descrip-

tion of a person, not the KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

needed to do the job. If your hiring manager starts describing the

TIP: To get the information you need, continue

to ask “why.” Does your hiring manager say

that the candidate needs 10 years of experi-

ence? Ask why. This question forces your hiring

manager to think critically about the skills

needed in this role.

ST E P 3 : D E F I N E YO U R C A N D I D AT E

14

person, ask her to instead describe what the marketing profes-

sional needs to know to be successful.

Based on this information, build a list of attributes that a

candidate needs to be a top performer in this role. This list of

candidate attributes can then be entered into a Greenhouse

scorecard. The scorecard is what interviewers use to grade can-

didates on the hiring criteria specific to each job. It remains the

same across all interviews, ensuring that interviewer feedback

is focused and unbiased.

ST E P 3 : D E F I N E YO U R C A N D I D AT E

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Action Plan

D E F I N E T H E D AY 1 P R O B L E M

In your kick-off meetings, have hiring managers come prepared with the “day

1 problem,” the issue or challenge your hire will solve within the first 90 days.

This provides clear expectations for the candidate throughout the interview

process and as a new hire.

P R OV I D E M A R K E T I N F O R M AT I O N

To be perceived as a partner to your hiring manager, you must come to

the kick-off meetings prepared. You should at least have a target list of

companies that have similar roles. This will give your hiring manager a better

idea of where talent is located and what type of competition to expect. This

is especially helpful when you are looking for an obscure skill set (like MySQL

Engineering) that can only be found in Arizona.

R E S E A R C H C O M P E T I T I V E S A L A RY PAC K AG E S

Recruiters should also provide information around what the market is

currently paying talent. Your hiring manager only has a limited view of what

your company is paying the current team and what other companies pay. With

salaries changing rapidly, especially in the tech world, it’s very easy for comp

rates that were in band six months ago to be out of band today. Glassdoor salary

information is a great resource to use to provide benchmarks for your team.

ST E P 3 : D E F I N E YO U R C A N D I D AT E

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Prioritize Skills

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H I R I N G M A N A G E R S O F T E N I N S I S T on finding that 100%

perfect candidate who satisfies a lengthy laundry list of

skills and qualifications. They want that elusive Purple

Squirrel and won’t settle for anything less than a Purple

Squirrel. In the end, this rigid, inflexible perspective can

negatively impact your recruiting efforts and slow the

entire hiring process.

To ensure you’re hiring candidates

who can make a long-term impact

at your organization, broaden your

perspective by focusing on growth

potential, not mere perfection.

ST E P 4 : P R I O R I T I Z E S K I LLS

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D R A F T D E S C R I P T I O N S T O G E T H E R

Set up time with your hiring manager to source together. If you

can demonstrate that perfection isn’t the end goal, you may agree

to be more lenient on candidate skill sets. It’s important to work

together with your hiring manager during this process to ensure

that everyone is on the same page and you’re setting realistic ex-

pectations about the types of candidates you’re going to attract.

R E V I E W T O P P E R F O R M E R S

Look within your own team or department. Was everyone an actual

Purple Squirrel or were they candidates with core skills who came

on board with intangibles such as a willingness to learn and a

hunger for growth and advancement? Remember, technical skills

can be learned, but the right attitude is hard to come by.

TIP: Suggest your hiring manager speak with

a few candidates to get a sense if your job

requirements are unrealistic or too stringent.

But don’t spend too much time on reconnais-

sance or risk paralyzing your search.

ST E P 4 : P R I O R I T I Z E S K I LLS

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Action Plan

STAC K R A N K S K I LLS

It’s simple math: settling on three must-have skills or qualifications is much

easier than an impossible 10. This trade-off can give you a fighting chance to

find the right candidate.

When beginning your candidate search, keep in mind that you many never

find your perfect Purple Squirrel in the candidate wild. Instead, evaluate

candidates based on growth potential, potential leadership and desire

to advance.

ST E P 4 : P R I O R I T I Z E S K I LLS

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Manage Expectations

ST E P

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T O O O F T E N , H I R I N G M A N A G E R S F O R G E T that effective

recruiting works only when everyone is involved in recruiting,

especially them.

If you’re running into this problem, you may have heard hiring

managers say things like, “I only want to interview people

who are late-stage” or “Why do I need to ask my team for

referrals, isn’t that your job?” Finally, this zinger: “If I were

supposed to hire people, you wouldn’t be here.”

To ensure a successful working relationship and hiring

process, it’s important to set the tone and manage all

expectations before the process even begins.

ST E P 5 : M A N A G E E X P E CTAT I O N S

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S E T L I M I T S U P F R O N T

Tell your hiring manager what you can’t do. If you have five open

reqs that you are running right now, you will not be able to screen

10 candidates a day for a new role. If you aren’t comfortable

with screening engineers for technical skills, tell your Head of

Engineering. Ultimately, the person you’re recruiting won’t report

to you; they’ll report to the hiring manager. Simply put, she must be

involved throughout the process for both parties to be successful.

P U S H F O R E M P L OY E E P R O M O T I O N

Advocate employees do things like link job postings created from

your ATS. If they can’t, make sure recruiters ask each candidate

how they heard about the role. This can become a standard for the

screening process.

T R A C K E V E R Y T H I N G

Have each member of the team use unique tracking links to collect

data. Whose efforts are the most impactful? Where are they

sending their messages? You can analyze that person’s approach

and messaging and share insights with the wider organization.

Tracking links also makes it easy to gamify the process by making

it clear who is contributing. Couple these with source quality

reports to reward people whose prospects get far along in the

process, rather than those who simply submit an application (and

end up unqualified).

ST E P 5 : M A N A G E E X P E CTAT I O N S

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Action Plan

B U I L D A R E F E R R A L P R O G R A M

The best way for employees to source candidates is by tapping their own

networks. Your highest quality candidates will come from employee referral

programs. Challenge your hiring manager to get one referral from each

member of the hiring team and share meaningful data about the benefits of

investing time and resources into sourcing referrals.

P R ACT I C E TO U G H LO V E

If your hiring managers aren’t participating in the recruiting process for

their roles, shut down the reqs and work with hiring managers who are more

responsive. Just make sure to give your unresponsive hiring manager enough

warning and a chance to modify the behavior.

ST E P 5 : M A N A G E E X P E CTAT I O N S

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Prepare for Interviews

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A N I N T E R V I E W P R O C E S S is only as strong as its interview-

ers! Even if you have built a strong partnership with your

hiring manager, your interviewers are key to collecting the

right candidate information and providing a great candidate

experience. They are also the first impression candidates

have of your employer brand.

If you don’t help hiring managers prep their teams with

relevant information about the role, they will not be able to

conduct effective interviews.

ST E P 6 : P R E PA R E F O R I N T E R V I E W S

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P R E PA R I N G F O R I N T E R V I E W S

The best thing you can do to prepare hiring managers and their

respective teams is to provide interview kits. Before an interview,

interviewers should not only know exactly whom they’re meeting,

but also what they’re assessing. At Greenhouse, all interviewers

are automatically emailed an interview kit that includes candi-

date information, resume and scorecard.

The scorecard includes that list of attributes defined by the hiring

manager, with a few, select attributes highlighted, indicating ar-

eas of focus. It also provides a list of questions to ask candidates

to assess these traits. Without a doubt, this method results in

prepared interviewers and meaningful feedback, in a simple and

consistent format.

ST E P 6 : P R E PA R E F O R I N T E R V I E W S

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Action Plan

I D E N T I F Y A N D T R A I N W E A K E R I N T E R V I E W E R S

Take the onus off of the hiring manager by holding interview trainings yourself.

You may not have time to train everyone individually, but it’s worth the time

and effort to identify room for improvement.

R U N R O U N DTA B L E S A N D D E B R I E F M E E T I N G S

Using scorecards in your recruiting process saves tons of time. Recruiters can

see an aggregate view of whether a candidate has met the KSAs needed to

move forward in the process. This means fewer candidate debrief meetings!

However, while a role is open, it can help to run roundtable discussions about

the process. This gives you the chance to hear and comment on the feedback

from interviewers. After a role closes, hold debrief meetings. These will allow

interviewers to share their opinions on how the process could have been better.

AC K N O W L E D G E G O O D F E E D B AC K

Sounds simple, and it is. Take the time to write interviewers an email

when they provide great feedback on a candidate. Better yet, call them out

during company-wide meetings. Interviews and feedback do take time, and

by showing your interviewers that you care about their opinions, you are

rewarding good behavior and building a positive relationship.

ST E P 6 : P R E PA R E F O R I N T E R V I E W S

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Create Time Efficiency

ST E P

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R AT H E R T H A N H E L P I N G hiring managers understand

the importance of their role in the hiring process, in this

scenario, the goal is to help hiring managers find the time to

complete recruiting-related activities.

This step is all about creating time efficiency in your recruit-

ing and hiring process.

ST E P 7 : C R E AT E T I M E E F F I C I E N CY

26

A U T O M AT E T H E P R O C E S S

Save time by automating as much of the interview process as

possible. Use testing tools to judge technical skill, or send written

assignments as a skills test. This ensures that candidates who

interview have at least the baseline skills required, and filters out

those who don’t early on.

T R A I N YO U R R E C R U I T E R S

If you know you’ll be doing a big push for hires in a certain depart-

ment, it is worth taking the time to train your recruiting team on

what strong candidates look like.

This will help improve the quality of candidates in your pipeline

and reduce the number of interviews needed by members of

the department.

Have hiring managers or department leaders give

presentations on what they do and what they’re looking for.

ST E P 7 : C R E AT E T I M E E F F I C I E N CY

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Action Plan

I N C LU D E I N T E R V I E W T I M E I N P R O J E CT P L A N N I N G

Over time, recruiters are able to collect valuable data that allows them to

forecast recruiting outcomes. This means that you can start at the number

of hires needed and use the average conversion (or “pass”) rate at each

stage of the interview process to calculate a reliable number of applicants,

and interviews, needed to fill a role. Sharing this information with your

hiring manager and interviewing teams allows for better planning and time

management from the get-go.

B U D G E T T I M E F O R I N T E R V I E W F E E D B AC K

There’s nothing more frustrating than logging onto your Applicant Tracking

System and seeing that an interviewer hasn’t submitted a scorecard or

feedback on a candidate. Avoid this by budgeting time after an interview

for feedback. Create a calendar event that lasts 10 or 15 minutes after

an interview specifically for this purpose. You don’t need to do this for

all interviewers. Instead, use an interview calibration report to see which

interviewers struggle to submit feedback in a timely manner. It might take

a moment of your time, but you will not need to hunt down interviewers for

feedback later, and will be able to move the candidate along more quickly with

an evidence-based decision.

ST E P 7 : C R E AT E T I M E E F F I C I E N CY

28

Incorporate Process Improvement

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W I T H I N A N O R G A N I Z AT I O N , each team or

department should work side by side like

cogs in a well-oiled machine. The partner

relationship between recruiter and hiring

manager is a terrific example: one cannot

function successfully without the work and

cooperation of the other.

Meanwhile, the job market is red hot. Most likely, candi-

dates you’ve brought in to interview are exploring several

job options. If there is a lack of communication post-

interview between your hiring manager and recruiter,

your organization might miss out filling an open position

with the ideal candidate, who may look elsewhere while

miscommunication reigns.

ST E P 8 : I N C O R P O R AT E P R O C E S S I M P R O V E M E N T

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C O N T I N U A L LY R E I T E R AT E T H E P R O C E S S

Recruiters and hiring managers lead busy work lives. Often,

they overlook responding to candidates simply because they’re

focused on other duties, paperwork or daily assignments. Not

responding, therefore, may be more about workload rather than

concern or misgivings about a candidate’s interview, skills or

cultural fit.

This not only convolutes the hiring process (i.e., “the Ripple

Effect”), but also may ultimately result in the wrong person

being hired.

It is imperative to have an understanding of the hiring responsi-

bilities within your organization; otherwise, hiring managers can

and do blame recruiters for fumbling the candidate ball and vice

versa. Simply put, with a lack of clarity, problems arise.

Still, when recruiters receive no replies from hiring

managers, that forces them to determine alone if a

candidate should continue or not.

ST E P 8 : I N C O R P O R AT E P R O C E S S I M P R O V E M E N T

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Action Plan

G E T T H E I R AT T E N T I O N

Whether by text, email, voicemail, chat or simply dropping by for a quick,

10-minute chat, get your colleague’s attention. If you must, find out if she

arrives early to work or stays late—often, these are the best times to grab

time.

B E P R E PA R E D

Above all, come prepared with the questions you need answered to move

the hiring process forward. And be succinct! By demonstrating that you

understand your colleague’s time is valuable, you’ll start to build real rapport,

which will set you both up for success in hiring great candidates.

C R E AT E A LL I E S

If all else fails, call on your manager to break the silence deadlock and

stimulate communication. After all, candidates left in the dark about where

they stand in the hiring process are bound to look elsewhere.

ST E P 8 : I N C O R P O R AT E P R O C E S S I M P R O V E M E N T

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Don’t Panic

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T H E J O B D E S C R I P T I O N is the first impression most

candidates see of your company. Candidates analyze your job

descriptions to determine not only whether they’re qualified,

but also whether they’re interested in working for you. Pre-

senting your company well through your job descriptions will

make you stand apart and improve your overall hiring process.

But what happens when hiring managers panic if you don’t

instantly receive tons of applications within the first few

days? Many hiring managers report that there aren’t enough

people applying to their posts and worry that their job post-

ings aren’t reaching their target audience. Often, the blame

for these issues falls on the recruiter.

ST E P 9 : D O N ’ T PA N I C

32

A S S E S S A D V E R T I S I N G C H A N N E L S

Take a good, hard look at where you’re currently advertising and

where candidates are actually researching your company. Keep

your target candidates in mind when you’re determining where to

publicize your open positions.

On Glassdoor, you can see who is researching you, their experi-

ence level and top job titles they’re clicking on by signing up for a

Free Employer Account.

A S S E S S A D V E R T I S I N G C H A N N E L S

Before you start, research your competitors and what they’re

doing. How do they name their job titles? Are you using the latest

vernacular? In today’s ever-changing recruiting landscape, what

was the norm yesterday is rarely “in” today. Keeping up with hiring

trends and your candidate needs allow you to run a more effective

hiring process.

ST E P 9 : D O N ’ T PA N I C

Additionally, search for niche job boards and sites that

allow you to target candidates to keep your messaging

specific and ensure you hit your ideal market.

33

Action Plan

Odds are, you probably need to up your job descriptions game. Here are a few

things to keep in mind:

• Are your title and description optimized for search engines?

• Is the description written in your company’s brand voice? Make it unique to

your company!

• Is it quick and easy?

• Are you using keywords potential candidates are searching for?

• Are you tying in your company’s mission statement and tailoring it to each

job role?

• Use bulleted lists to make your job postings easy to skim.

Ensuring that your job descriptions are updated, optimized and easy to read

will make your job descriptions stand out in a sea of opportunities.

TIP: Set realistic response rates. Generally, 20% of passive

candidates respond, so if you’re reaching out to 20 people

in the first few days of your search, expect that only three

(or maybe four) candidates will respond. Setting these

realistic expectations and communicating this to the wider

team ensures you avoid communication blunders.

ST E P 9 : D O N ’ T PA N I C

34

Always Put the Team First

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C O M M U N I C AT I O N I S V I TA L to any business. But sometimes,

when recruiting deadlines get too much to handle, weekly sta-

tus updates and calls fall to the wayside. We get it—life gets

in the way. But to successfully complete work, hire the right

people and keep your hiring goals moving, allocating time for

meetings, calls and status updates is imperative.

For your recruiting process to run smoothly, everyone needs

to get on board with communication and status updates.

Failing to coordinate and stay in communication can lead to

severe bumps in the hiring road. When recruiters and hiring

managers remain on the same page and share common goals,

the hiring process is much more effective.

ST E P 1 0 : A LW AYS P U T T H E T E A M F I R ST

35

M A N A G I N G E V E R Y H I R I N G M A N A G E R

If your hiring manager isn’t willing to participate in weekly status

updates, delegate the task to another team member. This is a two-

part solution: first, hiring managers get the task taken off their

plates; secondly, emerging leaders will get the opportunity to aid

the recruiting process.

Even if your hiring manager doesn’t participate in every status up-

date, reassure her that she’ll have every chance to review your top

candidates when the time comes.

J O I N YO U R H I R I N G M A N A G E R ’ S W E E K LY T E A M M E E T I N G S

Rather than scheduling a separate and possibly disruptive meet-

ing, join her team and address recruiting briefly at the beginning

or end. You might also then be able to get some face time with

your hiring manager as well, killing two birds with one stone.

Integrating with her team allows you to be seen as a valuable

extension of its business. Building these relationships will create

trust and openness, which can potentially lead to gaining refer-

rals in the future. This method creates new opportunities as well

as demonstrates a deep respect of the hiring manager’s time.

ST E P 1 0 : A LW AYS P U T T H E T E A M F I R ST

36

Action Plan

F I N D A LT E R N AT E W AYS TO C O M M U N I CAT E

Is your hiring manager not responding to your emails, phone calls or texts?

Find out her preferred method of communication. Everyone is different. Taking

the time to learn this can only improve your process.

Once you know her preference, commit to a solution. If she likes email, send

one weekly email and highlight any action items in bold or red. If she prefers

text messages, send her meeting reminders or updates on how screenings

went. Adjusting to her style of communication will create a smoother

process.

ST E P 1 0 : A LW AYS P U T T H E T E A M F I R ST

By making teamwork beneficial rather than a

burden, your hiring process and recruiting

efforts will improve.

37

Summary

S te p s T i p s

1. Get on the same pageMake it a rule to not open the position until there is a

kickoff

2. Have a strategyMake it easy to share feedback between teams

throughout the recruiting and hiring process

3. Define your candidateTo get the information you need, continue to ask

“why?”

4. Prioritize skillsSpeak with a few candidates to get a sense if your job

requirements are unrealistic or too stringent

5. Manage expecations Set limits and expectations up front

6. Prepare for interviews Provide interview kits

7. Create time efficiency Automate the process and train recruiters

8. Incorporate process

improvementMake the hiring procss run like a well-oiled machine

9. Don’t panic Set realisitc response rates

10. Always put your team firstGet everyone on board with communiation and status

updates

S U M M A RY

38

Take a look at Greenhouse and Glassdoor’s joint webinar 10 Hiring

Manager Roadblocks and How to Overcome Them.

S U M M A RY

Greenhouse is the world’s first recruiting

optimization platform. Companies use

Greenhouse to optimize how they find, interview and hire the

best talent. From strategic sourcing to customizable interview

kits, Greenhouse provides a technology platform that helps

organizations of all sizes improve their recruiting performance.

Find better candidates, conduct more focused interviews, and

make data-driven hiring decisions using Greenhouse.

For more information on how you can use Greenhouse’s recruiting

optimization platform to build an effective and collaborative

recruiting process, please visit www.greenhouse.io.

To stay up-to-date with recruiting best practices, news, and

success stories, follow us on Twitter at: @greenhouse.

A B O U T G R E E N H O U S E

39S U M M A RY

With millions of company reviews, salary reports,

interview reviews and benefits reviews on

more than 400,000 companies worlwide, Glassdoor is a trusted

and transparent place for today’s candidates to search for jobs

and research companies. Glassdoor helps employers across

all industries and sizes advertise their jobs and promote their

employer brands to a well-researched, highly-selective candidate

pool. By advertising jobs via mobile devices, email alerts, and

throughout Glassdoor, employers influence candidates at the

moment they’re making decisions. This results in better applicant

quality at a significantly lower cost-per-hire compared to

traditional job boards.*

To get involved in the conversation on Glassdoor and start

managing and promoting your employer brand, sign up for a Free

Employer Account.

For the latest in recruitment marketing tips, best practices, and

case studies follow us on Twitter at: @GDforEmployers.

A B O U T G L A S S D O O R

Brandon Hall Group Report, Nov 2014.*