Turn your hiring manager into your hiring partner

1. No recruitment without intake

Recruitment is a profession, and a recruiter is a professional. This means that the recruiter knows both the target audience and the job market and takes control of the intake and follow-up meetings with the hiring manager.

A recruiter sells trust and sets the foundation for a successful and efficient recruitment process. Agreements about the process, speed, preparation, and follow-up are made during the intake. And of course, you follow the golden rule of recruitment: “No intake, no recruitment.”

2. Train your hiring manager as an interviewer

The difference between a nightmare and a dream process is a hiring manager who is professionally trained in conducting interviews. Not by their own recruiters or recruitment department, but by professional external trainers who can certify them. The specific interview techniques to train can be debated, depending on taste, target audience, industry, or preference. But a well-trained hiring manager in terms of interview questions makes a world of difference in terms of conversion and successful hires.

3. Empower with the right tools and data

Use the right tools and data to empower both yourself and your hiring manager. One of the most powerful tools you can use is the LinkedIn Enterprise Solution, which makes collaboration through shared talent pools, real-time updates, and streamlined communication incredibly effective and candidate-centric. It’s not cheap, but it truly turns your hiring manager into a hiring partner. Another indispensable tool is Giant from Intelligence Group. In addition to extensive target audience insights—from competition to drivers and media—this tool primarily provides insight into candidates’ expectations regarding the hiring manager and the hiring process. From timelines to preparation and from negotiation to the number of interviews. This is, alongside recruitment feasibility, the most frequently used information within Giant. And for good reason. The differences between target groups and countries are significant, as is the impact on recruitment success.

4. Surprise!

You surprise your hiring manager with data, knowledge, preparation, proactivity, job descriptions, short videos, the right process agreements, but most importantly, by delivering the dream candidates on time. In this case, an agreement = an agreement. Expectation management is key. You can also influence luck by properly preparing candidates, providing the right information, sending the CV in the correct format (just like agencies do!), and organizing the process as a celebration for both the candidate and the hiring manager. This doesn’t mean you should do the hiring manager’s work (quite the opposite), but you can certainly make it a celebration together with your hiring partner.

There are many other examples of how to turn your hiring manager into your hiring partner. Often, target audience analyses, and particularly candidate expectations, provide unique insights into how a hiring manager can become a talent magnet before and during the interview. For example, consider sending a short video and CV from the hiring manager about why they work at the company and what they are proud of about the team. It could also be about preparing for the interview or asking questions that are always asked. And consider how important it is for candidates to introduce themselves…