Collaboration in the Hiring Process

As a corporate recruiter, one of my biggest frustrations is working with hiring managers to expedite and facilitate the hiring process for them. Just like me, they are pressed for time and often on deadlines. These deadlines make collaboration among the hiring manager, recruiter, and other decision makers even more important.

The key to any successful hire is thorough and prioritized communication. Whether virtual via technology, on the phone, or in person, communication is essential. More communication often creates better and faster results. Better hire, less expense, and less time to fill. It’s a win/win for everyone.

Sometimes working with your hiring manager can be difficult. Here are four quick ways to increase hiring collaboration and produce better hiring results.

• Questionnaire. As I mentioned, communication is extremely important. What’s even more important is an understanding of exactly what the position you are trying to fill entails, specific requirements, and skills and qualifications most important to the hiring manager. A simple questionnaire can be completed over the phone or internet. This approach is simple but provides you a better picture of the priorities for the position.

• Repetition. This is a simple technique to increase understanding and allow for more effective communication. During the course of your initial conversation and those going forward, you repeat or recap the important points asking for clarification. This establishes the details of expectations. You might be surprised in what a simple question can reveal about what the hiring manager is or isn’t looking for in a candidate.

• Status Updates. Go beyond the basic spreadsheet and recruiting metrics outlining candidates screened and resumes mined. Share a short written update that provides your client with a weekly update into where you are in the hiring process. Utilize the internet. These types of messages can be sent over a series of emails, or next to the relevant position and candidate in your recruiting software. These should be quick updates to keep them in the loop that can be read easily by your hiring manager from his or her computer or smartphone. This technique allows for increased discussion and provides the hiring manager piece of mind on progress in the hiring process.

• Feedback. When a candidate is submitted to the hiring manager for review, it’s easy to receive a yes or no response. Ask for clarification and don’t get defensive. Keep the lines of communication open. Recruiting software can consolidate and organize these discussions. With all the details and comments of positions and candidates available online, your verbal communications will be on the right priorities. Often times, the scope of the skills requirements can be discovered during this process.

These steps can seem time consuming at first, but it’s time well spent when you find the perfect candidate. The right channels can save you time. By focusing on taking a more consultative approach, you demonstrate your professionalism while gaining a better understanding of the position requirements at the beginning (instead of the end) of the candidate hiring process.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a HR consultant, new media strategist, and author who writes at Blogging4Jobs. Jessica is the host of Job Search Secrets, an internet television show for job seekers.

Photo Credit Pardington 10

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