Hiring Great Is A Team Sport

When it comes to filling open positions, the relationship between hiring managers and HR is equal parts exhilaration and exasperation. Hiring managers want the best people available and they want them identified, screened, interviewed and hired yesterday. Meanwhile, HR is hard at work posting the position, sorting through resumes, and setting up interviews. And both are balancing the demands of hiring with numerous other tasks and responsibilities. All these factors contribute to major tension between HR and hiring managers engaged in the most critical task for any business – finding and landing great talent.

So, what’s the best way to avoid miscommunication and misalignment and to work together as a team during the hiring process?

TREAT HIRING LIKE A PROJECT

Projects have clearly defined roles, deliverables, and deadlines. They are collaborative and carefully planned, and the outcomes are specific and measurable. Get your hiring team together and create a project template for the hiring process. Make sure everyone knows what they’re responsible for and how progress will be measured. Hiring is an ongoing project, not a one and done, so make sure to document the process and refine it as necessary. Also, try using this format for a kickoff meeting, designed by the management gurus at Manager Tools. It’s a great way to make sure expectations and responsibilities are delineated right from the start.

COMMUNICATE EARLY AND OFTEN

Many organizations treat hiring as the subject line in a series of emails rather than the key to the future success of the company. Meeting in person regularly and often is essential. In an article that details the issues involved in HR and hiring manager clashes, 79% of companies that reported good relationships communicated verbally. Meetings are a great opportunity to discuss hiring wins and any bottlenecks that are slowing the process.

DO AN OUTCOME ANALYSIS

Typically, once a new hire is onboarded, the hiring manager becomes solely responsible for the success or failure of that person in their new role. A better model is for the hiring team to meet 3-6 months after onboarding for a review. Talk about who’s excelling and who’s struggling, and why. Identify anything in the screening process that may have contributed to a poor fit and fix it. By aligning the process with the results, hiring teams are better equipped to replicate what worked, and get rid of what didn’t.

Getting the best employees for your company is hard enough without worrying about internal battles and communication breakdowns. Treat hiring like a team sport because in the end, hiring right means everyone wins.

Hoops can take your hiring team from good to great. Call us at (877) 262-7358 and let us show you how.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get a free quote