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Organizations require seamless collaboration between hiring managers, human resources (HR) teams and external staffing agencies in order to succeed. Achieving the perfect synergy can significantly impact an organization's ability to meet its hiring needs and attract the best talent. Hiring managers are the frontline scouts for new talent, and thus play a pivotal role in this process.
Below, 20 Forbes Human Resources Council members provide strategies and insights on how hiring managers can foster more effective collaboration with HR and staffing agencies to ensure their hiring requirements are not only met but exceeded.
1. Be Transparent
The name of the game is transparency. When the hiring manager and the recruitment team are open to each other, searches run smoothly. The hiring manager needs to be able to be honest if the reality is, for example, they prefer candidates from certain schools. At the same time, the recruiter needs to be transparent with the hiring manager if a search is going to be difficult. - Kyle Samuels, Creative Talent Endeavors
2. Proactively Train Hiring Managers
The HR team would benefit from taking a proactive approach to training the hiring managers, prior to the need to hire, on how to build success profiles for each position to provide clarity on the "who" would be a solid candidate. Additionally, collaborating on an effective process is critical so the collective hiring team gets a full picture of each candidate and enhances the candidate experience. - Nicole Devine, PBO Advisory Group
3. Leverage The Strengths Of Both Hiring Managers and HR
Hiring managers and the HR team should work collaboratively to leverage the strengths of both parties: the hiring manager's understanding of the role and operations and the HR team's knowledge of workforce trends, including potential roadblocks and untapped avenues or approaches in today's modern work environment. - Amie Courtney, Cranberry Township
4. Provide Timely Feedback
Feedback is crucial. Hiring managers need to provide constructive feedback on candidates immediately after meeting them. This helps HR to continue to tailor the search. In addition, HR needs to provide feedback to staffing agencies so they can do the same. Continuous feedback and partnership throughout the process is the key to an excellent hire! - Kerry Andolina, Fresh Beauty
5. Prepare Clear Job Descriptions
Provide clear, specific job descriptions and expectations that align with how that role shows up in the market. Oftentimes, hiring managers want one thing but are budgeted for another. Being crisp on what you need versus what you want—and how likely it is for that role or person to exist—is key. - Paaras Parker, Paycor
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6. Establish Priorities And Requirements Together
Invest in developing a true partnership. Establishing an agreement on the priority of the process with the hiring manager is equally important. Work together to align on the candidate profile at the outset, and firm up and align on key requirements for the role versus the nice-to-haves. Curiosity, listening and continuous feedback throughout the process should set the team up for success. - Maria Miletic
7. Align On Specifics And Be Available
It’s important for hiring managers and recruiters to take time in the beginning to align on the specifics of the role and the day-to-day experience, especially for frontline roles. Hiring managers should be available to the recruiters and candidates throughout the process and hiring managers should engage with everyone who will interview candidates to align on the overall process and questions. - Tracy Dodd, Kyndryl
8. Identify Skill Gaps To Find Ideal Candidates
Partner to identify skill gaps that exist on the team—both technical and value or culture. This way, you can work together on identifying what makes a great candidate. This will allow you to pull the right individuals into the interview process and structure thoughtful questions that will assess if the candidate has what is needed and will add to the team dynamic. - Oksana Lukash, Avid Bioservices
9. Understand Preferred Requirements
It's critical that hiring leaders come to the recruitment "kick-off" clearly understanding their preferred requirements. Without crisp expectations, recruiters will only screen to the minimum job requirements resulting in a wide array of applicants not meeting the critical skills needed. They might ultimately need to re-post, which impacts cycle times, candidate experience and resource time investment. - Britton Bloch, Navy Federal
10. Share As Much As Possible
Be transparent, we aren't here to judge. Tell us the realistic story of the organization's mission, vision, values and culture. Educate us on what you are like as a people manager and what your expectations are. Our job is to find the best fit for your role and the more we know, the more successful we will be. - Nakisha Dixon, Vercara
11. View Staffing Relationships As Partnerships
Effective collaboration between hiring managers and HR or staffing agencies is paramount for successful recruitment. Ultimately, viewing the relationship as a partnership, where both sides are invested in the success of the recruitment process, is key. Mutual respect, trust and open dialogue drive this collaboration towards achieving its goals. - William Stonehouse, Crawford Thomas Recruiting
12. Communicate Frequently And Consistently
Recruiters should have regular one-on-one meetings with hiring managers so they know what the status of their positions are, what positions may be coming and how else they can assist. They need to be in communication with them consistently and follow up via email, instant message or other forms of communication so they can provide updates to their manager. - Erin ImHof, CertiK
13. Focus On Trust And Care
The focus must be on trust and care. Often, one or both criteria are missing. It is integral that hiring managers and HR teams build and foster how to actively listen and map out what is required and needed versus what fits the team's mold. It is about embracing patience in the process while being open to changing and evolving the recruitment practices to attract potential candidates. - Chandran Fernando, Matrix360 Inc.
14. Meet Regularly And Communicate
Maintain clear and open lines of communication. This includes clearly defining job roles, qualifications and expectations. Regular meetings can ensure everyone is on the same page regarding hiring progress and any adjustments that need to be made. Secondly, managers should provide timely feedback on candidate interviews or assessments to help staffing agencies refine their search. - Jonathan Romley, Lundi
15. Foster A Positive Candidate Experience
Fostering a positive candidate experience is crucial. Streamline interviews, offer constructive feedback and ensure a smooth onboarding process. These steps, driven by collaboration between HR and hiring managers, attract top talent and enhance the employer brand, strengthening long-term recruitment efforts. - Kelsey Griffis, InfoTrack US
16. Cultivate Synergy Between Hiring Managers And HR
To attract and hire top talent it starts with fostering a collaborative partnership between the business and HR. Hiring managers should maintain open communication, provide detailed job requirements and promptly offer feedback to the recruiters. - MJ Vigil, DispatchHealth
17. Coordinate Closely With HR
Hiring managers can collaborate effectively by maintaining clear communication, defining job requirements precisely, involving HR early in the process and providing timely feedback to streamline hiring and ensure alignment with organizational needs. - Jennifer Patterson, Patterson Consulting Group
18. Tailor Job Descriptions To Attract Versatile Candidates
Tailor job descriptions to include not just hard skills, but also any welcome soft or transferable skills that could strengthen an unexpected or outlier application for you. Recruiters are searching for someone who will be a culture add to your team, and the flexibility such skills offer can help them find a versatile candidate who could surprise and delight you. - Ursula Mead, InHerSight
19. Manage And Align Expectations
The first step is to get aligned on expectations. Hiring managers need to honestly share their needs, gaps and weaknesses while being open to feedback and input. The recruiting team can align those expectations with the reality of the talent market and provide insight and recommendations on the types of candidates the hiring manager is likely to attract. - Casey Huebsch, South End Partners
20. Be Specific On Needs And Provide Feedback
Hiring managers must provide the right data. It's not enough to say "I need a senior engineer"—we need to know senior, specific skills and responsibilities. The hiring manager has to help correct the course. If we are making mistakes in talent sourcing or missing the mark on offers, we're open to feedback. Effective collaboration means both sides can respectfully discuss and challenge ideas. - Kaitlyn Knopp, Pequity
