This blog post is the fifth and final in a series of five posts based on our webinar with Greenhouse, 10 Hiring Manager Recruiter Roadblocks and How to Overcome Them.
Communication is vital to any business. But sometimes, when recruiting deadlines get too much to handle, weekly status updates and calls fall to the wayside. We get it – life gets in the way. But in order to successfully complete work, hire the right people and keep your hiring goals moving, allocating time for meetings, calls and status updates is imperative.
What happens when bad communication comes into play
For recruiters, almost nothing is more frustrating than not hearing back from a hiring manager. Recruiters spend so much time finding great candidates and passing them on, so it’s almost a slap in the face when you never hear back.
There are many reasons hiring managers might not get back to you – sometimes, they feel like weekly updates are disruptive and unnecessary. Other hiring managers simply don’t have interest in a standing meeting and view it as a chore.
While some of these reasons may be valid, in order 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.
Here are some things to keep in mind in order to get everyone on board with communication and status updates:
1. Delegate the job search.
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 of their plate, and secondly, emerging leaders will get the opportunity to aid in the recruiting process.
To implement this process, present this idea to your hiring manager as a possible solution and let them know you’ll work with this person and present them with their top three candidates. This will demonstrate your willingness to compromise as well as give the hiring manager the opportunity to review candidates at the end, rather than participate in every status update along the way.
2. Join your hiring manager’s weekly team meetings.
Rather than scheduling a separate and possibly disruptive meeting, join their team and address recruiting briefly at the beginning or end. You might also then be able to get some face time with your hiring managers as well, killing two birds with one stone.
Also, integrating with their team allows you to be seen as a valuable extension of their business. Building these relationships will create trust and openness, which can potentially lead to gaining referrals in the future. This method creates new opportunities as well as demonstrates a deep respect of the hiring manager’s time.
3. Find alternate ways to communicate.
Is your hiring manager not responding to your emails, phone calls or texts? Find out how they communicate best. What’s their preferred method of communication? Everyone is different. Taking the time to learn this can only improve your process.
Once you know their preference, commit to a solution. If they like email, send one weekly email and highlight any action items in bold or red. If they prefer text messages, text them reminders about your meetings or update them via text on how a particular screening went. Adjusting to their style of communication will allow for this process to operate much smoother.
At Glassdoor, we want to help make these problems go away. By making teamwork beneficial rather than a burden, your hiring process and recruiting efforts will improve. Take a look at our webinar, 10 Hiring Manager Roadblocks and How to Overcome Them to learn more about common recruiter vs. hiring manager challenges and tips for success.
