What is a hiring manager?
A hiring manager is an employee who requests a new position to be filled. This is usually a manager or a supervisor. They are an important member of the recruitment team, regardless of their everyday responsibilities. They are in charge of overseeing the job and department into which a new hire is placed.
As such, they are in charge of the following:
- Welcoming the new employee and onboarding
- Designating a mentor
- Integrating the new employee with the rest of the department
- Providing continued overall direction to the new employee.
- Any other tasks that come with their function
Hiring managers collaborate with their Human Resources department. Human Resources oversees the interview and hiring processes. A hiring manager's job is to find the best candidate for the job.
What does a hiring manager do?
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A hiring manager also has a say in other aspects of the hiring process, such as whether the position should be opened up to applicants from overseas. In cases like this, human resources may also have to assess whether this is feasible, as employing internationally can prove to be a logistically complicated and work-intensive task.
However, through the use of an employer of record service by Remote, the whole affair can be simplified by routing the recruitment process through a legal business umbrella in the desired country of employment. An EOR takes care of all of the legal proceedings, including aspects of tax, payroll and HR. This eases the burden of both the HR team and the hiring manager, allowing them to focus on onboarding their new acquisition.
A hiring manager is in charge of a variety of duties, including:
- Identifying a new position personnel requirements
- Obtaining necessary clearances from the department and corporate executives
- Attracting the top people by providing accurate and informative job descriptions
- Identifying the roles and responsibilities of the hiring team
- Keeping tabs on the hiring team throughout the process
- Putting together a framework for the interview process
- Acting as the point person and principal interviewer during the interview process
- After a candidate passes the initial screening, the hiring manager usually conducts the first interview
- Internally, they advertise new job openings and seek employee referrals from colleagues and teams
- Making a final employment decision that the executive must approve
- Notify the recruiter if the job is no longer available
- Writing the job offer and discussing the employment contract with the selected candidate
The hiring manager, compared to the recruiter
A hiring manager and a recruiter are frequently mixed up. While both are involved in the hiring process, their responsibilities are distinct and do not overlap. A recruiter assembles a strong pool of competent candidates for a vacancy. A hiring manager is in charge of selecting and hiring the best candidate from the pool.
As a result, a recruiter's task is to make the hiring manager's decision extremely difficult. The recruiter also avoids the risk of introducing an unqualified job seeker into the company by compiling a list of only the top candidates.
A hiring manager also works as a liaison between applicants and the firm. Particularly during contract negotiations. If the hiring manager determines that none of the prospects is suitable, it is their responsibility to alert the recruiter. The recruiter will construct a new application pool.
The hiring manager is the final decision-maker. They decide who gets employed and who does not get employed. The recruiter's job is to find, attract, and pre-select qualified candidates.
Problems between a hiring manager and a recruiter
The fact that the hiring manager has final decision-making authority can lead to conflict between the hiring manager and the recruiter. When it comes to hiring new employees into the company, the hiring manager is frequently in a hurry. Rather than waiting for a full slate of candidates to apply, they are eager to start interviewing.
Some of the key problems that arise between the two include:
- The hiring manager is dissatisfied with the calibre of candidates
- Excessive expectations of a recruiter from the hiring manager
- Diverse viewpoints on the strategy and duration of the hiring process
A recruiter wants to be able to evaluate applicants correctly. They complete the first phases of the hiring process and fill a slate before presenting a list of potential employees to the hiring manager. As a result, it is up to the recruiter to manage the hiring manager. They should persuade them not to speed through the hiring process.
These two roles should be allies on the same side of the table. A hiring manager can deal with these problems;:
- Accept that they will not be able to complete the hiring task on their own. They should seek counsel from the recruiter and value their expertise.
- Devote more time to recruitment.
- Work to identify and meet the requirements as a team.
Problems between a hiring manager and a recruiter
When a hiring manager requests an employee to fill an available position, they commence the hiring process. They usually bring the process to a close, deciding which candidate will be chosen.
Between the start and finish of the recruitment process, the hiring manager keeps in touch with the recruiter. This could be a freelance recruiter or someone from a specialist headhunting business. This depends on the company's size and whether or not they have an in-house recruitment team.
When a vacancy arises, the first step is to submit a formal request for the company to create a new position in the form of a job requisition. This is where the recruiter meets with the hiring manager to learn everything there is to know about the open position. It is time to fill the vacancy after this requisition is accepted.
As a recruiter, the following information should be provided by the hiring manager during the vacancy intake process:
- What makes THIS position more appealing to the perfect candidate than a similar position in another company?
- What constitutes good performance in this role?
- If the new hire performs above average in this capacity, how will this positively influence colleagues, clients, and so on?
- What are the ramifications for colleagues, clients, and others if they perform a poor job?
- What qualities does this specific target group look for in a position and organization and in terms of pay and benefits?
- Details such as the number of hours worked per week, the amount of unpaid overtime, salary, and other benefits.
- How do you plan to fill the vacancy differently this time around than you did the last time?
- What kind of personality, expertise, or abilities would make your team more effective than it is now?
The better the recruiter's job description reflects the reality of working for the hiring manager, the clearer things will emerge throughout the vacancy intake. This will have a favourable impact on the candidate's fit with both the job and the company culture.
The ball is in the recruiter's court after the job advertisement is posted. It is now up to them to work their pre-selection and attraction magic. At this point, the hiring manager can anticipate receiving at least a weekly update on the status of their position. After the recruiter has identified a selection of possible candidates who have passed the company's pre-selection phases, the manager will have the opportunity to interview them before making a hiring decision.
A job offer will be presented to the successful candidate, and if accepted, the employee onboarding process will begin.
The responsibilities of a hiring manager
Apart from the administrative obligations of the hiring manager during the recruitment process, they are also in charge of the "people" side of hiring. This encompasses the following features.
- Finding someone who is a true team player. The person-team fit has long been overlooked. Hiring managers used to be on the lookout for the ideal candidate. Finding a candidate who would offer value to the team was not a typical practice. However, employing someone with experience, abilities, or competencies that the team currently needs should be a top priority for the hiring manager. New personnel must fit in with the team's personality. They need to put together a group of people with distinct talents and skill sets. These people need to be able to work together to achieve their goals.
- Learning and development are two different things. The hiring manager is also in charge of the team's and individual member's development. Employees and their learning and development journeys have long been the focus. However, the hiring manager has a clear understanding of the direction in which they want to see their team develop. This is based on the organization's business goals and what this entails in terms of learning & development for each team member. Having a team learning & development strategy is a big bonus when interviewing applicants. They will be able to advise the team about their future development opportunities.
- Coaching. Much has been written about the hiring manager's role. It has evolved from telling employees what to do and how to accomplish it. It even expanded to guiding and encouraging the team both professionally and personally. This is the role of a coach. When it comes to employee training and development, the hiring manager is crucial. Because most people require some motivation to begin a course or training. This is especially true when individuals are required to leave their comfort zone. It is the role of the hiring manager to get to know their staff and find development chances where others have not.
- Employee well-being is important. One of the hiring manager's tasks has always included keeping an eye on the team's physical and emotional well-being. The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for employee well-being even more. The hiring manager has new issues resulting from individuals working remotely, such as engagement, camaraderie, and employee experience. They must pay more attention to how people perform because many employees will continue to work from home.
Coaching and employee well-being can seem a little far-fetched at times. After all, they have nothing to do with the hiring process. They do, however, affect how candidates see the company brand.. This can be through peer coaching, peer mentoring, or employee wellness programs. It will help the hiring manager build a positive reputation among job searchers. As a result, it will be easier to hire new employees.
What do hiring managers look for?
Fit is the most common item hiring managers are looking for. However, the fit is a vague concept that lacks the detail that most job seekers desire. Some of it demands a new set of skills and perspectives for a company. Fit is indistinguishably linked to enthusiasm for a potential career and organization. Another aspect of fit is matching the candidate's personality to the team or organization they want to join.
However, there are other factors to consider that are difficult to quantify. Regardless of each company's distinct corporate culture, certain qualities e.g. careful planning, professionalism, punctuality, and so on align with every company's definition of fit. As a result, here are some things that hiring managers look for:
An understanding of the company's culture
What are the core values of the company? How would one describe the working environment? Is it more serious, professional, and buttoned-up, or is it more informal, laid-back, and open to working remotely? Furthermore, understanding the company culture necessitates the candidate to conduct a preliminary study before the first interview.
The candidate must demonstrate they are well versed in the background, experience, and function of their job within the company. If several people are being interviewed, the better prepared, the more fit they will appear. The candidates who ask proper questions in the interview are also a critical component of proving fit.
Demonstration of previous experience is relevant
Candidates who can demonstrate their previous experience can be a good fit. These are better than the candidates who explain how their expertise and skill set will benefit the company. Candidates who are specific and give examples of how their previous experiences will help them succeed in their current position would be ideal.
Wrapping up
A hiring manager's job does not end after the new employee is hired. This is when it all begins. The hiring manager maintains constant communication with the recruiter during the hiring process. The recruiter is in charge of finding, attracting, and pre-selecting prospects, while the hiring manager makes the ultimate decision. Once a decision has been made, and a candidate has been chosen, the hiring manager is responsible for ensuring that the new employee is a good fit for the job, the organization, and the team.
Kudzai Derera is the Business Systems Manager at Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd, a management and human resources consulting firm.
LinkedIn: https://zw.linkedin.com/in/kudzaiderera
Phone: +263 242 481946-48/481950
Mobile: +263 773 523 084
Email: kudzai@ipcconsultants.com
Main Website: www.ipcconsultants.com