We all know that Candidates are important, but have we forgot about our Hiring Managers?  

So much of the focus on new recruitment technology and discussion over the past 12-18 months has been on managing candidate experience.  But what about the Hiring Manager experience?

There is emerging evidence that the more we involve our Hiring Managers, the more we can improve our Hiring Quality.

Recent Bersin research, led by Robin Erickson PhD, found that:

“…the most influential predictor of Talent Acquisition performance outcomes is a strong relationship between the recruiter and the hiring manager; in fact, this relationship is four times more influential than other TA performance drivers.”

The sentiment is mirrored in the US Federal Governments Hiring Excellence programme.

The administration conducted forums in 22 cities across America with more than 3,000 supervisors and HR professionals.

They found that:

• Around 30% of Hiring Managers said that they did not work with the HR staff on developing a job plan for an opening
• Just under two thirds said they were not involved in recruiting for a position
• One in five of “hiring actions” resulted in no hire

We find those statistics astounding and I’m sure you will agree that something must be done.

As well as focusing on the candidate experience, Talent Acquisition leaders looking to improve Hiring Quality in their organisation must also focus on the Hiring Manager.  This means improving Hiring Manager and Recruiter collaboration and searching for technology platforms that will encourage positive collaboration between them.

So, what does successful collaboration look like?

• Setting expectations.  Of both the recruitment and the candidate requirements, upfront
• Working together to analyse candidates throughout the process
• Agreeing timescales
• Getting the opportunity to feedback and measure each other’s performance
• Doing all the above in the simplest and most time efficient manner

If the above items can be ticked off and both sides feed in, then as a result Hiring Quality within the organisation will improve.

Generally, ATS providers focus on the detailed interaction between candidates and Recruiters.  They lack the ability to really track or measure Hiring Manager/Recruiter collaboration.  This is the next big gap that recruitment technology will have to fill.  And we can help.

Are you a Hiring Manager?  Do you agree with the findings of the Hiring Excellence programme?  Recruiters – would getting closer to your Hiring Managers help you find even better talent?  Let us know your thoughts below or please get in touch.