What are the best strategies for getting feedback from a hiring manager who is unresponsive?

Lay down precise expectations upfront regarding the type of feedback you seek and the anticipated response time. This clarity sets the tone for effective communication and minimizes ambiguity.

I think the first thing you should do is choosing the right person as hiring manager. I mean, recruiting is a profession, a skill. So, it's okay that a person doesn't have this skill. Additionally, I think giving short recruiting training to people who will involved the recruiting process is very useful. Just define the hiring manager from each department from the start and train them. Then you won't have such problems

Getting feedback used to be the hardest thing about the recruiting industry. Over the years we’ve now learned to schedule feedback calls FIRST, and then work backwards from there to ensure all interviews are scheduled and completed in time for that scheduled feedback call.

It is very imp. to explain the recruitment process/ steps to interview panels & be clear with your expectations like - how quickly you need feedback, in which format, with what details & how are you planning to document it for future reference. To ensure you get feedback on time, it is imp. to have continuous communication channel between recruiter & panel. Recruiter is responsible to provide feedback to candidate on time & also work on gaps basis feedback to make required changes in next set of profiles. And in case, you come across someone who doesn't provide feedback on time, escalate or even change panel. As Recruiting can't be person specific, its a skill, a process that shows the culture of an organization & sets first impression.

In the intake meeting (assuming that the company lacks SLA's for feedback), make sure to outline the current candidate market. If you find a contender for the role, chances are they may not be around long / if they're talking with you, they could be talking to others. When we submit a strong candidate, things need to move or else we will lose them. Outline your efforts & how long it could potentially take to identify each submittal. Ask for the Manager + team to be bought into the process; if a Manager is in, chances are the team is in too. Setting the expectation will allow you to follow up when / as needed vs. coming off as a nuisance to the Manager.

I’ve learned the fastest way to get feedback when a hiring manager has gone dark is to take the candidate away from them. “I have to assume that priorities have changed, I’ll inform the candidate that you all will not be moving forward at this time.” If they are interested in your candidate, you’ll find out very quickly. And this sets the stage to set better expectations for feedback timeline going forward.

Send a calendar invite so the hiring manager gets a reminder to complete the interview feedback. And reiterate to them that feedback is needed within 24 hours of the interview taking place.

Ensure feedback consistency by following up politely and persistently with the hiring manager. Use their preferred communication channel—email, phone, or chat. Remind them of the agreed-upon schedule and emphasize the benefits of timely feedback, like candidate engagement and faster hiring. Maintain respect for their time while assertively highlighting your role's value. This approach fosters effective communication and reinforces the collaborative commitment to a streamlined recruitment process.

You must be respectful & polite as a Recruiter, regardless of the pains that you may be facing. If you are pushy or rude to a Manager, you could lose their trust or buy-in on the process that you've set in the intake call. Following up over email/call them to start & if no response by midday, ping them over IM/DM. If you have the luxury of being in-office, walk over to their area & ask to borrow 5-minutes. The feedback / update could lead to an interview or help you further calibrate on the role. The simple things sometimes are everything! If you cannot get them over email / IM, use the ATS's automated ping / follow up option as well. Make sure that you're stating the WHY you're asking too, that helps a lot of the time vs. "how'd it go?"

In my opinion, the most impactful step is setting up expectations during the intake meeting around feedback times. We must remind our hiring leader that creating a great candidate experience is paramount and trust is gained or lost by our ability to hit those expectations. If you can prep the candidate for what to expect and meet the expectations you’ve set the stage for a great candidate experience.

It is vital to remind the hiring manager of the human element to the recruitment process - the candidate waiting for feedback deserves to know quickly whether they have been successful or not and what they can improve on for their next interview. It is easy to forget that there is a real person with hopes and dreams involved in the recruitment process and providing that context can help focus a hiring manager's mind on the importance of interview feedback.

Educate your managers on the importance of feedback. Heck, even seasoned recruiters don't give feedback to candidates, so let's not assume that hiring managers know to do so. The best recruiters in the industry are the ones who are capable to demonstrate the value of providing feedback to candidates. Dealing with a stubborn hiring manager who just won't take action? Forward them the positive responses you get from candidates who DO receive feedback from the recruiter and sometimes, even the hiring manager. Show them the positive reviews left on Glassdoor by candidates who appreciated receiving feedback. Educate - Prove (with data) - Persist If they still refuse? Leverage your management's support to empower you.

It's crucial to enlighten your managers about the significance of giving feedback. Surprisingly, even experienced recruiters sometimes overlook this step, indicating it's not instinctive for everyone. The most effective recruiters are those who can highlight the benefits of feedback to candidates. If facing resistance from a reluctant hiring manager? Share with them the appreciative reactions from candidates who've received feedback, including those instances when it came directly from hiring managers themselves. Highlight positive Glassdoor reviews praising the feedback process. The strategy is simple: Educate, back it up with evidence, and persistently follow up.

The hiring manager should be invested in the organization thriving, as a whole. Reminding them that brand reputation also is impacted by a candidate's experience is a helpful way to bring the recruitment process full circle. We can make a ton of assumptions about why they haven't provided feedback, but sharing they why can encourage them to have a more open discussion on the hold up.

To ensure that hiring managers make decisions, it's essential to provide data-driven information about the scenario we are working on. To do so, I recommend the following strategy: - Whether in a call or email, provide a general context of what is happening and identify the specific challenge we are facing. - Offer information about 2 or 3 different alternatives to address the situation and outline their overall impact on the hiring process. - Provide advice on which alternative you believe is the best option and explain why. Working with hiring managers is a collaborative effort, and that's why we must provide clarity and resources to make the best decision.

If a hiring manager is not giving feedbacks or is unresponsive entirely, maybe they are caught up - Clarify with them and ask them if someone else from their team can take up the operational aspects. Don't set up interviews if you still don't get feedback - Hiring pipelines are of ZERO value if the hiring manager is not keen.

If a hiring manager is unresponsive or not providing feedback, it's possible they're overwhelmed. Touch base to understand their situation and inquire if a team member could assist with the operational duties. Avoid scheduling further interviews if feedback remains absent.

While escalation can feel like a last resort, it can be a valuable tool in your hiring toolbox when used strategically. Here's how: 1. Ensure you've exhausted all direct effort at resolution with the involved parties first. 2. Document your efforts and keep a timeline of communication attempts. 3. Identify appropriate stakeholders with the authority and perspective to intervene. 4. Present the situation objectively - facts, timeline, and impact on the hiring process. Avoid personal attacks or emotional language. 5. Seek insights and alternative solutions by brainstorming collaboratively to find new approaches. 6. Finally, learn from the experience to improve communication and avoid similar situations in the future.

If the hiring manager doesn't respond and the other strategies don't work, you may need to involve higher-ups. For instance, talk to your manager, the HR director, or the hiring manager's supervisor. Explain the issue, its impact, and what you've done. Ask for their guidance on what to do next. Instead of blaming the hiring manager, focus on finding a solution together. For example, you can say, "I've tried reaching out for feedback, but there hasn't been a response. Can you help me figure out the best way to move forward and ensure we get the needed information?" This way, you seek support without placing blame.

We have just implemented the escalation tactic this year and have seen some success so far. Essentially, this is helping to keep hiring managers held accountable as well as our other partners be aware of the effort we are putting into helping find candidates for open roles. I think with this, consistency is the key, so we will see over the next year how this plays out in terms of success!

If a Hiring Manager is unresponsive or giving slow feedbacks, there could probably a case where: - He/She is busy. See if you could reach out any other assistant POCs within their team. - Hiring might not be their top priority - Still thinking of whether to pursue or reject a candidate

I personally love the first debrief meeting after sending over my first group of candidates. This is usually more insightful than the initial discovery call as it carves out an ideal candidate in their eyes based on pros and cons of profiles. These meetings also help me refine my process for the search and even future searches. Every company has a different idea of a top candidate and getting feedback helps carve out what our clients look for in hires.

Post interview feedback is crucial to improving your sourcing strategy. Clear feedback will allow you to know how to refine your search in order to find the bullseye candidate.

Be sure to explain and set expectations around timing and feedback during the entire process (before, during and after). If the client still continues to be non responsive, then it is time to let them know that you have to move on for everyone's sake.

In my experience, when the hiring manager isn't responding, one strategy, ask for a meeting with the HM to discuss the candidates and the accuracy of the submissions so you can fine-tune the sourcing if needed. Tell them to please provide feedback as candidates have plenty of other options out there. Alternately, after radio silence for many days, tell them you will close the position by "Friday" as there are multiple other active positions you need to focus on as well.

If you have a client or hiring manager who repeatedly “ghosts” you during the hiring process, it’s a good time to consider whether or not this is a client that is worth your time. Your ability to deliver as promised for candidates is your BRAND.

Give Hiring Managers a friendly reminder that they need to help you with the hire in order to secure their business needs. If Hiring Managers don’t partner up with recruiter, they don't get the perfect-match candidates on time. Lose-lose-lose situation. You lose as a recruiter with missed hire. Candidate loses if not given a job. Business loses if hire is wrong or too late. Make Hiring Managers understand it is their game to score a hire with you.

Put a meeting on their calendar and have a frank (professional!) discussion about it. Expectations should always be set at the beginning of a hiring process with regards to communication and if the HM is not following through on them, it's the recruiter's responsibility to address that, and get everyone aligned again. Bring data to the conversation: how long the position has been open, how many candidates we've lost due to unresponsiveness, the impact it is having on the team that needs the support of a new hire, etc. Not to mention: it reflects badly on the employer brand and can have a ripple effect on other job reqs! This kind of honest conversation should hopefully get the wheels back in motion.

I've learned that hiring managers each have their own way of communicating and preferences. Before meeting them, I will ask others who have worked with the person and gain insights on how they prefer to operate (slack, text, scheduled meetings, fly-bys, workshop etc.). I will ask the hiring manager what their preferences are and agree on a regular cadence of how they want to connect for updates and feedback on talent. If the hiring manager fails to follow what we agreed on, I'll ask if the role is still a priority or if we should pause the search and give priority to other positions at the company. That usually is a wake up call.

Don't panic be cool don't stress, It may happen you lose your candidate too if you don't get a response on time, Keep one thing in mind to keep all managers in CC while following up on emails, and also mention the importance of why you need an urgent response.