What do you do if hiring managers and candidates have conflicting expectations?

Let's play matchmaker! Facilitate open chats to align hiring managers' and candidates' expectations. Get creative with compromise: negotiate perks, flex hours, or even office pets! It's like finding the perfect puzzle piece - ensure company goals and candidate dreams fit snugly together.

Conflicting expectations between client and candidate are a major point of discussion in the current market contributing to a frustrating market for all involved. Internal pressures are giving hiring managers less flexibility around candidate profiles versus job specs and lower budgets, while candidates who have been stagnant during COVID and the aftermath are looking to maximise potential moves (for exposure and comp). Its important to be clear on needs vs wants on both sides and the potential challenges and alternatives to have the best chance of meeting in the middle.

I always start with the expectations from the beginning. For example, I'll share the compensation range, the responsibilities, travel %, and requirements. Before I proceed any further, I ask if they're within the compensation range, if they believe they meet the requirements, and if it makes sense to proceed. This eliminates confusion right from the beginning.

Establish clear communication between hiring managers and candidates to align expectations effectively. Encourage both parties to discuss their needs, requirements, preferences, and objectives upfront, fostering transparency and mutual understanding is a must. Provide guidance and mediation when necessary to reach a compromise that satisfies both sides and ensures a successful hiring outcome.

Conflicting expectations between recruiters and applicants are not uncommon in recruitment. How to resolve these-Encourage open communication where both parties express their expectations and concerns. Ensure job descriptions are clear and match both the role and the applicant's qualifications. Discuss job requirements and company culture early in the process to manage expectations. Encourage flexibility & compromise to find common ground. Seek regular feedback to refine the process. Inform both parties about the realities of the labour market. Document the agreed expectations to avoid misunderstandings. If conflicts persist, you should involve a neutral mediator. Proactively managing these expectations will promote positive relationships.

When expectations clash??, it's negotiation time. Dig into the deal-breakers??: Is it salary? Role scope? Start date? Vacation days? Growth opportunities? Present the hard facts to both sides. Encourage them to see beyond the immediate—can the manager stretch the budget? Is the candidate overlooking long-term benefits? Be transparent and act as both a bridge and a reality check. Sometimes, it's about creatively redefining the role or knowing when to walk away. Aim for a resolution where everyone feels like a winner, leveraging transparency and strategic negotiation to align ambitions with reality.

This can be very challenging for an internal HR team member. At times, some organizations are seeking a "yes man" who will then go to the market and deliver the unicorn they're looking for. HR may post and advertise the role with unrealistic expectations, leading to dissatisfaction when suitable candidates aren't found. What's needed here is HR to provide feedback based on data and market insights. This is easier for us as an external agency, as we can decide whether or not we're willing to take on a search, whereas as an internal team member, you may not have that choice. I agree that clearly communicating and backing up your beliefs with data, especially if you're internal, is paramount.

It's our job as Recruiters to understand and be able to articulate expectations from both parties. And just as importantly, Recruiters should be communicating their expectations. When discussing compensation with the candidate, it's important to let them know that if anything changes, it should be communicated right away. If expectations do become misaligned anytime throughout the process, clear the air as early as possible.

Encourage open and honest communication between the hiring manager and the candidate. Allow both parties to express their expectations, concerns, and priorities regarding the role.

This is where you have the opportunity to offer the most value as a CONSULTANT (not just a recruiter). Corporations usually have compensation specialists in-house who would have provided the current accurate compensation range for that role in that specific location. Most of the time, the company will want the offer to come in closer to the median in order to allow room for future salary increases while increasing the likelihood of maintaining internal equity (ensuring that existing employees in the same role have a similar compensation package). To the extent that the candidate has unrealistic expectations or the hiring manager has unrealistic expectations, it is important to professionally direct them to the actual compensation data.

In my experience, approaching the issue proactively and diplomatically is essential as it allows room for open communication and "healthy" negotiation. Another important item is to understand the needs and limitations of both parties. For example, what is the candidate's expected salary? What is the hiring manager's budget? From there, it becomes more accessible as we should start finding common ground, look for flexibility, and keep all involved open to different solutions. Lastly, we always aim for a solution that satisfies both parties; the goal is to facilitate a successful match between the candidate and the employer.

Mediate discussions between hiring managers and candidates to understand both sides. Facilitate compromise and find common ground by clarifying needs and priorities. Encourage open communication and explore creative solutions that meet everyone's needs to reach mutually satisfactory terms.

Your job adverts need to be clear about expectations and what’s on offer, including the salary. This needs to be confirmed in the very first conversation with candidates. Any company not willing to do this is wasting their own time and resources. An open job is expensive. Hiring managers and recruiters need to spend some time evaluating and reflecting on what the role really needs and what it can afford. A good recruiter can help the hiring manger reflect on key skills versus wants, and the best recruiters will also know how to identify culture fits.

Encourage both parties to be flexible and willing to compromise where necessary. Seek solutions that meet the needs of both the hiring manager and the candidate to the extent possible.

When a candidate doesn't fully match a job description but still seems like a good fit for the company, it's smart to look for other ways they can contribute. Their unique skills and experience might be perfect for a different role you hadn't considered. If a candidate doesn't fit the exact role but matches the company culture, consider other positions they could fill. Their unique skills might be just what another department needs. This approach saves time and resources, leveraging the candidate’s potential where it's most needed. It's about finding the right spot for good talent, not just sticking to the original plan.

It can be a bit frustrating, but sometimes the best solution is to agree with what the hiring manager wants, got to market, and then deliver candidates that apply or meet the expectations. For example, we've had clients whose compensation expectations are misaligned with the market. In such cases, we've presented candidates who meet their salary expectations but exceed the salary ranges, as well as candidates who fit within the salary ranges but may lack the desired skills or experience. It's one thing to say that what you're looking for doesn't exist, but it's another to prove it and present options. However, this approach takes time, effort, energy, and resources, and may not always be viable as it could also waste the job seekers' time.

If the conflicting expectations cannot be resolved, consider whether there are alternative ways to meet the organization's needs or whether the candidate is still a good fit for the role.

In a tight negotiation, creativity, and flexibility can open a path to reconciliation. If the base salary is presenting an obstacle to a deal, floating the possibility of increasing other financial incentives such as bonus, stock, etc., can create a win-win outcome. Other options to explore include increased schedule flexibility, accelerated performance reviews, and additional paid vacation in order to sweeten the deal. Ultimately, if the parties can't come to an agreement, professionalism on all sides will go a long way as any given field is a very small world.

I think it is always important to follow up and provide transparent feedback. Whether that is salary discrepancy, role clarification or just feedback on the interview process. As a recruiter you should be able to be an advocate for both the business and candidate and provide guidance to both. Following up is an opportunity for learning by both candidate and hiring manager.

Encourage feedback from both parties throughout the hiring process to address any concerns or misunderstandings promptly. This can help prevent conflicts from escalating and facilitate a smoother hiring process.

Identify areas of agreement and common ground between the hiring manager and the candidate. Focus on shared priorities and values that can help bridge the gap between conflicting expectations.

As the recruiter, you are the expert in the market. You need to have an open discussion with the hiring manager from the get-go about what to expect. They may not have recruited for years and things may have changed drastically. You need to get them on board with the realities and set the expectations as to what is available. You also need to be transparent with candidates throughout the process on what to expect, so they can determine whether they want to continue with the process. The last thing you want to do is disappoint them at the end of the process, because they had certain expectations that were not met. Avoid wasting everyones time by being up front from the beginning.

The best way to manage these differences is during the very first conversations with the hiring manager and the candidates. By having thorough, transparent conversations on all sides up front, you will be able to manage any unrealistic expectations before they become a problem. Listing the salary range in the job posting will help to minimize any 11th hour surprises.