Typical scenario between hiring manager and recruiter: Hiring manager says, "I really liked Pat. They have basically all the things I am looking for in my role." Recruiter is excited to hear that and responds, "Great, I will set them up to meet with your next interviewer to keep this moving along." Hiring manager says, "Not yet. I'd like to have some more candidates just like Pat for comparison." Recruiter beats their forehead silently against their desk. End scene.
When this happens over and over in an organization, it is time to refresh/relaunch/reboot hiring manager training and host an interviewing skills workshop. If those in Talent Acquisition have not refreshed their training in the last 12 months, it's probably out of date. When building or rebuilding that training, remember that hiring managers come in three general buckets, and your training has to fit all:
- Those that hire all the time and get that the world has changed.
- Those that hire all the time and refuse to acknowledge that the world has changed.
- Those that hire infrequently and really don't know or don't remember how interviewing and hiring is supposed to be done.
Focus your training on achieving these four things and you will be on the path to success, and your recruiters will be happier too:
- The hiring manager needs to be able to produce and articulate the highlights of an updated and thorough job description. I am one of those people that lectures constantly about how job descriptions are strictly internal documents and have no place being seen by the outside world. Job postings, on the other hand, are the job advertisements to the outside world - 100% of the time. One important source document for the recruiter and their req planning, however, is the job description. Who is responsible for putting together a complete job description? It is cooperatively owned by both human resources and the hiring manager. HR is responsible for a consistent template and holding the hiring manager responsible for completing all of the details related to the job. That hiring manager is responsible for keeping it updated and relevant to the current year. And, it is especially important to update it before using it for a fresh, new, open requisition.
- Hiring managers must also clearly articulate what would motivate a qualified individual to leave their current job to work for them instead. That hiring manager needs to have a strong "WHY" to entice employed people to leave the comfort and routine of their current job and embark on this new job. That statement can be a combination of things as the "product" TA is selling is a reflection of at least these four things: our company and its purpose, this particular manager and their leadership, the importance of the work in the open job, and the potential for growth and progression in future jobs. During training, TA needs to emphasize that recruiters will be seeking this out during the initial intake meeting. Without it, the recruiter is left with a very poor product to sell to the talent marketplace and results will be impacted.
- Your hiring manager training must also define TA's expectations that they fully participate in the talent attraction process. It's table stakes to expect hiring managers to provide time to the recruiter for calibration sessions, feedback sessions, and open up their calendar for all the time slots needed for interviewing. Full participation means a lot more than just working time. To me, it means they will post the job frequently on their social media throughout the hunting process to help build a pipeline and raise awareness for this opening within their networks. And, they will push colleagues and incumbents to do the same. The hiring manager that does none of this forces the recruiter to work with one hand tied behind their back. After all, what is the recruiter selling when hunting for candidates? They are selling the expertise and mentorship of this hiring manager. TA, you need to teach your hiring manager that they are an essential part of the product. Give them the push to put themselves out on the shelf so candidates (the customers) can see who you are, and what they are made of. Depending on your industry this is a major differentiator. Hiring Managers with an active and expert social media presence are a huge plus when drawing savvy job candidates into the pipeline.
- And, finally, your training must also be very clear about hiring manager flexibility and open mindedness. A hiring manager who is so stuck on the constructs of the job description and it's qualifications is not a hiring manager who is ready to face reality. We need to make sure that our hiring managers are fully aware of the state of the talent marketplace - HR too! Share your data about number of active job applicants vs passive job applicants. Share outside data about the shortage of skills in a number of key areas. If you are fortunate enough to have licenses for market intelligence tools like Talent Insights or Talent Neuron, use them with your hiring managers to reinforce the training. That is our best bet to gain the flexibility we need to be successful. Help your hiring manager balance their must-haves and nice-to-have qualifications. Show them that finding someone with 80% or more of the skills and behavioral characteristics they seek is perfection by today's terms. Bolster their confidence in their own ability to train and nurture a candidate. When we find someone who has most, but not all qualifications to offer, we should be racing to the offer stage without hesitation.
Running training sessions with groups of hiring managers is one of the most rewarding parts of the job. Gather them up for a healthy discussion and help everyone dust off their preconceived notions: there are no longer generous buffets of job candidates.
About the Author: Michele Ellner is the Director, Talent Acquisition, Americas, for Clarios, the world leader in automotive batteries and creator of the world's most recognizable brands. She has trained hundreds of hiring managers on interviewing best practices and related skills.
