It’s been a while, a long while actually, since I worked a req. Yet, I still remember the pangs of dealing with certain hiring managers. In particular, the ones with what I call “Unicorn Syndrome.” They refuse to make a decision because they’re holding out for “Mr. Perfect” instead of “Mr. Right.” Mr. Right is someone who meets most (but not all) of the job requirements, is available to work, and is interested in the role. And add to that a willingness to accept an offer within the established salary range. Why do we always want what we think we cannot have?! Sigh. Sorry—PTRD (Post-Traumatic Req Disorder). But I digress.
You know what would have saved me a lot of time and headache back in the day? If I had taken some quality time to evaluate the hiring managers I supported, gathered data on their hiring processes, compared it with my recruiter coworkers, and then decided my level of responsiveness accordingly. Let me share with you how I would go about that now. Pretty much, I would ask multiple questions. The very first question being cited in the video below.
Manager: Do you have experience with requirement X?
Candidate: No, but I know Y and Z, and that’s better.
Manager: Okay, cool.
Me (Inner monologue): What the (insert expletive of your choice)?!
I loved working with hiring managers who TRULY knew what they wanted. It saved everyone time. I also appreciated those managers who gave good feedback and didn’t ghost my emails for two weeks, resulting in the candidate accepting an offer somewhere else, and then the hiring manager looking at me, saying they need a new candidate when I just gave them one they were excited about—and now I’m supposed to produce another one with the wave of a magic wand and… sorry. PTRD again. I’m getting help. Where was I?
Getting timely feedback is a good thing, but you know what’s better? Quality feedback. Don’t just tell me, “Yeah, I liked the candidate. They were alright.” I need details. I need to know what interested you the most. Was it their skill level? Was it the types of companies they worked for in the past? Some managers are good at giving clear reports; others need a fill-in-the-blank email, or at least I felt like they did. No problem if I have to; I just shouldn’t have to. Comprende?
Another peeve I have, while I’m unloading here… It irked me when hiring managers did not understand the talent market. I could tell they didn’t comprehend it because they would lay out unrealistic expectations. For example, wanting someone with senior-level experience who would accept entry-level pay. Come on! Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, but not really. If I were evaluating how much time I’m going to spend with one hiring manager versus others I could be working with, this would be a crucial issue. The only thing more important would be their commitment to the hiring process. How about this for a worst-case scenario? Three candidates are interviewed, and it looks good that one is going to be hired and that another may be hired for a newly created role. Yay! But wait, rather than pull the trigger, the manager gets bogged down with work. Yes, completing tasks is important—I get that. However, wouldn’t the manager be more productive if they hired people to relieve some of their burden? And yes, they say they want to hire, but their hiring reflex is very slow and prone to distraction. So, you email and call and send cookies to bribe them into action, but they just move slooooowly or get easily distracted when they see a squirrel. At some point, you have to wonder (and hopefully ask), “Do you really want to get this done?” If so, why are you playing with my emotions, not to mention the candidates’. Sigh. Okay, I’m rambling and getting into the weeds a bit; let me reset.
If I were evaluating hiring managers to gauge the ones most worth my time (assuming I had a choice), I would look at:
And one more thing—because so much past trauma is resurfacing—I would look at the hiring manager’s ability to sell an opportunity. Do they have enthusiasm for the company and the role when interviewing the candidate? Do they embody the company culture? Are they someone the candidate (or anyone else working there) would want to deal with daily? If not, it’s fixable, to a degree. I’d (as honestly as I could) push the potential of the opportunity to get them to other places in the organization where they could thrive even more. Hopefully, that would be enough to convince the candidate.
Okay, although you can’t see me now, I am taking a deep breath and releasing a lot of pent-up aggression. It’s too late for me, but hopefully, you can take some of these tips and plan your interactions accordingly. Prioritize your time with hiring managers who are worth it, assuming you have a choice. If not, you have my condolences and the help of a certified therapist who specializes in recruiter trauma (PTRD). Hit me up on LinkedIn, and I’ll share the contact info.
Ha! Just kidding…
Or am I?
;->
