Out of Sync? Build a Better Relationship with your Hiring Managers

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According to a recent snapshot of the recruiting industry by WANTED Analytics, the escalating demand for technical recruiters exceeds the current supply. My guess is most of these IT and engineering recruitment specialists are engaged with the giants of the IT and manufacturing sectors, e.g., Apple, Amazon, GE. If you’re recruiting for a large employer in another sector, you may be one of the many generalists assigned to cover the hiring needs of a wide range of departments.  Chances are your best fills happen with hiring managers you know well. What if you could be that in sync with all of your hiring managers?

Use a Solution That’s Already in Your Toolbox

Your path to a better relationship with your hiring managers may be closer than you realize. New third party research commissioned by Montage indicates that video interviewing has gone mainstream, especially with large employers (5,000 employees or more). The same purpose-built video interviewing technology that makes your job easier with candidates can also improve the way you work with hiring managers. Here’s how:

  1. Partner for Better Pre-Screens.When a new req comes in, invite your hiring manager to meet via video for a short discussion about the role. Right from your desks, the two of you can quickly cover all the elements of the role, the hiring manager’s expectations, what makes this opportunity awesome, etc. — all the things that may not be apparent from the paperwork. That collaboration upfront will help you tie your pre-screening steps as closely as possible to your hiring manager’s objectives for the position.
  2. Ask Questions Like Your Hiring Manager Would.A purpose-built video interviewing solution allows you to configure the way questions are asked and answered in a pre-recorded, on-demand interview. That means you can present scenarios common to the job and elicit responses in whatever way will impress your hiring manager most. For instance, ask retail sales candidates to react to a typical customer complaint in a video-delivered question. You and your hiring manager can see those candidates’ interpersonal skills at work. Do the same for a call center position, but deliver the question via audio and ask the candidate to respond by audio. It’s one more way you can tailor your pre-screen to be job relevant and to fit your hiring manager’s needs.
  3. Boost Your Responsiveness. Use video interviewing to speed up your workflow so you are delivering the top candidates — and the information needed for good hiring decisions — to your hiring manager faster. They will also appreciate the transparency and the feeling of being kept in the loop.

Optimize Every Minute

For most recruiters, the biggest barrier in the job is juggling everything that must be done in a reasonable work week. That’s all the more reason to make sure you optimize your time with your hiring managers, and your video interviewing solution can help you do it. One final suggestion: before a new hiring manager even sends you a formal requisition, make time to join him or her in a team meeting. Again, use your video interviewing technology to join in virtually, assuming you are not co-located. The intel you pick up about the inner workings of that manager and that department will help you form a great working relationship with that manager when the time arrives.

By Michele Ellner