The role of the hiring manager in the recruitment process

In most cases, a company’s recruitment processes involve a number of people – first of all, the candidate and the recruiter responsible for conducting the interview (sometimes a representative of an external recruitment agency), but also the hiring manager who ultimately decides whether to hire the candidate or not. What is the role of the hiring manager in the recruitment process? Read on to find out more.

The role of the hiring manager – table of contents:

1. The role of the hiring manager
2. Hiring managers and recruiters
3. Summary
4. Chceck out our recruitment software for HR

The role of the hiring manager

The main task of the hiring manager is to get the best possible candidate for a given position. This does not mean, however, that they source candidates on LinkedIn, pre-screen the received resumes, conduct job interviews or schedule recruitment meetings – such duties usually belong to a HR specialist.

The hiring manager is present at the interview, trying to get to know the candidate and provide them with as much information as possible about the job. What’s more, this is the person who checks the candidate’s references, evaluates a possible recruitment assignment and makes the final decision on the candidate’s future, which the recruiter communicates after the interview.

All of the activities mentioned above are necessary to assess whether the candidate’s skills, experience and personality will make them a good fit for the company. Who, then, can act as the hiring manager? Most often, this is the person who is the head of the department where the recruitment process is being conducted (potentially the future supervisor).

However, the duties of the hiring manager are not limited to taking part in the recruitment process and deciding whether to accept or reject the candidate. Their tasks also include planning of resources in the department, reporting the need for recruiting new employees (due to a vacancy after a layoff, the need to create a new position or excessive workload among existing employees). However, this is not all. The hiring manager also:

• prepares a job brief so that the HR department can create and place a job ad on the website or external portals,
• sends information on open recruitment externally and internally (counting on referrals, for example),
• negotiates the terms of employment with the selected candidate (mode of work, salary, type of contract, etc.).

It is also important to remember that the role of the hiring manager does not end after taking a decision to hire a given candidate. Hiring managers also stay in touch with new hires before they start work (e.g., arrange formal issues), and are responsible for the onboarding and orientation of the new staff member.

Hiring managers and recruiters

From the above description, you can conclude that the hiring manager plays an important role in the recruitment process, although their duties are different from those of a recruiter (usually an HR specialist). What is important is that each person involved in the process realizes what their competencies are and that the tasks performed are meant to complement each other – after all, the two parties, although they come from different departments, work to the same goal. Finding the best talent will only be possible if the hiring manager and recruiter work together properly.

Summary

Finding the right candidate for a given position can be quite a challenge – especially for people who perform other tasks on a daily basis and take on the role of the hiring manager once in a while. This is why HR professionals should support such individuals. Help the hiring manager prepare well for the process, and you will quickly achieve a result that everyone will be happy with.

Check out our recruitment software for HR:

Read also: Tips to achieve employee recognition in a remote team

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