In this series, we will focus on sharpening your skills so that you can become a better technical recruiter. You’ll learn tactics and strategies to apply before, during and post search to improve your results. Seriously, if you have not read part one, part two and part three of this series, stop now and do that. This is serious, y’all. You need to be connecting with the right people.
This whole series was built to make you a better technical recruiter, but ultimately, it is up to you to make sure you don’t sound like an idiot. Once you have vetted out your candidates, it is time to submit them to hiring managers. This is your opportunity to shine. Take your knowledge and let it fly – as long as you know what the hell you’re talking about. Here is where you show that you are not just good, you are the Beyoncé of recruiting.
So to start our lesson today, let’s get the hiring manager definition clear:
Hiring Manager (noun):
- The hiring manager is usually the person the job applicant would be reporting to if they accepted a position at the hiring company.
- Picky elitists who want Tiffany candidates at a Target price.
- That person avoiding your phone calls.
- Pain in the ass.
But today, I have two hacks to save the hassle when it comes to these pesky folks..
My Gift To You: Packaging Candidates
Picture this. There are a bunch of boxes on a table. Most of them are plain brown boxes, but one is nicely wrapped with an expensive bow and it’s your favorite color. Which one would you be drawn to? Duh – the carefully packaged one. The same is true for candidates. When you submit a candidate to a hiring manager, do not send a resume. It’s the equivalent of sending direct mail to get someone’s attention, and just about as effective.
Package your candidate in a way that makes them (and you, in the end) the star. Show them you’ve done your work vetting the candidate. Then, set up time to review with your candidates. Make sure that you are taking thorough notes and that you are asking the questions the hiring managers are looking for. A nicely packaged candidate will include:
- Bio
- Experience
- Salary Requirements
- When they can start
So, in the candidate note field add a strong candidate profile. An example of a solid candidate profile looks like this:
Jennifer has over 5 years experience as a Network Administrator at ABC Company where she had to manage the installation, configuration and design of LAN, WAN and Internet Systems. She also has 3 years of VOIP experience. Jennifer received her Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Baylor University and MCSE certification. She is currently working and will need to offer 2 weeks professional courtesy but she does have an open interview schedule Thursday’s and Friday and is available during lunch or in the evenings for a video interview. Her salary requirement is 95K annually, plus relocation fees.
Trust me, most recruiters are not taking the time to do this. Do the work, it will always pay off.
But where does all this information live? How do you keep the hiring manager “in the know,” with all the relevant details to make a decision? Your ATS, of course.
Candidate Relationships
If you have purchased the right Applicant Tracking System, then it should have a built-in workflow that will allow you to easily package and submit your candidate to the hiring manager. If you are looking for an ATS that has workflow built in, here are some that I recommend.
Lever:
Lever has a cultlike following. What impresses me most is the feedback forms. You can also easily find the candidate’s answers from past interviews in the feedback forms neatly tied to their profile within Lever. Unlike many systems, Lever recognizes that hiring is a group activity.
SmartRecruiters:
SmartRecruiters offers a special hiring manager specific feedback loop via their “Collaborative Hiring” feature. It allows recruiters to start collaboration with everyone in the hiring process at the beginning – from req approval to offer. It offers a great user interface and is a well thought out product. They also developed a “HireLoop” that offers a full dashboard of everything that you could want to know about the status of any open position. While I’m focused on the workflow piece, there’s a lot more here to modernize your recruiting processes.
Recruitee:
Recruitee has three features that I love when it comes to hiring manager workflows. One, their dashboard makes it easy to organize candidates. Two, they have a drag and drop workflow. Three, you can customize messaging so your hiring managers get automatic updates at each phase of the recruiting process. This tool will naturally help you get feedback faster because you can schedule “friendly reminders” to check out the submitted candidates info. Rather than a constant “where are we at” conversation, it creates a home base for check-ins and updates during the recruiting process
By Jackye Clayton
Jackye is an acclaimed thought leader and inspirational speaker on recruiting and DEIB topics. She brings years of experience recruiting across a variety of industries including tech, HR, legal, and finance. In her role as VP of Talent Acquisition and DEIB, she leads all related work at Textio, provides critical expertise to customers, and serves as a leading voice in the products Textio creates for the broader ecosystem. Jackye has been named one of the 9 Powerful Women in Business You Should Know by SDHR Consulting, one of the 15 Women in HR Tech to Follow by VidCruiter, and is on the Top 100 list of Human Resources Influencers by Human Resource Executive Magazine.
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