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Who’s more responsible during the hiring process: the hiring manager or the recruiter?

Before we point fingers, let’s just agree that the talent landscape is changing… which means the role of a recruiter is changing, too. A communication upgrade is long overdue.

Now more than ever, quality candidates have a voice. They’re in high demand right now, and they know it. Open positions have many details attached to them—important ones, at that. If recruiters want to see a successful placement in their futures, they have to stay on top of what matters.

20 Questions to Ask Hiring Managers & Clients

Back to basics

If you started recruiting before these next steps, stop. You’re not prepared yet.

Research the company

Look for things like locations of corporate offices, financials, recent company-wide news, and the number of employees. If you were already given background research, conduct your own to cross-check.

Review the job description/position profile
The job description should include:

  • Company background
  • Position summary
  • Reporting relationships
  • Major responsibilities
  • Ideal experience
  • Critical competencies for success
  • Short-term objectives

Don’t see some of those? Not good. Get in touch with the hiring manager or client ASAP to ask for the missing details. If they’re all there, awesome. Keep reading.

…We’re still doing the basics

Next up is a clarification call. Even if you already have some of this info, accuracy is never a bad thing. Ask the client or hiring manager these overview questions:

Basic Overview Q’s
  • What’s the job title?
  • How many positions are we recruiting for?
  • What’s the location of the role(s)?
  • Who will the candidates report to?
  • Will the candidate be an individual contributor or have a direct report?
  • What’s the team structure? How many peers will the candidate have?
  • Why is the position open (e.g. acquisition, company growth, termination of employee, etc.)? If it’s a replacement, find out why the employee was terminated.
  • How long has the position been open?
  • Is the team dealing with any major or unique difficulties (e.g., high turnover or lack of experience within the team)?
  • Will they have budget or P/L responsibilities?
  • Are there advancement opportunities?

Don’t see some of those? Not good. Get in touch with the hiring manager or client ASAP to ask for the missing details. If they’re all there, awesome. Keep reading.

Level up

After those simple follow-up questions, it’s time to move on up and chat with the client or hiring manager to assess their wants vs. their needs.