A decade ago, Eremedia.com reported that the two biggest factors in attracting and retaining top talent were the base pay of the position offered and the quality of the hiring manager.

The article notes: “Without question, hiring managers are the key to hiring success; yet, ironically, one of the biggest challenges recruiters face is the hiring manager. This can take the form of lack of clarity on the position, lack of time from the hiring manager, unrealistic expectations, or simply disconnects on procedures, roles, and responsibilities.”

While much has changed in talent management in the interim, the importance of the role of the hiring manager remains constant. Organizations with effective hiring managers are able to attract and retain talent much more efficiently than are those with poor hiring managers.

That begs the question, what can be done to support hiring managers? What steps can recruiters take to ensure that the candidate recruitment process moves smoothly from recruiter to hiring manager?

Educate and Collaborate

As organizations grow and hiring needs increase in volume, there is often a disconnect between recruiters and hiring managers regarding their overlapping roles. Both parties tend to think of their roles as a relay team, with recruiters handing off the baton to hiring managers at a certain pre-determined point in the hiring process.

However, the reality is that in the most effective organizations, the recruiting process is highly collaborative from sourcing through onboarding and beyond. This means that recruiters and hiring managers must take the time to coordinate their efforts to best effect.

Clearly defining the role of each participant in the hiring process can help bridge any gaps that may be causing longer time-to-hire instances. A meeting of the minds regarding the position for which candidates are applying will bring clarity to both the recruiter and hiring manager. The result? Recruiters will be able to efficiently weed out unsuitable candidates and identify those candidates who deserve the hiring manager’s attention.

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Give and Take Constructive Feedback

Because recruiters are in the trenches, so to speak, with candidates every day, they are in a unique position to hear what candidates have to say regarding their impressions of a hiring manager. Recruiters can use this information to provide insights for the hiring manager regarding what is working well and what is leading to dissonance in the candidate experience.

In addition to offering feedback, recruiters also do well to ask for feedback from hiring managers about candidates who have met with the hiring manager. Showing genuine interest in the feedback of a hiring manager will facilitate a more cooperative, collaborative environment in which candidates will thrive.

Use the Right Talent Management Tools

Ideally, a talent management solution will close the loop between recruiters and hiring managers by enabling real-time collaboration. Additionally, such a tool should be accessible to each member of the hiring team and should provide a global view of your talent pipeline at any given moment, all without interrupting the hiring manager’s workflows.

Thrive TRM offers this capability, facilitating a better candidate experience and a more collaborative environment for recruiters and hiring managers. When the entire hiring team is on one page, the result is a streamlined process that invigorates all team members and enables a more agile hiring approach. This, in turn, ultimately results in a strong talent pipeline for your organization. Request a demo to see Thrive TRM at work today.