My Open Letter to Hiring Managers

Frustrated Recruiter Dear Hiring Manager-

I’m sure you’re aware that many large and mid-sized companies are growing rapidly,resulting in new positions being created in many departments, including HR/talent acquisition. As a result, some organizations are streamlining their processes by filtering everything through HR, making it much more challenging for me (the recruiter) to get you on the phone.

Not an ideal situation, but one that I can live with as long as HR knows the answers to the questions that are imperative to me being able to deliver top talent to you… But therein lies the problem – they don’t have the answers! Is it their fault? Not exactly.They can’t get you on the phone either!

Here are my suggestions on how to get everyone- you, HR, recruiter, and candidate to work together:

Step #1 – Schedule a 45 minute intro conference call with both me and your internal recruiter. We’ll discuss the position: Why it’s open, how we can get candidates interested in your organization, the ideal candidate’s background, and even your background and management style. If you don’t agree to this step because you are “too busy” it makes me and the candidate think that you are not that serious. It would probably behoove you to ask a question or two about my background too! I can assure you that this will be time worth spent.

Step #2 –Provide me with detailed feedback on why a candidate I’ve sent you is not worth a phone interview. If I’m required to send candidates straight to HR, who then forwards them to you, please give them a detailed response. If this doesn’t happen, I will keep sending you the same types of candidates… Not a good use of my time nor yours.

Step #3 – Schedule interviews right away. Even if you’re too busy this week, let’s get the candidate on your calendar for next week. My candidates know exactly when their resume was sent to a hiring manager, because I tell them- and it’s always the same day I’ve spoken to them about the opportunity. If it takes 2+ weeks to hear back, the candidates may lose interest and begin to wonder if this is what it would be like when they’re working for you.

Step #4 – If we are at the offer stage of the hiring process and I call you, please call me back. Some of the internal recruiters I’m collaborating with may not have been at your company for long, and may not have all the details I need. It’s best to avoid any “middlemen” at this point.

So here you go…I’ve written this with the intention of improving the hiring process for all, and continuing to bring the best talent to your growing company!

Sincerely,

-Meghann