Effective Questions for Recruiters to Ask Hiring Managers

Recruiters play a vital role in bridging the gap between job seekers and hiring managers. When collaborating with hiring managers to understand and fill a new vacancy, effective communication is key. Whether you’re a seasoned recruiter or just starting out, here are essential questions to ask your hiring manager to ensure a successful recruitment process.

1. Understanding the Need.

Inquiring about the need for the vacancy is a valuable step. Seasoned hiring managers appreciate this question, as it showcases your critical thinking and refusal to accept inputs passively. Vacancies can arise for various reasons, such as:

• Team members departing (resignation, promotions, extended leaves, assignments)
• Increased business demands.

If a predecessor occupied the role, understanding their contributions provides insights. This information makes it easier to comprehend the role’s significance. While it’s possible the previous employee might conduct a handover to the new hire, it’s also likely that team members will compare the new hire’s work with their predecessor’s. When it’s a new role, experienced managers can anticipate the newcomer’s value to the team and describe the ideal candidate. Since the demands and mentorship opportunities vary between newly opened positions due to increased business demands and positions that previously existed within the company, candidates often ask about this topic, so don’t hesitate to discuss it with your hiring manager.

2. Clarify the Selection Steps.

Gain clarity on the selection process. What steps await candidates after the initial recruiter interview? Are there one or more interviews, technical assessments, or tests planned? It is crucial to optimize the steps of the selection process according to the market and to communicate them clearly to the candidates. A fully optimized and transparent process will ensure the best candidate experience and enhance their motivation. Occasionally, hiring managers don’t fully grasp the scarcity of certain profiles in the market, assuming they have a pool of a hundred motivated candidates. It is on you to remind them of the scarcity of high-quality candidates and of the benefits of a clearly defined selection process.

3. Preferred Personality Type.

Building a rapport with your hiring manager is essential. Knowing their preferences can simplify the selection process. Ask about the personality traits they prefer in their team members. Do they seek extroverted individuals who openly discuss issues, or is it a role where such traits are less critical? Do they seek a candidate with great attention to detail or someone who looks at the big picture?  Keep in mind that certain hiring managers may hold prejudices based on race, gender, age or some other demographic characteristic that doesn’t have anything to do with how good someone is at what they do. Stay attentive and carefully assess these prejudices, so you can react to discrimination in a timely manner, according to the law and your company’s procedures.

4. Past Successes.

Ask if there have been successful candidates from similar industries or backgrounds in the past. This insight can help fine-tune your candidate search criteria, making your recruitment process more efficient. Understanding the qualities of previously successful candidates is like finding pieces of a puzzle that fit seamlessly and will help you narrow your LinkedIn search and Boolean search.

In addition to these questions, ensure you have a good grasp of fundamental details about the vacancy, such as salary levels, opportunities for growth, and how the role contributes to the team or company’s overall success. Familiarize yourself with the company’s core values, as this knowledge will help you explain the role to candidates and address their inquiries effectively.

In conclusion, don’t hesitate to challenge hiring managers and seek answers to these important questions. Your role as a recruiter is not just to follow instructions blindly but to be informed and provide valuable insights to ensure the perfect match between candidate and company. Effective communication with your hiring manager is the cornerstone of a successful recruitment process.