Learning The Difference Between a Hiring Manager And Recruiter

For any company or business to thrive, you require the best minds and talent out there. And to scout for the best of the best, you need to have a super-efficient hiring process. For this process to be successful and effective, you will need two essential entities: hiring manager and the recruiter. While the designations sound like they might be the same thing, they are pretty different.

The role of a hiring manager

A hiring manager of any company is required to perform the critical task of hiring new employees for an open position in their team or department. There are hiring managers in different departments that select employees based on their value to the specific department the hiring managers belong to. They define the role and the scope it has for every employee hired. This would range from daily tasks to bigger-picture goals and milestones. They decide the qualifications required for an employee to be an ideal fit for the organization. At the start of a hiring process, the hiring manager lists all the requirements of the department and then hands it over to the recruiter, who will then proceed to find a suitable candidate. Hiring new employees is only a part of the hiring manager’s job profile at a company. Their job profiles could include being part of any department, be it human resources, accounting, marketing or sales. While other department members may be consulted or witness to the hiring process, it is ultimately the hiring manager’s decision that will determine who gets hired.

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The role of a recruiter

While the hiring manager works as an executive in different departments and their hiring role, a recruiter’s sole purpose is to scout for new and fresh talent that meets the hiring manager’s requirements. Recruiters spend the day working on ways to source, invite and hire new employees that could be an excellent fit for the company on the whole as well as the department that requires another team member. Recruiters make calls, read through resumes, narrow down skill sets and expertise to what is relevant to their requirements, schedule interviews and video conference calls, and arrange physical meetings with potential recruits. While hiring managers do the actual hiring, facilitating the process is the recruiter’s responsibility.

How they work together

Both these roles complement one another, and both the hiring manager and recruiter are equally essential to the hiring process in any company.

  • Setting expectations: The first meeting between the hiring manager and recruiter will discuss and set expectations for the process. This will involve what the hiring manager is looking for and what qualifications and experience will meet those requirements. The recruiter takes note of all that the hiring manager shares and uses this information to search for applicants.
  • Sell the company: While you may be hiring someone to help sell your products and services, you first need to sell the company to them to want to be a part of it. Every interview with candidates is an opportunity to promote the company, sell their products and services and engage with consumers (whether or not they are being hired for the job). This makes working at the company enticing and exciting, and even if the candidate may not be ideal, they can refer the recruiter to someone who might be. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool.
  • Culture of communication: For the hiring process to be flawless and time-efficient, the hiring manager and recruiter regularly update each other during the hiring process. They are always on the same page. This ensures that the hiring process runs smoothly and isn’t hampered by interview cancellations, delays, market challenges, or unforeseen applicant expectations. Teamwork is paramount in making the hiring process a success. And the communication channel between the hiring manager and the recruiter ensures this.

For any company to be a success, it is the people who provide the ideas, skills, and effort. The hiring process can make or break a company, so it is even more important to give the hiring manager and recruiter their due importance and all the resources they require to attract the best candidates in the industry. 

Reference: From” Hiring Managers Vs Recruits: What’s the Difference?” | Glassdoor Team, Glassdoor | 19 July, 2021

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