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One of the most important jobs within a company falls on the shoulders of hiring managers. Hiring the wrong person can be disastrous and expensive, but with the help of a dedicated hiring team and some strategic planning, your chances of getting the right person through the door are much better.

The Game Plan – Choose Your Team

First things first, start planning. In your plan you will want to include people who will be involved in the recruiting process, interviewing process and who will make the hiring decisions. Typically if your team has also added an outside recruiter, they will be the original point of contact for each candidate. When it comes to working with a recruiter, its best to have the hiring manager as the contact person. While HR or inside recruiters are certainly helpful, the hiring manager will actually have more detailed information that the recruiter will need to know.

Your Recruiter is Part of the Team

Recruiters are there to help find the best people to fill the position. They don’t only search for what looks good on paper but also to ensure that the person would be a good company fit. The recruiter needs a lot of information, solid information. The hiring manager and their team will need to first prepare the job specs and make decisions on exactly what the company needs. Once the internal plan is developed it’s time to include the recruiter. It’s always best for the recruiter to have a phone conversation with the hiring manager and if needed, others who will be involved.

Prepare those who will Conduct Interviews

As the recruiter is scouting a few good candidates, it’s important to get leaders ready and involved for the hiring process to offer perspective, and to support these incoming new hires. It’s always good to share applicant information; from resumes to assessment scores, to past interview answers, so that interviewers have the full picture before they speak with a candidate. Communication with the entire team is key.

Keep the Team Updated

Whether you move forward or not with any candidate, keep everyone in the loop. This is especially important when you are working with a recruiter. Sometimes internal teams easily keep each other informed but unintentionally forget to let the recruiter know their next steps. A good idea is to recap the information to the entire team via email after each interview and make sure you include your recruiter as well. This way everyone is in the loop.