Having a healthy relationship with the hiring maker is very important to your success. Building the trust is very important to start the connection on the best note. When you master the intake meeting and show the manager you’re all in on finding the best candidate for their role, you help earn their trust. This relationship isn’t built overnight. It takes time and dedication to develop confidence and communication.
Having a great sense of time management and being organized are great ways to start off the relationship. When you talk with a manager, be sure to set a timeline of expectations. This will allow you to manage your time going forward correctly. This helps set realistic sourcing expectations, and it will reflect you’re capability to be organized. Being organized allows you to set your sourcing attack in motion, which will lead directly to you finding that “perfect” candidate.
Once you have the candidate, the way you present the information is essential. Some people I have talked to in our industry will submit candidates directly through the system the company uses, and that’s it. How this is presented to the manager depends on the product. However, I recommend no matter what to follow up and submit the candidate formally through an email. This way you can present the resume, insert some bullets of pertinent information, as well as give a good summary of this candidate. The abstract should follow a fact statement – (This candidate has blank years of experience) -> Fit Statement (This candidate fits your requirements because of this) -> fluff statement (This is where you can add a few extra details and why the manager should talk to the candidate). This good practice to write up a summary of the candidate.
When you present this information, you can choose how it is displayed rather than through a system or product that may be automated. Giving the manager information they need quickly will help build that relationship and impress the manager. You will soon become the go to resource for them, because they know they will always get vital information from you and count on clear communication.
Some other ways to impress the manager is with knowledge of the workforce. You’re on the front lines and in the trenches. You’re more informed than you think. The manager may not have the ability to do the research as much as they need and this is where you can share some insight. Whether it is forecasting talent in your industry, what a competitor is up to in the marketplace, or maybe a local networking event you feel the manager should attend. Building this type of relationship helps because you will get a better understand of the manager’s preferences and they will realize they can count on you.
In a corporate environment interacting with the managers is a bit easier as you have direct communication with them. In an agency it is a bit challenging however the same rules apply. This allows you to separate yourself from the competition and become a trusted resource. Hiring managers have horror stories regarding sourcers/recruiters just as candidates do to. We have all heard them and try to change the course. Managers will let it be known when they enjoy working with someone and clearly state the reasons why. This is always welcoming when new opportunities arise and they need a sourcer/recruiter to stir up some talent.
Some other approaches to impress are with simple gestures. When you find out personal information such as a birthday, anniversary, or personal achievement, be sure to bring that to their attention that you remembered. A simple card or email would do just fine. This is a simple yet powerful gesture. If the manager is honored across the company, be sure to personally acknowledge the achievement. There is a line between business and pleasure, but when you’re able to mix the two, but keep it professional it builds a lasting workable relationship that will surely impress both parties.
By knowing the manager, having readily available research, forecasting hiring trends and having a proactive pipeline of candidates, ready for the manager to review is always recommend before meeting with the hiring manager. When you’re meeting with the manager, you can let them know you just sent over some files for them to review to see if they would like to start a conversation with the candidates. Being in an agency I have had the ability to partner with a few managers at this level and have done just this. The managers rave about it and will either get back to you right after the call or would discuss the profiles with you directly over the phone at that time. This leaves a lasting impression for sure.
What are some things you do to impress your managers? I would love to hear other ideas on how to impress the manager from the corporate vs agency perspective.