By Tara Cassady
Senior Vice President
The definition and measurement of Quality of Hire may vary from organization to organization, but what remains consistent is that everyone involved in the recruitment process has a role to play. Recruiters and Hiring Managers must do their part to ensure the best talent is coming into the organization – and staying.
For Hiring Managers, planning and execution – before, during and after the hire has been made – is required for success. Hiring Managers would never perform their daily tasks and projects without a well-developed plan, yet recruiting and hiring often do not get the same kind of detailed approach.
Before the hire
Hiring Managers must understand their role in the recruiting process, because they are the ones who ultimately own the success or failure of the new hire. This means discussions need to be open and honest, setting the tone for a transparent relationship. A troubling statistic says that 57% of recruiters feel hiring managers do not understand recruiting, while 63% of hiring managers feel recruiters do not understand the jobs they are trying to fill. Both sides must be confident in the other’s knowledge and competencies in order to establish and maintain communication that is paramount to finding strong candidates.
One way to get everyone on the same page is to schedule a job scope call. This is the time when Hiring Managers and recruiters share what their needs and expectations are of each other and what everyone’s picture of success looks like. Everyone should come away knowing timelines, responsibilities, the planned communication cadence, what the ideal candidate would be, and must-haves in a candidate vs. nice-to-haves.
During the hire
The recruiter will select a short list of candidates based on the Hiring Manager’s criteria, but if the Hiring Manager is continually not satisfied with the candidates being recommended, then it is time to regroup and see where the disconnect lies. This will hopefully fix the process and prevent further delays in time-to-fill.
Hiring Managers also must keep in mind that top talent will have options as to where they want to work and will not wait around for missed interview appointments, constant rescheduling or sustained silence.
At the outset of the interview process, recruiters should provide guidance and training for Hiring Managers to uncover any unconscious biases they might have that could affect decision making. For instance, strong candidates should not be passed over simply because they did not attend a college the Hiring Manager favors. Recruiters are able to share behavioral interview techniques to gain a thorough understanding of the candidate’s background, skills and interests – information that is relevant to how well they would perform the job.
After the hire
Once the candidate becomes an employee, the focus turns from time-to-fill to time-to-productivity. Close attention must now be paid to the orientation/onboarding and training processes. Research has found that 69% more employees remained at a company after three years if they completed orientation compared to those who did not. It makes sense that an employee who is set up for success will feel more engaged, be more productive and be likely to stay in the position long-term.
Hiring Managers should know what their responsibilities are during onboarding and how others in the organization are able to contribute. That means making sure the employee has everything they need – technology, training, support, job shadowing, etc. – to begin contributing on their first day. It is then essential for the Hiring Manager to clearly lay out what is expected and how performance will be measured.
What is at stake?
Missing the mark on a hire has negative effects that go beyond increased frustration and lower morale. The financial bottom line and productivity also take a hit. PwC puts it most succinctly: “The average cost of turnover for new hires is equivalent of one and a half times the annual pay of the departing employee.”
Conversely, McKinsey & Company states that high performers annually generate 40% more productivity in operations roles, and see 49% increased profit in general management roles and 67% increased revenue in sales roles.
Simply put, successful Quality of Hire does not happen without strong contributions from Hiring Managers. From the start of the recruiting process to performance evaluations years down the road, the steps Hiring Managers take will provide stability and top-notch Quality of Hire that will prove a strategic differentiator for the organization.
Connect with Tara Cassady on LinkedIn.