Mindsets and Motivations Series: Habits of Successful Hiring Managers

By demonstrating key habits – such as the ability to meet deadlines and keep clients informed – hiring managers can position themselves to attract, assess and secure the best candidates while maintaining cost efficiency.

Join us as we explore good habits and interview best practices for hiring managers, uncovering the essential traits that separate the best from the rest. In this blog, we’ll show you how to implement the best hiring practices. Follow these suggestions for great hiring results! 

Finding the Ideal Role and Fit – Right Seats, Right People 

Many executives fail to deeply analyze the roles they are hiring for, the essential skills required, and the ideal personality fit. Investing time exploring these aspects will undoubtedly pay off in the long run. As a hiring manager, it is important that you engage in meaningful conversations with authorities who understand the positions requirements.  

Efficiently Tracking the Hiring Process

When looking to fill an open position, it is important to outline a step-by-step process of careful planning and preparation. Many hiring managers often make the mistake of drowning in a sea of resumes and applications, neglecting the critical initial steps. However, by following a structured timeline, you can stay focused and efficient, ensuring a smooth recruitment process from start to finish.  

Listening and Asking the Right Questions 

When you ask a candidate to talk about themselves or why they want to work at your company, you’re asking a generic question that can often be practiced or rehearsed. Instead, prepare an array of unique or targeted questions that relate to your applicants unique backgrounds. By embracing the Predictive Index, you can utilize candidate-specific questions that will get right to the root. Don’t forget to embrace some dead air and allow candidates enough time to provide thorough answers. This will also help you get honest answers from applicants. Use your active listening skills and rephrase or ask follow-up questions to dig deeper into your candidate’s initial response and discover more helpful insights about them.

Flexibility 

When evaluating candidates, it’s important to maintain a certain amount of open-mindedness, recognize which criteria should be priority and which can be compromised. By striking a good balance between what is essential and what can be compromised, you can optimize your ability to recognize opportunities and exceptional candidates in the evaluation process. 

Bringing the Process to a Satisfactory Conclusion 

Even if a candidate did not perform as well in the interview as you would like, make an effort to be friendly and positive. Think of yourself as an ambassador for your company and conclude the meeting accordingly. Try to resist the urge to comment on the candidate’s performance or extend a job offer right away. It is more prudent to give yourself time to analyze all the applicants before making a final decision.

As a hiring manager, it is important to recognize that, even if a candidate is not the right fit for the current role, they can still be a good fit for the organization or another role within the company. Being mindful of this during the hiring process can help you maintain a positive attitude throughout the interviewing process and ultimately help you build stronger relationships and hire more effectively in the future. Be sure to thank the candidate for their time and outline instructions for the next step in the hiring process before they leave. 

Why These Essential Habits Are Vital in the Hiring Process 

The five essential habits of highly successful hiring managers prove instrumental in achieving favorable hiring outcomes, optimizing the recruitment process, and attracting, selecting, and securing the best-fit candidates for their organizations. By prioritizing clarity in their hiring goals, adhering to a well-defined timeline, demonstrating flexibility in candidate evaluation, and maintaining full engagement with candidates during the selection process, these managers establish a strong foundation for attracting and selecting job candidates. 

By integrating these best practices for hiring managers, you can make more informed hiring decisions, enhance the candidate experience and contribute to the organization’s long-term success. By embracing these practices, hiring managers are empowered to navigate the ever-evolving hiring landscape with confidence.