There is a moment in every startup's life where it's ready to grow the team. New funding closes or a new market opportunity becomes clear, and it’s time to hire in a hurry. Often times ambitious hiring goals are set. I’ve participated in “90 people in 90 days” and the doubling of both large and small companies myself.
Whether the company is a dozen people or 150, there is a misconception that recruiting is in charge of hiring.
Recruiters play a vital and irreplaceable role in the hiring process. They find and screen candidates, and create circumstances for an exceptional candidate experience by guiding candidates through the interview process.
However, they're not magicians. They can’t materialize great candidates out of nothing and they can’t ensure a great candidate experience alone. Too often, leaders hire recruiters thinking “Phew, I’m so glad hiring is taken care of!”
Wrong. Recruiters can only be successful if they have available and engaged partners to work with. Their work is only as good as the input they get from hiring leaders.
What do recruiters need to do their best work?
A thoughtful job description and a list of list of ideal companies to recruit from.
Timely review of resumes and clear feedback on why a candidate is or is not someone to move forward with.
A leader who creates a strong interviewing team with clear roles and areas to explore with candidates.
A partner who is available and responsive to move candidates through process quickly.
Leadership is a key factor in a recruiting team’s success. Are your recruiters and leaders well positioned to crush your aggressive hiring goal? What are your expectations for your leaders when it comes to hiring? Are team members’ clear on their responsibilities in the hiring process?
Getting ahead of this can make all the difference between your hiring process working for you and you working for your hiring process.