What do you do if your recruiting process lacks a feedback loop between recruiters and hiring managers?

"As a Senior Recruiter, I prioritize three key strategies when addressing a lack of feedback loop between recruiters and hiring managers. Firstly, I emphasize the importance of open communication channels to ensure both parties are aligned on job requirements and candidate evaluations. Secondly, I facilitate regular meetings or check-ins between recruiters and hiring managers to discuss progress, challenges, and feedback on candidates. Lastly, I implement feedback mechanisms such as post-interview debriefs or surveys to gather insights and continuously improve the recruitment process. These strategies have proven effective in fostering collaboration and streamlining decision-making between recruiters and hiring managers."

If there's a lack of a feedback loop between recruiters and hiring managers in the recruiting process, I'd address it by initiating open communication channels. I'd schedule regular check-ins or debrief meetings to discuss candidate feedback, interview outcomes, and any adjustments needed in the recruiting strategy. Encouraging transparency and collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers fosters alignment on expectations and ensures that both parties are on the same page throughout the hiring process. By actively seeking and incorporating feedback, we can continuously improve our recruiting efforts and enhance the overall candidate experience.

Start by identifying where the breakdown in communication is occurring. Are recruiters not receiving enough feedback from hiring managers? Are hiring managers dissatisfied with the quality of candidates being presented? Understanding the root cause of the problem is the first step towards implementing a solution. Schedule a meeting with both recruiters and hiring managers to discuss their concerns and gather feedback on the current process.

If your recruiting process lacks a feedback loop between recruiters and hiring managers, you risk inefficiencies and misaligned priorities. To address this: -> Set up regular meetings between recruiters and hiring managers to discuss candidate progress and to review candidate profiles and adjust criteria based on feedback in order to maintain a continuous calibration process; -> Centralize information and use it to facilitate a better understanding of the process and improve collaboration; -> Encourage Two-Way Feedback, open communication for both recruiters and hiring managers to share insights and concerns; -> Keep records of processes, decisions, and feedback to maintain consistency and transparency.

Start by identifying the specific issues or gaps in communication that have led to the lack of a feedback loop between recruiters and hiring managers. Assess whether there are any breakdowns in communication channels, unclear expectations, or differences in priorities between the two parties. Conduct surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gather insights from recruiters and hiring managers about their experiences and challenges in the recruitment process.

Here are two things that you can do to get your communication embedded into your process 1. Develop communication touchpoints throughout the process and indicate where you want your hiring managers and recruiters talking whether it’s once a week, twice a week, or every other week. 2. Building SLA or service agreements so the expectations are set on when hiring managers are expected to provide feedback. I think 48 hours is plenty, but it depends on the industry and knowing your business and you’re hiring manager’s schedule. Make sure that the service level agreements are also held on communication touch points on the recruiting side and hold both recruiter and hiring manager accountable for following the SLAs set for in your process.

Establish clear expectations for communication and feedback between recruiters and hiring managers. Outline the roles and responsibilities of each party in the recruitment process, including the frequency and format of feedback. Ensure that both recruiters and hiring managers understand the importance of timely and constructive feedback in driving successful hiring outcomes.

Establishing SLA's upfront at the intake meeting is vitally important. Ensure the hiring managers understand the "why" behind them and get their buy-in. In the event they're not upholding them, the recruiter or TA leader can address it. I subscribe to the mantra that over communication is better than some or inconsistent. Recruiters should schedule regular touch points with their hiring managers to ensure open lines of communication and as a fallback to adhoc communication in between meetings. There is a lot of work that recruiters do, especially at the front end of the hiring process that is "behind the scenes," and weekly email recruiting activity recaps bring awareness to the work that is being done.

Establish clear expectations and guidelines for communication and collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers. Define roles and responsibilities for each party, outlining who is responsible for what tasks and when feedback should be provided. Clarify the importance of timely and constructive feedback in driving recruitment success and achieving hiring goals. Ensure that both recruiters and hiring managers understand their roles in the feedback loop and are committed to fulfilling them.

Encourage collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers throughout the recruitment process. Create opportunities for open dialogue and information sharing, such as regular check-in meetings or collaborative candidate review sessions. By fostering a culture of collaboration, you can ensure that recruiters and hiring managers are aligned in their expectations and working together towards common hiring goals.

Recruiting by nature is a collaborative process. I create recruiting cultures, where recruiters are SME's and consultants, not order takers. It's important recruiters help hiring managers understand the market and the realistic nature of their talent request. Through a collaborative process it's important to agree upon what are the absolute "must-haves" in a candidate and what are the "nice-to-haves" or preferences. I also encourage my recruiters to calibrate with their hiring managers, by bringing some potential candidate profiles to the intake meeting, which helps to facilitate the process faster and easier. Then continuously calibrate through feedback loops until an offer is accepted.

Create a collaborative environment where recruiters and hiring managers can openly communicate and exchange feedback throughout the recruitment process. Encourage regular meetings, check-ins, or brainstorming sessions to discuss candidate profiles, interview feedback, and recruitment strategies. Foster a culture of mutual respect, trust, and transparency, where both parties feel comfortable sharing their perspectives and insights. Collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers is essential for aligning recruitment efforts with organizational goals and achieving hiring success.

Collaboration leads to calibration when hiring managers and recruiters meet. The goal for everyone should be the same and when that common ground is present everyone has a stake in making sure they find the best fit for the organization.

Utilize technology to facilitate communication and feedback between recruiters and hiring managers. Implementing a centralized applicant tracking system (ATS) can streamline the recruitment process and provide a platform for tracking candidate feedback and status updates. Additionally, consider implementing tools such as feedback forms or surveys to gather structured feedback from hiring managers on candidates presented by recruiters.

Implement tools and technologies to facilitate communication and collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers. Utilize applicant tracking systems (ATS), recruitment management platforms, or collaboration tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams to centralize candidate information, track recruitment progress, and streamline communication. Leverage shared calendars, document repositories, and task management tools to coordinate recruitment activities and ensure accountability among team members.

Feedback should be real-time and constructive. User- friendly tools can include an ATS that allows for input of feedback, group chat, email groups, etc.. Whatever technology is utilized, it should not replace regular face-to-face meetings of the stakeholders.

Provide training and support to recruiters and hiring managers to enhance their communication and collaboration skills. Offer workshops, seminars, or online courses focused on effective communication, active listening, and giving and receiving feedback. Educate staff on the importance of collaboration in the recruitment process and provide best practices for engaging with each other to drive positive outcomes. Invest in ongoing professional development to empower staff to excel in their roles and contribute to recruitment success.

Regularly monitor and evaluate the progress of the feedback loop between recruiters and hiring managers. Track key metrics such as response times, completion rates for feedback requests, and candidate satisfaction scores to assess the effectiveness of communication and collaboration efforts. Solicit feedback from both parties through surveys, interviews, or performance reviews to identify areas for improvement and address any challenges or barriers hindering the feedback loop.

In addition to the main steps, consider the role of leadership support and organizational culture in fostering a feedback-rich environment. Encourage senior leaders to champion the importance of feedback and collaboration in recruitment and lead by example in providing and receiving feedback. Cultivate a culture of continuous improvement, where feedback is valued, and learning from mistakes is encouraged. By considering these additional factors, you can strengthen the feedback loop between recruiters and hiring managers and drive recruitment success for your organization.