As an HR professional or a recruiter, you are likely to come across hiring managers in your recruitment processes. It’s a common question that is asked about how much responsibility the hiring manager bears vs the responsibility of HR. Put quite simply, the role of the hiring manager is to fill vacant roles in the organization. They are usually the person the new recruit will report to. They aren’t usually part of the HR team.

Hiring Manager Vs Recruiter – What’s the Difference?

Many people get confused between a hiring manager and a recruiter, but there are some big differences between these roles. One of the main differences is that the recruiter is responsible for the process of hiring. On the other hand, the hiring manager is responsible for the outcomes. Let’s take a look at these 2 roles more in-depth.

Hiring Manager

The hiring manager is the one to evaluate the candidates and dig deeper into their skills. It is up to them to see whether they have the on the job skills to succeed in the role and reject those who only have a great CV.

The manager is the one who decides whether a suitable candidate has been found yet. If not, they will instruct the recruiter to keep looking.

At the end of the process, they should persuade the successful candidate to accept the job offer.

RecruiterThe recruiter is responsible for finding a fantastic pool of candidates for the hiring manager to evaluate.

They might train the manager in interviewing techniques. It also helps if they can keep the manager on the recruitment timeline by prompting them at certain stages. The recruiter might suggest and implement evaluation methods. These could include cognitive assessments for candidates.

The Job Description for A Hiring Manager

• Identify the need for a new position or employee

• Get approval to open a position for recruitment

• Create a fantastic job description to attract candidates

• Set interview expectations and make the hiring team aware of their responsibilities

• Post the job and screen resumes

• Take responsibility for the final decision on who to hire

• Make the offer and define the position details

The Hiring Manager’s Role

Let’s dig deeper into what the hiring manager’s role is and the different stages they will be part of during recruitment.

Starting A Hiring ProcessFirst of all, the hiring manager may call a recruitment planning meeting. They will look at all of the CVs and resumes that are coming in from candidates.

They may decide to use phone interviews as an initial way of weeding out unsuitable applicants. From there, they can decide if it is worth the time taken to interview them.

Usually, the hiring manager will be part of both rounds of interviews. They are likely to be the one to greet the candidate at these times and if they are onsite any other time, such as for evaluative assessments.

The reason for the hiring manager’s great deal of involvement is so that they can make the best decision possible. It is also the beginning of them building a relationship with the potential new employee.

Before an Offer Is MadeThe hiring manager is usually the one to make the job offer, but there are details which must be confirmed first. They may consult with the HR team to define an appropriate salary and compensation for the role.

The manager must now also maintain a relationship with the candidate as all of that is going on in the background. They are also the one to negotiate these details about compensation with the employee.

The hiring manager has the most at stake in terms of the success of the new hire. They are ultimately responsible for the outcome of the hiring process and therefore the viability of the new employee.

Final Decision

The hiring manager is a crucial part of the hiring decision. Depending on the organization, others may have a say as well. However, the hiring manager usually retains veto power as the new recruit will likely report into them.

Many organizations prefer to use a team approach for hiring. In this case, other employees may interview the applicant and the hiring manager hears their feedback. This is a recommended strategy because you are involving your team in the process. They can feel like they got to have a say in the matter.

The final stage is that the hiring manager is responsible for the onboarding and orientation of the new staff member. They will need to set this up so that the new employee is properly welcomed into the company.

That is a lot of responsibility for one person, however, hiring managers will have the help of HR and recruiters along the way. This makes the process much easier as they can be guided by HR if they are unsure of processes.