Recruiter’s Tips WHEN Blocked by Hiring Manager's Biases

Christine has been working as a recruiter for a year and a half now. She is a talented recruiter who always tries her best to meet clients’ demands. But this time is different. When dealing with her new client today, Christine feels sudden indecision. Her new client is a well-respected senior hiring manager but his approach to hiring is obsolete. He demands candidates with very specific requirements that make Christine find it hard to move and feel blocked by his hiring biases.

See also: Inboarding vs. Onboarding: A Guide for Employers

Recruiters are responsible to bring the exact type of candidates that clients are looking for. On the other hand, recruiters must also put on their thinking cap on in order to find the best talents suitable for the roles. And yet, there are times a hiring manager requires candidates with unbelievable requirements that make recruiters unable to source one. When that happens, here’s what you need to do.

Have patience

This might sound unhelpful but you need to keep in mind that working as a recruiter does require a lot of patience. Having this virtue will help you go through a hard day when dealing with challenging hiring managers. You should also develop your own perspective and use the right tools to work effectively towards the goals.

Go on the hunting

Try and try again. It is better to fail multiple times than losing talent without even trying.

You need to source or locate candidates by putting yourself in their shoes. If the hiring manager wants someone with specific requirements, find and go to a community where you can cultivate such candidates. LinkedIn job seekers, for example, can be your best source as you can find professionals and their detailed job experience/education.  

Talk it out

Your client might be strict to some rules but not all of them stay that way. With structured conversations and patience, you will be able to learn from each other and over time, it builds trust. When you have developed trust during a one-on-one approach, you might have a chance to provide an understanding that “manager’s mindset” about hiring is outdated which needs to be renewed. 

When everything is down and out

Not every conversation will work out as we expected and that is okay. You cannot change someone’s mind in a short time and it is not your job to fix anyone. Therefore, when everything does not go well, make sure to keep your manager updated on your progress. This will let them know that you have tried your best. You can as well ask your manager for his help and make sure that you don’t lose your credibility in front of him. That means taking on feedback and advice from the hiring manager is recommended. 

Next read: Three Secret Ingredients to Successful Talent Sourcing