As a hiring manager, you’re focused on building a good rapport with the candidates for a job you’ve posted in hopes of selecting the right one for your company. But there’s another relationship you should nurture to make a truly successful hire happen: your recruiter. Here are some tips for cultivating that connection.

Start on the Same Page

Go into your first meeting with your recruiter prepared to explain the job and what you’re looking for in a candidate. The more detail you put into your qualifications and desired traits, the more likely – and quickly – you’ll be able to fill the vacancy with a solid hire.

Also, set parameters for the sourcing, interviewing and hiring of talent. And finally, construct a mutually agreeable timeline for getting the position filled.

Manage Your Expectations

It’s very much a jobseekers’ market right now. You may have an image of the perfect candidate in your mind’s eye, but that candidate may just not be out there. Have the flexibility to accept the best candidate, and don’t consider it “settling.”

Keep the Communication Lines Open

It’s crucial to keep the lines of communication with your recruiter open during the talent search. It’s courteous, it’s professional, and it’s efficient. Don’t be afraid of overcommunicating, and when your recruiter reaches out to you, respond in a timely manner.

Be Honest

It’s imperative to be transparent with your recruiter. If you have concerns with the progress of your search, raise those concerns respectfully with them. Above all, be sure to be totally candid about your opinions of candidates and their interviews.

Build Trust

Whether you’re a manager working with your company’s personnel department, or you’ve outsourced your posting to a staffing agency, it’s important for you to trust each other. Remember that you’re working toward the same goal – a hire that will make the company stronger. Trust is the foundation of productive hiring manager/recruiter relationships, and it’s vital to keep that relationship thriving through this hire, and the next, and the next.

We’d Like to Build a Relationship with You!

Looking for help in your talent search? Arrow Staffing works with top employers in Riverside and across Southern California, and we’d like to earn your trust. Contact our team today.