Let us consider an open position from the hiring managers’ point of view. There are likely two main reasons a position is open:
- Someone on the team left the job through termination, promotion, or resignation.
- Work is so plentiful that a new person has been approved to be added to the team.
In both situations, there is more work to be done than people to do the work. Someone, likely the hiring manager, must absorb the extra work. This creates a problem for the hiring manager.
Hiring takes a lot of time. You have to find candidates, shuffle through resumes and phone screen, pick a few people to interview, and find people to help you interview, schedule the interview, and then hope you pick the right candidate
All the while you are working on short term priorities just to keep up. Sometimes it feels like bailing a sinking boat. Short term priorities at the expense of long term results.
When you are standing on the sidelines it seems obvious that the hiring manager should focus on the job search. I want to shout, “Please participate in your own rescue and prioritize the recruiting process.”
But it is hard to let go of the extra work long enough to prioritize the hiring process.
Then there is paperwork. You have to make sure you have the right forms filled out, check references, and put together an offer. You have to get the proper approval at the beginning, middle, and end of the process.
Even when the right candidate is found for the right position that needs to be filled, sometimes it takes time to order the right tools and make sure the work area is set up to accommodate the new hire.
This is a lot of hassle. All the while the work piles up, everyone in the department, including the hiring manager, is overloaded trying to achieve the department goals while shorthanded.
Even if everything goes smoothly according to plan, the hiring manager often wonders if the candidate represents the correct choice. Will this person fit into the team? Will the person perform as advertised? Are we making a mistake by hiring this person?
Feel sorry for the poor hiring manager. The only way a hiring manager gets any resolution to this problem is to find a replacement for the person who left or fill the open position to handle the extra work.
Hiring is an awful experience. No one is happy. The short-handed team is overwhelmed and the candidates think they are being ignored.
What can you do about this situation?
• Hiring managers: Prioritize the hiring process. It is the only way out. Do it quickly and thoroughly so you hire the right person to complete the critical success factors that will make you look good.
• Candidates: Be prepared. Make sure your marketing materials (resume, LinkedIn pages, and whatever you plan to say while networking and interviewing) demonstrate that you can be successful in this job. That way you stand out and hiring managers will notice you.