As I’ve shared consultative recruiting techniques with recruiters, it turns out that hiring managers really liked the additional input those recruiters were starting to share. I suspect they have always wanted your expertise and perspective but either couldn’t bring themselves to ask, or didn’t know the value you can add to them and their hiring success.

Solution? Start to provide your perspective and advice even though your hiring managers may not have asked!

The easiest way to do this is to ask questions that point out the issues, challenges, and solution options. This way the hiring manager will come to the same conclusion you already have. But no one likes to be “told”, and hiring managers are REALLY no exception.

For example, a recruiter recently shared a conversation she had with a hiring manager. It was the first time she had felt confident enough to ask the questions that helped the hiring manager understand how some of the experiences he wanted simply wouldn’t exist in a candidate who fit their comp range. To make the search even more challenging, the HM had added a lot of requirements, hoping maybe someone would have the whole enchilada. 

The search was for a manager title but the position was actually an individual contributor. The hiring manager had set out requirements for 10+ supervisory experience and 8+ years of project/ product management.

So not only was the compensation range for a manager too low for someone with this much experience, but someone who actually met the HM’s requirements would probably not be interested at all in a role that seemed like a step back–in responsibility and compensation!

So much of the recruiter’s sourcing efforts would have been wasted. 

And of course, the days for “time to fill” would have kept adding up, totally unadjusted for the fact this came really close to being an impossible search.

So now the recruiter gets to be the talent advisor, the consultant–the one the HM really needs.

In the strategy call with the HM to launch the search, the recruiter asked questions like “Since this role does not manage people, tell me more about your thinking around asking for that experience.” “How much flexibility would you have on the number of years for project management experience?”

The “conversation” the recruiter had was asking questions to a) understand the HM’s thinking and b) point out where the requirements could be modified or even eliminated.

Without the conversation, the hiring manager would never understood why the candidates who fit his requirements were not raising their hand to be considered. Even if he eventually hired someone, he would probably feel disappointed in the process, the results, and the recruiter.

It seems ironic that while we recruiters may not be asked for our advice and perspective, hiring managers may see us as ineffective if we don’t figure out a way to offer it. You know the conclusion you want your HM’s to come to. Just keep asking gentle questions that will lead them to the conclusion you knew was there all the time. Lead by asking questions, don’t lecture.

Here is what most people misunderstand about asking questions–when you ask the question you are in control of the conversation. It’s the most effective way to keep your HM engaged in the discussion and learning what the HM is really thinking.

Want to change the HM’s thinking? You cannot change their thinking if you don’t know what they are thinking.

Just saying…

Check out my new online consultative recruiter training–with 2 great bonus reports to help you deal with 23 of the most frustrating situations we experience as recruiters. Now you can fix them and build strong relationships at the same time!