In the Crowdstaffing network, account managers act as liaisons between independent recruiters and clients, much like a hiring manager would. We’ve found that some of the same issues that trouble traditional hiring managers and recruiters are often reflected in our ecosystem. As such, we put together a few tips to help you build stronger, more advantageous relationships with Crowdstaffing account managers.

Hiring Managers and Recruiters (Should) Work Together

Teamwork is the central, turning wheel of the staffing world. From the very first contact with a candidate to the onboarding process, there’s a lot of shared responsibility going on behind the scenes. Communication is key. If, for example, a hiring manager writes a vague job description, it might pull in too many candidates and prolong the time it takes for a recruiter to fill the position. On the other side, if a recruiter doesn’t provide enough information about a candidate, the hiring manager might see it as a low-quality submission, and thus be inclined to pass over the recruiter during the next go around.

According to a study by the Corporate Executive Board, 65% of hiring managers are unsatisfied with how their recruiters affect business. Only a mere 25% of hiring managers base their hiring decision on recruiter advice. But here’s the crazy thing – they both have the same goals! A trusting, communicative relationship between both parties would lead to better hires, faster hires, and more money for everyone. Thankfully, it’s not that difficult to build said relationship; hiring managers and recruiters can boost one another’s performance, just by making a few individual improvements.

Recruiter Best Practices for Better Relationships

We get it. It’s frustrating when you’re expected to fill tough positions within (extremely) tight time frames. You want to give account managers the best candidates possible, but often it seems like you’re set up to fail. It doesn’t have to be that way! Let’s take a look at some recruiter best practices.

Make it a point to be more communicative with account managers. Recruiters often complain that they don’t get enough information from managers. Guess what – hiring managers complain about the same thing! This is a good thing because it indicates that both sides are craving a better relationship with one another. You can learn a lot from each other, so reach out for advice when you need it. Ask for feedback not just before and after placing a candidate, but throughout the various hiring stages. Similarly, offer up as much info about your candidate as possible, which will help account managers immensely.

Don’t be afraid to ask for clearer job requirements. Job descriptions that cast too broad or too deep of a net both have the same effect: they lead to low-quality candidates and long placement times. You, as a recruiter, have the innate ability to spot these types of descriptions immediately. So instead of toiling over the inevitable, try letting your manager know the requirements need tweaking. Ask them what a high-quality candidate looks like in their eyes. Is it someone whose resume ticks every box, or is it someone who is driven and interviews well? Together, you can refine the list of must-haves and nice-to-haves so that everyone wins.

Get to know your candidates better. Another chief complaint in the industry is that recruiters don’t properly vet their candidates. Part of this is due to time constraints, and part of it is due to a lack of recruiter engagement. Recruiters who take a spray and pray approach give everyone else in the biz a bad name. Your focus should be on quality over quantity. Take a little extra time and get to know your candidates: their interests, their goals, and who they are as people. Your pool might end up being a bit smaller, but you’ll have a much better idea of who your candidates are and where you can place them.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

So, there you have it; advice to make you feel like you’re back in your high school guidance counselor’s office again. But seriously, if managers and recruiters can start looking at one another as a team instead of an inconvenience, they can achieve greatness. Together, you can improve submission quality, placement times, and candidate experience – which means you’ll both be a lot happier with your work.