Much depends on them in recruitment, are they prepared enough?

Who is a hiring manager? At first glance you might think of him as a recruiter, but he has little to do with HR. He or she is the head of a particular department, whose job is, among many other things, to ensure that the right staff are in place in their organisation. There are those who would like to shift the responsibility for recruitment to HR, saying "they will do it anyway, it's their job". But in reality, successful recruitment is achieved through the close and effective collaboration of HR recruiters and hiring managers. The hiring manager formulates the candidate needs, the recruiter uses this as a basis to identify and contact potential candidates, organise interviews, and then the hiring manager interviews the candidates, either jointly or alone, and makes the hiring decision, with the recruiter providing support throughout.

Hiring licence at E.ON

As you can see, the hiring manager is a key player in this process: he is the one who sells the position with his personality, who can best impress candidates in terms of credibility. It is therefore essential to equip them with the knowledge that is essential for a successful selection. E.ON, an energy supplier with 6,200 employees, introduced the so-called hiring licence ten years ago. This licence must be obtained by all line managers who interview and participate in the selection process. The aim is to enable hiring managers to interview with confidence, to represent the company's values to candidates. The first part of the training is a blended learning package. The second part is a group three-hour online workshop with recruiters, and the third is an interview mentoring session, where the hiring manager will be tested in a real interview situation under the supervision of an HR Business Partner (HR BP). Afterwards, the HR BP decides whether another joint interviewing is necessary or whether the manager is granted a hiring licence and can conduct interviews independently.

Anikó Nánási, Head of Recruitment Services at E.On Hungária, who presented the training, noted that a strong senior management mandate is needed for the hiring license to work. Anikó Nánási added, "It was an important milestone in our processes when senior management confirmed that the candidate is the client of recruitment and selection. So HR does not serve the line managers unilaterally, but we both work to get the best candidates. This sentence, he admits, still defines the recruiter - line manager relationship in the company today.

E.ON introduced a feedback system for candidates last year. Anikó Nánási said that this gives them insight into things they hadn't had before and they can make changes if necessary. They have received both positive and negative feedback. Candidates are looking for experience: if the interview is pleasant, professional and they feel a fair attitude, they will recommend the company to others or try again after an unsuccessful application. It is also worth incorporating this feedback into future recruitment projects or even into the training of hiring managers.

How LEGO does it

At LEGO, which employs 3,200 people in Hungary, managers receive mandatory training in competency-based interviewing techniques, diversity and inclusion after submitting their recruitment needs, among other things, to avoid being prisoners of stereotypical thinking when selecting new employees and to select from a pool of candidates as diverse as possible in age and gender. János Ács and Evelin Vezendi explained that their selection process focuses on soft skills. If a candidate meets the KO criteria and has the soft skills, they can compromise on the hard skills. Subject knowledge is easier to develop within certain frameworks than attitude to work, communication skills, change management or the ability to work in a team and collaborate.

The hiring manager is involved in the recruitment process from the very first moment, right from the definition of the schedule, for example how many candidates to invite per round. Candidates are also made aware of the selection process, when to expect a response after each round of interviews.

How does the recruiter support the hiring manager? It is essential to give him/her a credible picture of what is available in the market. He should be guided to formulate what are the KO criteria he cannot compromise. Also, you need to define what he can compromise on. Of course, it is possible that the expectations of the hiring manager are exaggerated and the market reality is different, and the recruiter should indicate this.

The hiring manager has an important role to play in employer branding and candidate engagement. LEGO strives to provide a personalised candidate experience, i.e. to make the candidate feel that they are important to the company, not just one of many.

The opening photo shows Evelin Vezendi, People Partner at LEGO Manufacturing Ltd (Photo: recruitech.hu)