How do you motivate your hiring managers not to procrastinate during the hiring process?

When I had to do this in the past the "how" was simple. We measured every step of the process in our ATS. This allowed me to know when an application on a candidate was sent to a hiring manager, when that hiring manager received it, when they read it and when they did something with it. I had the ability to report this to management in a report. We established reasonable standards and everyone was measured against the bench mark. This also could become a part of their annual review.

We rarely had any difficulties.

I would question the necessity of the position with the hiring manager. I would also let the hiring manager know that if they aren't ready to actively move forward, I will put their position on the "low-priority" list. These two tactics will usually light the fire of the hiring manager if the position is really necessary.

I agree with Nic and Tiffany. Initially, question the necessity of the position. Then get it off of active external recruitment if possible. If your ATS indicates days open to the applicant pool it could have a negative impact. Next try to discover the cause of the delays. Complacency? Fear? Hiring team not in place? Job/Position title misalignment? I have found that sometimes managers who have bad hiring experiences will drag out the process out of fear, over analyze the candidates, raising the bar on preferences, and you have to coach the manager back into hiring confidence. Either way, discovery and coaching will help move the process. The recruitment/hiring process is the first face of the organization and can speak volumes about the culture of the organization.

Bryan,

I'm in agreement with most of the posts. Let the data speak concerning time to fill stages. The more visibility this has in the organization, the better compliance, I've found. Having a standard that determines that a position open for X days (90? 120?) will automatically trigger a review of its necessity also helps.

Occasionally, it may be as simple as the hiring manager really "hates" the process of deciding and getting new staff in. Many of us avoid what we don't like, even when it's not in our intelligent self-interest to do so. If I hate interviewing or hate deciding about people or hate the fact that my tight time will be made even tighter as I get somebody up to speed, I'm definitely not going to readily put my neck in that noose. The solution there is to offer some organizational help while taking this as a coaching moment for the hiring manager.

Unfortunately, like many other things in life, the best answer comes after you figure out what the root cause may be.

I agree with a lot of the sentiment discussed already. In my experience most delays are caused by either a lack of time or confidence. Coaching will require the hiring manager to accept that that either they aren't prioritising it high enough or they do not the confidence to make a decision which in itself could cause a problem. Providing more structure and science for the hiring manager could be a more constructive way to aid the decision making process.

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Great range of answers. I have dealt with managers that run the fun gambit in communication, response, tech savvy, and the dreaded fear. Using the "is this job necessary" as a first response to the hiring mgr. is a mistake that can only lead to further confrontation. Metrics are key to ensuring the process works.

Educating hiring managers of their responsibilities and roles to communicate to HR is a close second priority. They may not know how to legally disposition bad candidates, or they may have alternator motivations like hiring a friend or from a "preferred staffing company." Many possible bad reasons, but a few good ones that require HR tack and skill.

Resume overkill can usually be solved with automation in the screening and selection process.

Ask your hiring Manager for the list of qualifications and competencies required & desired for the position in written format (email will do fine). Agree on a start/finish timeline - 'use it or loose it'. Coach the hiring manager to describe the ideal candidate.I have found that often times the hiring manager is not comfortable with the whole selection process, and helping them define an approach to the hiring process facilitates action. Ask for regular status updates. Requesting regular status reports (preferably at staff meeting with the manager's peers) solidifys the importance of the need, and allows your staff to be a part of the solution.

Before questioning the necessity of the position, consider that a hiring manager may be overwhelmed doing his or her job in addition to the job that has been vacated. If possible, suggest bringing in a contract worker to take some of the stress off of the hiring manager. Or deprioritize a project or two in order to give the manager the time to thoroughly evaluate candidates and hire the best person for the job.