Hiring Manager

The hiring manager is the manager to whom the new position reports, who is responsible for the job requirements, and who makes the final hiring decision.

The term rarely appears in an organizational chart, but the role is present in every recruitment process. When it isn’t specifically identified, a gap emerges in the process—and that gap almost always results in lost time.

What is a hiring manager?

The hiring manager is the one who defines the role. It is the manager who will lead the employee, who knows what the job entails, and who bears the consequences of the decision for their own budget and team. Therefore, it is also the hiring manager who should define what the role is expected to deliver during the first year—not HR and not the recruitment partner.

Responsibility begins before the ad. A requirements profile A list that the hiring manager did not help draft becomes a list of preferences, and that list doesn’t hold up once candidates start coming in. It’s in the conversation about what actually needs to be done that the “must-haves” are distinguished from the preferences, and only the manager can have that conversation.

During the process, the hiring manager is the one who interviews the shortlisted candidates, coordinates with the recruiter, makes ongoing assessments, and ultimately makes the final selection. The role also involves persuasion. Candidates for specialist or key positions often choose their manager over the company.

Responsibility continues even after the decision is made. The onboarding process is the hiring manager’s responsibility, not HR’s, even though HR sets the framework. Anyone who hands off that responsibility the moment the contract is signed ends up with a new hire who has to figure things out on their own for three months.

In practice, a hiring manager:

  • The job requirements and what the role is expected to deliver.
  • Calibration with the recruiter during the process.
  • The interviews with the candidates at shortlist.
  • The hiring decision and the terms of the offer.
  • The orientation and follow-up during the first few months.

Role allocation, and what happens when the hiring manager is unavailable

Three parties need to work together, and most problems in the hiring process stem from a lack of clear accountability among them.

The hiring manager is responsible for identifying the need and making the decision. HR is responsible for the framework and ensuring equal treatment: salary structure, agreements, process, documentation, and ensuring that all candidates are evaluated on the same basis. The recruitment partner is responsible for the candidate search and the evaluation criteria: assessment, sourcing, screening, in-depth interviews, tests where necessary, and a shortlist that allows for comparison. None of the three can cover the areas handled by the others.

The most common problem is that the hiring manager isn’t available. We often see that this is exactly what drags out the process, and it comes at a double cost: candidates who are waiting take other jobs, and those who wait a long time interpret the silence as a lack of interest. The wait time is directly reflected in the “time to hire”—that is, the time from when a candidate enters the process until they accept the offer. A week without feedback after an interview can be enough for a strong candidate to accept a position elsewhere.

The remedy is simple and is taken before the start:

  • Schedule interview times for the entire process right from the start.
  • Appoint a designated substitute who may conduct calibrations and interviews in the event of an absence.
  • Agree on a response time for the candidates presented; preferably two business days.
  • Let HR or the recruiter set the pace, but never make the decision.

Common Mistakes in the Role of Hiring Manager

  1. Delegating the requirements profile. A manager who asks HR to ”put something together” receives a profile describing an ideal employee in general terms. It isn’t until the candidates start applying that it becomes clear the most important requirement was never specified—and by then, several weeks have already passed.
  2. Conducting an unstructured interview. Many managers rely on their judgment of character and speak freely. The result is that the candidate who resembles the manager himself or herself receives the highest rating—which is a similarity bias, not an assessment. Asking the same set of questions to everyone costs nothing and yields comparable answers.
  3. Getting involved too late in the process. A manager who insists on seeing a final shortlist first risks rejecting the entire list. A brief reassessment after evaluating the first candidates would have set things back on track while it was still easy to do so.
  4. Forget about the sales part. An interview is a two-way evaluation. A manager who merely interrogates candidates will lose the ones who have other options—and those are exactly the ones you wanted.

How Talent Search Works with the Hiring Manager

We work directly with the manager who will be leading the person, with HR involved throughout the process. The manager’s commitment is often what determines whether you get your first choice or your second choice. We keep the momentum going by being straightforward about what needs to happen and when, and we’d rather call once too often than not enough.

  • We're scheduling the kickoff meeting with the manager, not about the manager.
  • Interview times are scheduled in advance so that the process doesn't stop at a calendar.
  • We'll get back to you quickly and expect the same in return.
  • Our CEO, Sven Öquist, personally gets involved in the startup phase when the role is critical.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hiring Managers

Who makes the hiring decision—HR or the manager?

The manager to whom the role reports makes the decision, while HR is responsible for guidelines, equal treatment, and terms and conditions. HR can overturn a decision that violates the pay structure or process, but should not select the individual. This arrangement also ensures that responsibility for the outcome lies with those who have the authority.

How much time does a hiring manager need to spend on a recruitment process?

Allow a couple of hours for the requirements profile and kickoff, followed by typically one to two hours per week during the process for calibration and interviews. The exact amount of time required varies depending on the role and the number of candidates. It’s difficult to compress this time, but easy to plan for. It’s the inconsistent availability—not the total time—that drags out the process.

What should you do if the hiring manager is new to the job?

Let the new manager take the lead on the job requirements profile, but supplement that perspective with someone who knows the business—such as the previous manager or a manager in a related department. A newly appointed manager often has a clearer picture of what needs to change and a less clear picture of what is already working.

Can multiple people serve as hiring managers for the same role?

No, even if several people need to be involved in the assessment. In practice, shared decision-making leads to the process waiting for everyone to be available and no one taking the lead. Appoint one decision-maker and give the others a clear role as assessors.

Does the manager in charge of recruiting have a full schedule? Schedule a brief check-in with us and organize the process according to that calendar.