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Hiring Manager vs Talent Partner – What’s the difference

When a successful hire happens, there are potentially two people who have had a hand in making that connection - a talent partner/consultant and a hiring manager - working together. These two functions help a business navigate the process of finding ideal team members and closing the deal to bring them on board. In basic terms, the talent partner handles the hiring process of hiring while the hiring manager tends to make the final decisions. So, in regards to improving ongoing hiring strategies, both have a significant role to play.

The Role of the Hiring Manager

As final decision-making tends to fall to the hiring manager, this person must have a good idea of what the business is looking for and what kind of candidates are likely to fit the bill. The role of the hiring manager will include:

●      Evaluating the potential candidates to ensure that those who go forward don’t just fit the brief on paper but also in real life.

●      Influencing the candidates they are interested in to help improve the chances of them accepting an offer.

●      Communicating with the recruiter, so there is a clear brief in place and at critical moments, to let the talent partner know if none of the candidates put forward so far have been exemplary.

The Role of a Talent Partner

The consultant manages the process of hiring up to the point where the hiring manager steps in to make evaluations and decisions. Several crucial roles fall to a talent partner consultant, including:

●      Establishing a strong employer brand that will appeal to suitable candidates and building a pool of potential interviewees that will fit the bill.

●      Helping to design objective evaluation methods that will make positive connections.

●      Training hiring managers so they can interview effectively and ensure that the hiring process stays on track.

Talent consultants do a lot of the groundwork in the early stages of hiring, and finding the right team to handle this part of the process can make a hiring manager’s job much more manageable.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Finding the right people to build a team is a challenging process and one that requires both the talent partner, with their market knowledge, and the hiring manager, with their inside track on the business. The two roles are complimentary, and the recruitment process will most likely be smooth and straightforward when both align on objectives and goals. The key to this will be the early stages of the relationship when both sides set their expectations. It will be vital for the hiring manager to provide an in-depth description of the ideal candidate, the business and its culture. This brief provides the basis for early search parameters that a talent consultant can use to help create the right talent pool.

Hiring managers and Talent Partners working together make a fantastic collaborative team that can produce exciting results.

At Phaidon International, we have a host of positions available for the right candidates. Explore our opportunities here.