Hiring Manager Perspective For An Efficient and Proper Job Search in 2022

𝙷𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝙰𝚗 𝙴𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝙹𝚘𝚋 𝚂𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚗 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟸

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁? 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘆?

I tapped a few hiring managers, recruiters and job seekers to find out just what their thoughts were of the 2022 hiring cycle.

I conducted this study as part of a new article about the job hunt from the perspectives of the job seeker, hiring manager, and recruiter.

I want to find out what drives people crazy.

What gets them excited.

What they wish the other side of the table knew.

What they think is right.

What they think is wrong.

And if they are actually right or wrong.

Let’s spill the beans and try to uncover some inside insights into the pesky hiring process.

Maybe drive some opportunity or empathy.

The Results

Robyn (HR Manager)
Q: What do you look for first when reading a resume?
What don’t I look for! Keywords, job titles, when was their last job, relevant prior/current work experience, if they meet the minimum requirements, and length of time at each employer. If those are satisfactory, I’ll also consider where the address on their resume is. If my job opening is in Westchester County, but they live in Brooklyn, for example, how likely is it they’ll be able to reliably commute or withstand the effort it’ll take?

Q: What makes you go past the 6-second eye test and into a full vet mode with possible communication introduction to the candidate after reviewing the entire resume?
If they satisfy the criteria above, then I’ll contact them for a deep dive. I’ll ask specific questions about their job duties, why they’re looking to leave their current employer, and/or why their previous employment ended. Even if their job history is stable, sometimes the reasons their tenure ended can be very telling of the kind of employee they’d be for us.

Q: What are the worst items on the resume that make you cringe and move on from the candidate? Jumpy job history and irrelevant work experience.
Those are usually job seekers that I call “clickers” – they click on any job posted online to see who calls them back first. Also, a candidate should have a suitable e-mail address on their resume, even if they create a new one. You wouldn’t believe some of the e-mail addresses I’ve seen!

Q: What are a few things you wish job seekers understand about the hiring process and/or hiring managers?
Oh, where do I start!
• Know the job you’re applying for! Remember what job site or search engine you used and the company that’s hiring for it. So many times, when I’ve called an applicant, they say, “Where are you calling from? I applied to so many jobs I can’t remember.” For me, that’s an immediate red flag. I usually don’t continue the screening after that.
• Promptly return a call or e-mail from the hiring manager. Even if you’re not interested, be courteous enough to let them know. You might have to connect with them in the future.
• Go to a quiet location with as minimal distractions as possible when on the phone. If you’re unable to, ensure them you’ll call them back at a certain time or request they contact you by e-mail. No hiring manager wants to hear you talking to other people or loud noise in the background.
• No eating or drinking when talking on the phone. No explanation is needed for that one.

Q: What makes for an impressive interview?
Besides proper appearance and body mechanics, when the candidate knows about the employer’s business and can ask/answer related questions about the position they’re interviewing for. Be enthusiastic. Highlight your accomplishments (which should also be on your resume) that make you a good fit for the position. Note: Asking what the salary is during the interview should be handled carefully. If the interviewer doesn’t inform you in advance, your salary requirements should be discussed prior to the interview.

Q: How do you know when you’ve got the right candidate during the interview?
When they can show that their work experience and personality are a good fit for the position and the company. Sometimes, it can just be a “gut feeling”. The candidate may not have had an above-average interview, but something about them may convince you they’d be a good fit.

Q: Do contract negotiations turn you off or are they a part of doing business?
Mostly, no. But if they try to negotiate way above the range or switch it up after they told me their requirements, that can be a red flag that they’ll leave us when they find a job paying more. So, I usually don’t proceed with the process. I’d suggest giving a realistic but true amount of your salary requirements.

Rob (Job Seeker)
Q: What confuses you the most in a job search?
Finding out what is wrong with the company and why they are searching for a candidate.

Q: What do you think are the top 3 things job seekers should do to set themselves apart from other jobseekers?
Dress professionally for the interview, follow up with a HAND written note, ask questions that are specific to what you’re interviewing for. For example, in the supply chain, ask them what are the KPI metrics they are using and could they expand on how these benchmarks are against the industry.

Q: What are the worst items you’ve encountered on your job search (i.e., being ghosted, recruiters not helping, no callbacks, etc.)?
Not being called back when they went with another candidate.

Q: What helps you build confidence for a job interview?
My experience and my education.

Q: Do you do interview follow-up? If so, please elaborate on your process.
I give a handwritten note thanking the people for the interview.

Q: Do you negotiate your salary when the time comes after an initial offer is made?
It depends on the industry, but I have negotiated on all my salaried positions.

Donna (Job Seeker)
Q: What confuses you the most in a job search?
I constantly hear that ‘most jobs are filled without being advertised and networking is the best way to get a job’ but HOW??? I can’t network with the people who know my work style, i.e. my suppliers – that would be unprofessional and could cause insecurity in the supply chain. And my colleagues – can’t use them either when my search is on the down-low. Trying to connect with random professionals on LinkedIn might produce a contact but not someone who wants to stick their neck out for you or go the extra mile to recommend you for a job. So unless you are the top-performing uber-qualified sought-after person in your field, how do you REALLY, TRULY network? I haven’t figured it out.

Q: What do you think are the top 3 things job seekers should do to set themselves apart from other jobseekers?
I guess if I knew the answer to this I would be a lot more successful in my searches – lol. As a job seeker and not a hiring manager, I don’t know what is being done to set myself apart from the herd.

Q: What are the worst items you’ve encountered on your job search (i.e., being ghosted, recruiters not helping, no callbacks, etc.)?
Ghosting is up there for certain! How can you act soooo interested in me as a candidate one day, then pretend that I never existed the next? This leads me to the bigger issue which is insincerity amongst corporate recruiters, HR, and hiring managers. I would much rather be told after a conversation that the interviewer just doesn’t see this as a fit, or that the other candidates offer X which I don’t have than be subjected to a false sense of interest in continuing the process – only to have the ‘no thank you’ email in my inbox by the end of the day. And WHY OH WHY must the ‘no thank you email’ (if you are lucky enough to get one) never come with any feedback at all? I learned very quickly in the process to not bother asking for feedback because I simply wasn’t going to get it. I was once told that it was for legal reasons. Really? Does the hiring company really think I am going to pursue legal action against them for a constructive response such as ‘we felt that another candidate had stronger X skills’ or even ‘we didn’t feel that the way you verbalized your experience matched the way your resume was presented’. I mean come on, give me something to work with to improve my chances on my next endeavor. -The job gets redacted or given to an internal candidate which was going to happen all along. Please don’t waste my time. I realize I am ‘just’ a job-seeker, but I am also a professional with multiple obligations to fulfill, and taking time away from them for something that is never going to happen is immensely frustrating. This just happened to me this month. I was recommended for a position by a former colleague and was given the screening interview. I spent valuable time preparing for this interview. I took time from my day to accommodate it and was told that my information would be given to the hiring manager for the next steps. The next day I got the ‘no thank you an email so I inquired. The hiring manager already had a final candidate. Why wouldn’t they extend the professional courtesy to my friend in the first place by telling her the position had been filled?

Q: What are a few things you wish hiring managers understand about the hiring process?
Asking canned, behavioral questions is not going to give you insight into how I perform in my day-to-day job. It is only going to show how much time I had to prepare and practice a smooth answer for the most frequently asked questions with the hopes that one of them would, indeed, be posed. Don’t you think you could get more insight by asking questions truly applicable to the position? I am in procurement, and no one has ever asked what goals I have in mind when entering contract negotiations or when I would pass on the option with the lowest total cost. Or even why I feel my relationships with vendors are successful. Ask a canned question, get a canned answer. If the job won’t be working from a script then this is useless.

Q: What helps you build confidence for a job interview?
Ugh – haven’t felt confident going into one yet. I have felt confident coming out of them only to not get an offer so go figure.

Q: Do you do interview follow-up? If so, please elaborate on your process.
Always, although I don’t think it has ever made a difference. It’s more if the step I feel is expected so I don’t want to skip it. I send a thank you note to each interviewer and copy the recruiter on each if there is one. If I haven’t heard anything by their anticipated date, I follow up by forwarding the thank you email with a brief note to the effect of ‘checking in to see how the recruiting process is progressing’. If I felt a good connection with an interviewer I would also reach out to them on LinkedIn with a personalized invitation to connect, although I am more likely to do this before the interview.

Q: Do you negotiate your salary when the time comes after an initial offer is made?
It has depended on my personal situation. When I was desperate to get out of a toxic environment did not push back on what I felt was a fair offer. But when I am not desperate then, yes, would negotiate. Again, as I am employed, I’d ask that you not use my name or company. I am currently a Senior Buyer for a defense manufacturer. Procurement was a complete career change for me. My degree is in accounting, I worked in Pharmaceutical Sales for about 13 years, and have held other positions besides. I really do like purchasing but my current position does not focus on the areas that interest me and feels very dead end. Overworked, underappreciated, and not being used to potential. So I have once again embarked on the dreaded job search, focusing on Strategic Sourcing which is my true passion.

Arthur (Executive Search Firm Client Partner)
Q: What is your background?
As a former hiring manager (purchasing executive in automotive for 20+ years) and a current Executive Recruiter, my perspective on the hiring process is built upon a keen understanding of the overall process, insight into hiring manager expectations, and an understanding of the interviewer mindset, as I have much experience interviewing for positions as well myself. I hope I can provide some balance to contribute to the process for you.

Q: What do you look for first when reading a resume?
Clean structure, clear articulation of the profile, and grammatical or spelling issues. In my view, the person I am looking to hire and thus, represent me and my company, must be able to communicate clearly and succinctly. I will depend on this individual to carry out tasks with little to no supervision and have to ensure that the work will be done well. The resume is one of the most important documents a candidate can produce as it is their marketing document. If they cannot get this right, then I have grave concerns over everything else. I can overlook some elements if the profile is strong, which then pulls my eyes down to the experience section. If the individual is strong there, I will move them into the next step regardless because to a certain extent, we can train them to improve in other areas.

Q: What makes you go past the 6-second eye test and into a full vet mode with possible communication introduction to the candidate after reviewing the entire resume?
The best-case scenario is a well-written, accomplishment-focused experience section. The hiring manager is seeking someone that will deliver value to them and the company and the best example of that is previous success in creating value for others. I also look for succinctness, as being able to share information that is useful to its reader is a strong skill for the business. I will look for key elements that refer to the job description I am working on, evidence that the candidate understands the main responsibilities, and has demonstrated success in doing similar activities. I don’t mind if these are not perfectly aligned, particularly if the candidate is able to articulate how their skills can transfer to the role.

Q: What are the worst items on the resume that make you cringe and move on from the candidate?
Poor grammar and spelling are absolute killers. I can easily forgive a simple error, but if it shows a pattern, it is immediately discarded. If the candidate has clearly just downloaded a template (such as the trendy column-formatted, colorful one-pagers), I immediately knock it down a notch. As mentioned previously, this document should be viewed as one of the most important things you can do, so take some time and create a standout marketing snapshot of who you are and what you can deliver. If a resume is a summary of a job description without value creation, it will have to stand out in other ways to make it to the next step.

Q: What are a few things you wish job seekers understand about the hiring process and/or hiring managers?
This list could be very long! However, there are a few main items to share. Only one person will be hired for the role, perhaps from hundreds of applicants. It is truly a competition. The hiring manager is hiring someone that will make THEM better – perform more strongly, free them up to do more, and represent them in the best way – improving their position in the company. The selected candidate may not have the best qualifications, resume, or education. What is likely though is that they were a standout interviewer. They can communicate well, share their accomplishments and how these can make a difference to the hiring manager. They absolutely will have “clicked” with the hiring manager in some meaningful way and only one person knows why – the hiring manager. There is no magic potion to the process, despite what anyone might tell you. You are interviewing with a person who has unique qualities and is looking for someone that fits their perception of the ideal candidate. Much of what they are looking for never shows up in a job description or candidate profile, unfortunately. On the negative side, some hiring managers are not able to make effective decisions. In effect, they are afraid of making the wrong choice. These are the ones who will take a long time, run you through multiple interviews, and depend on others to make the final choice – may be by consensus. Although this sounds nice in some ways, I view this hiring manager as a red flag for the candidate.

Q: What makes for an impressive interview?
Energy and a positive attitude are key ingredients. A candidate that does not bring both of those with them is almost immediately eliminated. Hiring managers want those two things added to their team and I would be confident to say that in 100% of searches. Now let me be clear, there is not a clear definition of what that is, because all hiring managers have their own view of what that is. For a lab researcher, they don’t want an effervescent extrovert perhaps, but they will want someone who is excited to be there and brings a good attitude and smile to work every day. The other key is to share their understanding of the company and role, and how they can create value for the hiring manager. They are curious, active listeners, and nice people.

Q: How do you know when you’ve got the right candidate during the interview?
A connection will be made. It’s a feeling one gets when one sees how that person will fit in their team. If the candidate can create that picture in the hiring manager’s mind, it’s done. It isn’t qualifications, skill set, or experience. Those things were established much earlier in the process. It’s your personal connection with the hiring manager.

Q: Do contract negotiations turn you off or are they a part of doing business?
No, it is clearly part of the process. In fact, if the candidate does not negotiate something, I am a bit concerned. [I think this is because I was always hiring people responsible for negotiating commercially for me, so if they didn’t negotiate for themselves, how will they negotiate for me?] Where I do get angry is if there are changes in expectations during the process and the candidate cannot clearly articulate why. I value transparency and try to always act with integrity and expect the same.

Final Thoughts & Suggestions

For some short-term solutions, my best advice for career shifters is to deal with this transition by taking a mental break first…then internalize, realize, and visualize. Try to identify your relevance in terms of value to a prospective employer, internalize what your passions are and some transferable skills and accomplishments to relay to hiring managers, a solid resume and some email communication templates (or cover letter), and a lot of patience and willpower. A good rule of thumb for the job hunter seeking a new role in a new industry is to identify your transferable skills and portray those first on your LinkedIn profile and resume. Reverse engineer your career path from your ideal job description and see what you have and what needs up-skilling.

Think the long game. Have a vision of your dream job. Think of your job drivers. What’s important to you? Time, money, benefits, 401(k), location, product offerings, company image, culture, values, progressive versus traditional setting, remote versus on-location, passionate project opportunities, etc. Each is different for each person. What motivates you? What’s your passion? What can you do that will make you happy in 2 weeks, 3 months, a year?

Be pragmatic about your daily job hunting activities. Do what makes sense for you AND the company’s hiring managers and recruiters. Know that it’s a tough market, extremely tough circumstances due to the global pandemic, and it’s sort of unknown as to how employers will be navigating the remaining hiring season as COVID continues to push boundaries and complicate certain aspects of not only hiring but retaining employees. Maybe more hurry and waits or no hurries at all. So be patient, but stay hungry.

Be realistic in what you can achieve. While taking chances and risks are a good thing, do not over-stretch yourself into a role you simply are not a fit for (yet). What industry do you want to live in, and in what role? Be specific in what you want, clarify it, write it down, consume knowledge of it, live it. Recruiters cannot help you if you nor they know what you want to do. Most people have skills and experience that can transfer nicely to another industry or job. The key is knowing how those skills reasonably transfer, and what sort of value they bring to the prospective employer. The challenge is that most are unsure of how their skills are exchangeable to other duties. If you’re an accomplished professional, it’s best to use actual methodologies, processes, skills, or technologies relating directly to the open job description and your experience. These are good ideas for those greener candidates. Also, opt for free experiential learning like internships. Work freelance projects for friends, neighbors, etc., and continuously build your portfolio, skills, and competencies.

You also need to look out for continuing education opportunities. Seek out academic programs that can help train and prepare you for your new role while you’re in limbo. Find some new career job openings and the minimum qualifications in each, identify the possible credentials you may need to better position yourself in this new role and find online institutions that you can acquire these credentials, and list them on your resume. Also, find membership groups and industry networking opportunities…this is a wonderful place to gather knowledge from industry pros who can help explain the nuances of your new role. Enroll in continuing education courses, there are plenty of free ones out there like Udemy or Coursera, and even some Ivy schools are offering free digital learning programs. Track all these wonderful things you learn. When you seek out academic programs, find ones that can help train and prepare you for your new role while you’re in limbo. Your goal is to understand the role and industry inside and out so eventually you can become the subject matter expert. Find some new career job openings and the minimum qualifications in each, identify the possible credentials you may need to better position yourself in this new role and find online institutions that you can acquire these credentials, and list them on your resume. Also, find membership groups and industry networking opportunities…this is a wonderful place to gather knowledge from industry pros who can help explain the nuances of your new role.

The candidate should research his or her new career field/job target! You need to do your research. You need to get a feel for the way the industry and respective companies function in the world, the services they provide to others, and the types of jobs out there in that industry that could pose as a potential new career. I love using Google News, Google alerts, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Indeed, and LinkedIn to uncover industry and job research. Using this research can be a good way to spot industry and job keywords (for the core competencies and summary sections), role responsibilities (for the experience section), and important transferable contributions (for the accomplishments section) for inclusion on your resume. Read trade journals of major industry players to stay on top of insights in your space.

Network and reach out to like-minded people or decision-makers and build a connection. Then schedule a time to continuously stay on top of this relationship cultivation. Join forums and answer questions or pose questions to start a dialogue. Anything and everything to continuously push ahead into thought leadership status. Knowing your value is key to cutting through the fluff and ensuring your content leaves a positive and memorable mark on these hiring managers and recruiters.

Volunteer with a group, offer a company to work for free so you can learn the ropes, or join an online forum and start engaging with individuals in that industry to gain more learning. It comes down to ‘will you make money for the new company or cost them money?’ Work hard to be the former, it will carry you farther. Prove you can do the job and a good job at that. Offer value and solutions, not abilities or skills. Everyone can ride a bike, but not everyone can ride a bike 60 miles to raise money for a charitable cause that was about to go bankrupt.

Finally, prioritize, then stick to a consistent schedule.

Boiling it down, think about your situation from the hiring manager’s point of view. He or she has to be pulled aside from their day-to-day at the end of the workday to review resumes and fill an open requisition. An open requisition that is either costing them money or not making them money by leaving it vacant. When they find an ideal candidate, sometimes it’s more of a cultural fit if they know they can train someone rather quickly. So trust that if it’s supposed to happen, it will. If not, keep looking for opportunities in this new space.

The hiring process is selective for a reason — it’s arduous, time-consuming, and costs a lot of money and resources from sourcing, recruiting, and interviewing to background checks, reference checks, drug tests, and finally training. A lot is involved so it’s crucial they get it right. That means, show them you care about their time. And their money! Show them you offer this value that they can use in this open requisition. Why is it open? What pains do they have because it’s open? Once you can hone in on that, you can start to massage in key-value- and accomplishments-based content that makes your resume pop and motivates these decision-makers to invite you in on an interview. Be pragmatic and don’t ask. Offer more than want. Rather than asking people to help you get a job or pass along your resume, ask them how can you be a better candidate? How can you improve? And what knowledge do you offer to help them out to reciprocate?