When HR passes the baton to the hiring manager to conduct interviews, assist with onboarding or conduct orientation, it can be overwhelming for both the manager and HR. The solution: a comprehensive hiring manager checklist! Keep reading to see how this checklist can benefit your organization and ensure you’re creating a smooth transition for all employees.
At some point in the hiring process, the hiring manager will make the decision on a hire. That could take place at the second round interview or even during a phone screen. The when can change from company to company, but the “what” — the hiring manager checklist — should stay the same. This is a tool you’re giving these managers to better equip them for initial interviews, job offers or the final stages of the hiring process. This checklist allows the recruiting process to proceed effectively from person to person within the organization.
Why Is a Hiring Manager Checklist Important?
Let’s look at some of the ways this checklist can benefit your organization as a candidate moves through the interview process.
Consistency. Throughout the hiring life-cycle of a potential employee, it’s good to maintain consistency as this is their first interaction with your organization. Creating a consistent process is a great asset to the hiring manager checklist.
Accuracy. Having different people within the organization interview each candidate brings a broader range of perspectives, but maintaining the same level of accuracy is extremely helpful and builds trust with the candidate. This can be accomplished through the hiring manager checklist and can help set your company apart from others.
Record retention. Interviews require appropriate record-keeping from all individuals involved. A hiring manager checklist that’s used throughout your organization is great for accurate record retention. Employees outside of HR will have a template to follow, creating a simpler process when it comes to filing and retaining the necessary information.
When to Use a Hiring Manager Checklist
When to use a hiring manager checklist is up to your organization’s flow of your hiring process. Some find it’s easier to have multiple checklists for different aspects of the hiring process, while others may consolidate them into one. Whichever option your organization feels is best, let’s review some specific scenarios when you’ll use these checklists.
Interview
Interviews can be intimidating for both the candidate and the interviewer. Using a checklist during an interview can help alleviate some of the stress and anxiety associated with this interaction. Your organization could have a checklist for hiring managers specific to interviews as a whole, or you could dial down further to be position-specific. Either way, an interview is a great time to use a hiring manager checklist.
Job Offer
After all interviews have been conducted, you can extend the offer and celebrate with your new employee should they accept the position. An organizational hiring manager checklist for this interaction will ensure this goes smoothly. This could include a script that your employee could say to the candidate, including all the information that should be relayed about the offer. Having a checklist ensures nothing will be left out during this critical discussion.
Onboarding
Without fail, when employees are onboarded, something gets missed, from giving out employee gifts to going over the company hierarchy. Give the employee conducting the onboarding a detailed checklist of how onboarding should look. This checklist can be company-wide or department-specific, but it should include how this interaction should go. Providing this checklist to any employee participating in the onboarding process can ensure consistency.
First Day
Even though the employee may have been onboarded, they may not have had their official “first day” in their department. Providing a checklist for the hiring manager for the first day ensures a smooth transition from the interview, job offer, onboarding, and first day. You’re creating cohesion as an organization and showing your new employee that your company takes pride in ensuring everything is completed and consistent.
What Should Be Included in a Hiring Manager Checklist
As noted above, these checklists can be used for a number of things throughout the employee life-cycle, but the best items stay the same. Creating an overall checklist to be utilized in multiple situations would be extremely helpful.
Appropriate Interview Questions
Anytime an interview involves employees outside of HR, it’s beneficial to assist them with appropriate interview questions. This could be a checklist or template for the hiring manager to use when they are unsure what questions to ask. Often the hiring manager will have specific questions to review with the candidate-specific to the position, but providing them with a checklist can ensure they ask the questions appropriately and don’t leave anything out.
Company-Specific Items
As an organization, there may be key items you pride yourself on such as values, mission statement, and company goals. etc. Articulating these on a checklist for your hiring managers is beneficial. Think of this as anything your organization views as non-negotiable for an employee. Having it on the checklist ensures it never gets overlooked.
Dos and Don'ts
Always include a legal and company-specific list of do’s and don'ts. By having this information on your checklist, you’re taking out some of the guesswork for the hiring managers. This is your recommended best practice for them as they tackle interviews, job offers, onboarding, and first days. Providing as much HR-specific assistance on this checklist allows for a smoother transition into your company for all employees.
Topics
Shalie Reich
Shalie has over 4 years of experience working in a variety of HR positions and organizations including: working as an HR department "of one", working with a start-up based in Europe, to working in a fully established robust USA based HR department. Shalie has experience in multiple states and countries with all aspects of the HR spectrum. She has a passion to share her knowledge and experience to benefit the HR profession!
The checklist should be updated as hiring policies change. If your organization updates any version of the hiring process, part of this process should be to update the checklist.
You’ll want to find the pressure points or the cracks in your organization and fill them in with this checklist to help the processes moving forward.
When HR passes the baton to the hiring manager to conduct interviews, assist with onboarding or conduct orientation, it can be overwhelming for both the manager and HR. The solution: a comprehensive hiring manager checklist! Keep reading to see how this checklist can benefit your organization and ensure you’re creating a smooth transition for all employees.
At some point in the hiring process, the hiring manager will make the decision on a hire. That could take place at the second round interview or even during a phone screen. The when can change from company to company, but the “what” — the hiring manager checklist — should stay the same. This is a tool you’re giving these managers to better equip them for initial interviews, job offers or the final stages of the hiring process. This checklist allows the recruiting process to proceed effectively from person to person within the organization.
Why Is a Hiring Manager Checklist Important?
Let’s look at some of the ways this checklist can benefit your organization as a candidate moves through the interview process.
Consistency. Throughout the hiring life-cycle of a potential employee, it’s good to maintain consistency as this is their first interaction with your organization. Creating a consistent process is a great asset to the hiring manager checklist.
Accuracy. Having different people within the organization interview each candidate brings a broader range of perspectives, but maintaining the same level of accuracy is extremely helpful and builds trust with the candidate. This can be accomplished through the hiring manager checklist and can help set your company apart from others.
Record retention. Interviews require appropriate record-keeping from all individuals involved. A hiring manager checklist that’s used throughout your organization is great for accurate record retention. Employees outside of HR will have a template to follow, creating a simpler process when it comes to filing and retaining the necessary information.
When to Use a Hiring Manager Checklist
When to use a hiring manager checklist is up to your organization’s flow of your hiring process. Some find it’s easier to have multiple checklists for different aspects of the hiring process, while others may consolidate them into one. Whichever option your organization feels is best, let’s review some specific scenarios when you’ll use these checklists.
Interview
Interviews can be intimidating for both the candidate and the interviewer. Using a checklist during an interview can help alleviate some of the stress and anxiety associated with this interaction. Your organization could have a checklist for hiring managers specific to interviews as a whole, or you could dial down further to be position-specific. Either way, an interview is a great time to use a hiring manager checklist.
Job Offer
After all interviews have been conducted, you can extend the offer and celebrate with your new employee should they accept the position. An organizational hiring manager checklist for this interaction will ensure this goes smoothly. This could include a script that your employee could say to the candidate, including all the information that should be relayed about the offer. Having a checklist ensures nothing will be left out during this critical discussion.
Onboarding
Without fail, when employees are onboarded, something gets missed, from giving out employee gifts to going over the company hierarchy. Give the employee conducting the onboarding a detailed checklist of how onboarding should look. This checklist can be company-wide or department-specific, but it should include how this interaction should go. Providing this checklist to any employee participating in the onboarding process can ensure consistency.
First Day
Even though the employee may have been onboarded, they may not have had their official “first day” in their department. Providing a checklist for the hiring manager for the first day ensures a smooth transition from the interview, job offer, onboarding, and first day. You’re creating cohesion as an organization and showing your new employee that your company takes pride in ensuring everything is completed and consistent.
What Should Be Included in a Hiring Manager Checklist
As noted above, these checklists can be used for a number of things throughout the employee life-cycle, but the best items stay the same. Creating an overall checklist to be utilized in multiple situations would be extremely helpful.
Appropriate Interview Questions
Anytime an interview involves employees outside of HR, it’s beneficial to assist them with appropriate interview questions. This could be a checklist or template for the hiring manager to use when they are unsure what questions to ask. Often the hiring manager will have specific questions to review with the candidate-specific to the position, but providing them with a checklist can ensure they ask the questions appropriately and don’t leave anything out.
Company-Specific Items
As an organization, there may be key items you pride yourself on such as values, mission statement, and company goals. etc. Articulating these on a checklist for your hiring managers is beneficial. Think of this as anything your organization views as non-negotiable for an employee. Having it on the checklist ensures it never gets overlooked.
Dos and Don'ts
Always include a legal and company-specific list of do’s and don'ts. By having this information on your checklist, you’re taking out some of the guesswork for the hiring managers. This is your recommended best practice for them as they tackle interviews, job offers, onboarding, and first days. Providing as much HR-specific assistance on this checklist allows for a smoother transition into your company for all employees.
Topics
Shalie Reich
Shalie has over 4 years of experience working in a variety of HR positions and organizations including: working as an HR department "of one", working with a start-up based in Europe, to working in a fully established robust USA based HR department. Shalie has experience in multiple states and countries with all aspects of the HR spectrum. She has a passion to share her knowledge and experience to benefit the HR profession!
The checklist should be updated as hiring policies change. If your organization updates any version of the hiring process, part of this process should be to update the checklist.
You’ll want to find the pressure points or the cracks in your organization and fill them in with this checklist to help the processes moving forward.