Hiring Managers: Who else should be interviewing your candidates?

The interview process can vary based on the company and role—but especially as remote interviews become the norm, it’s pretty clear that a single conversation with just the hiring manager won’t cut it.

I’ve long advised against companies taking too long to evaluate potential talent, but it does take some time to figure out if a candidate will fit in, and indeed if the company is the right fit for them. The interview should therefore involve several stages, and a variety of people and perspectives.

So, who else should you involve?

Human Resources

Some hiring managers will take HR out of the interview equation, thinking they are doing the candidate, or themselves, a favor. The department can be synonymous with red tape and formalities, making for a more “official” experience, while adding little to a hiring managers ability to assess the technical skills needed for the job. In reality, candidates often want the HR perspective on the company. Not only is this the person they will need to go to if they ever have a problem, but there could be questions about broader employment aspects like benefits they may not wish to ask the hiring manager—or that the hiring manager won’t know the answer to. Further, HR professionals are trained to help hiring managers put together a far more structured, comprehensive process that also combats any potential biases, so take advantange by getting them involved from the outset.

Your Manager

In other words, the role two steps (or more) above the candidate, whether that’s a VP of Procurement, CPO, or even a member of the C-Suite. This will enable the candidate to place their role into further context, see the importance of what they’ll be doing and how it fits into the bigger picture, and understand the company’s overall vision and its ambitions for the procurement department. It’s also a great way to showcase potential career growth if that person has a track record of moving up within the company.

A future peer

“What’s it really like to work here?” This will be the question on every candidate’s mind, but they won’t usually get the answer they need from a hiring manager or a corporate video. If someone who reports to the same hiring manager can talk sincerely about how happy they are in their job, and of the support and recognition they get from you, this will be a substantial competitive advantage—not least because it shows the company wasn’t nervous about what they would say. It also gives a better view of how the candidate will gel with his/her teammates.

An internal stakeholder

Lastly, the candidate should meet someone they’ll be supporting from one of the business groups outside of their department. If it’s an IT Category Manager you’re hiring, then they should meet someone from the technology organization. Again, this will help place the role into context and give them a feel for who they will be supporting and dealing with on a day-to-day basis, as well as what kind of opinion the wider business has of the procurement function today.

Too many cooks?

In my opinion, three to five people is the right number for a candidate to meet during the interview process—but it’s arbitrary unless they all add value. Each person should have a role to play in evaluating the candidate, as well as displaying different aspects of the company and the job to attract the right person. In my experience, many of those involved don’t coordinate or prepare well in advance and, instead, end up asking the same questions as each other—so come up with a strategy beforehand outlining what you want to get out of each conversation.

Finally, of course, all these insights should be taken on board, but it needs to be clear from the start how a decision will be made and who has the final say. Decide and clarify how much weighting will be given to each opinion and if a consensus is needed.

How many people do you introduce a candidate to when hiring? And as a candidate, who would you like to meet that is not on this list?