LinkedIn is a professional networking site that every hiring manager should be a part of. The first step of using LinkedIn is that you should consider LinkedIn as your "White Pages". LinkedIn is designed to facilitate conversation between people and showcases your professional strengths. Hiring managers are integral to the hiring process and should share profiles and projects with recruiters thus defining the characteristics of the ideal candidate with the right skill set.

Hiring managers should treat the hiring process as the most important strategic planning of their company because every new employee will either be of benefit to the company or hurt it in some way. Managers should be seeking and hiring people that will help the company to grow.

The question "What personalities flourish here?" is critical. Most managers are easily able to identify the type of person who would be successful in their company and should be able to obtain the information as to whether or not that person would be a good fit.

It’s important to remember that every manager is responsible to his team, helping them to do their job more efficiently in order to be more successful. A manager should focus on getting to know each candidate, his skills, experience, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, to better reveal whether or not he is likely going to be successful in the position.

Here are a few characteristics of a "great" hiring manager and shows the passion he has for his job. "A true leader":

1. "rarely brags" and is the last to talk of his/her accomplishments.

2. always is first at scheduled meetings, understanding that they lead by example.

3. efficiently uses time; using every available second to stay on top of his game, responding to emails, and catching up in those spare moments in his schedule.

4. always respects others’ space and gives the team time to get their work done and understands that micromanaging won’t move a project any faster.

5. friendly but is not your friend. This is keeping a healthy level of distance which is necessary for keeping relationships in perspective, allowing the right decision to be made for the company.

6. staying above the fray, (so to speak); never gossiping, knowing that this affects company morale and impacts overall performance.

7. never complains because he knows that he is responsible and that any negativity creates a domino effect throughout the company. So he always will seek a way to change the situation to make it positive.

8. knows that he can’t do everything so he surrounds himself with people that he can depend on to get tasks accomplished. He realizes that his success is in the accomplishments of others.

9. is quiet and unassuming but is consistent in his approach and message.

10. is responsive in that he understands that a lack of responsiveness impacts the overall company.

A hiring manager should always write a clear & concise job description, defining the job and position requirements necessary for someone to be successful. You then will have a road map to follow for evaluating the candidate against the criteria to determine who will be the best fit.

A manager must be able to provide a clear answer when you ask about quarterly goals for the position being filled. If he cannot, it really should be a red flag that he hasn’t set clear expectations for the position.

When a manager tells you that "you won’t have any challenges" in answer to your query relative to "what is the biggest challenge to be faced in this position?", you may want to dig deeper before making an offer or accepting a position.

At the end of the day, taking a serious approach to hiring can save time and a lot of headaches.

Have any questions? Ask our clinical trial staffing team and we will be happy to help!

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts

www.craresources.com