Hiring Manager vs. Recruiter: A Guide for Healthcare Facilities
Staffing a healthcare organization is not a simple task. It’s important to develop a strategic hiring team to help find the right candidates to fill open roles in your facility or residence. Hiring teams can come in many forms, which might make you wonder: What’s the difference between a hiring manager vs. recruiter?
While the two roles share many similarities, there are also some key differences. We’ll help explain the distinctions between hiring managers and recruiters when it comes to their roles, responsibilities, and the types of interviews they conduct.
Hiring Manager vs. Recruiter: What’s the Difference?
Recruiter
Healthcare recruiters are responsible for identifying and attracting qualified candidates for specific job openings within a company or organization. They can be employed by third-party staffing agencies or by the healthcare organizations themselves.
A recruiter’s main focus is to source candidates, perform initial screenings of qualifications and experience, and keep the interview process running smoothly. They’re typically the main point of contact for candidates, answering questions and scheduling new rounds of interviews.
You may be wondering: Do recruiters have a say in hiring? However, the answer isn’t a simple yes or no. While recruiters can certainly influence the decision by making recommendations to the other members of the hiring team, the final decision belongs to the hiring manager.
Hiring Manager
A hiring manager is typically an employee of the company with the final authority to make hiring decisions. They provide oversight in the recruitment process, which can include providing the recruiter with job requirements for the posting, conducting formal interviews, and ultimately selecting the individual who will be hired.
While a recruiter’s role focuses solely on finding candidates, a hiring manager is usually a leading member of the unit that the new hire will be assigned to. They have a more intimate knowledge of the role and are experienced in the areas of healthcare required for the position.
In the hiring process, it’s important that the recruiter and hiring manager relationship is solid because a coordinated effort will allow the hiring process to go more smoothly. Communication between the two roles should be consistent, clear, and purposeful.
Hiring Manager vs. Recruiter: Responsibilities
Every organization runs their hiring process in their own way, and may assign various parts of the hiring process to different positions. Despite this variability, here are some of the responsibilities typically associated with recruiters and hiring managers.
Recruiter
- Source qualified talent: Post and advertise new positions. Actively search for candidates through online platforms, job boards, professional networks, and healthcare-specific databases.
- Screen candidates: Review resumes, applications, and other required documentation to assess a candidate’s experience and general qualifications. Conduct preliminary interviews to evaluate suitability for a specific healthcare role and send applicants to the hiring manager.
- Coordinate interviews: Schedule interviews between candidates and other members of the hiring team. Serve as a point of contact to coordinate availability and reschedule as necessary.
- Collaborate with the hiring team: Share information with hiring managers and department heads to understand job requirements, align candidates to the role, and provide recommendations.
Hiring Manager
- Identify staffing needs: Work with department heads to determine staffing needs, address short staffing, and develop a plan to meet patient ratio requirements.
- Review top candidates: Review application information from top candidates. Conduct interviews — either in-person or virtually — to gather information about a candidate’s skills and whether they would fit within the organizational culture.
- Assess qualifications: Use specialized knowledge of the role and the day-to-day operations of the facility to assess a candidate’s fit. This process often occurs within a hiring team, which will weigh multiple perspectives.
- Communicate decision: Share the hiring choice with the recruiter or directly with the chosen candidate. Coordinate with the recruiter to negotiate the compensation package if necessary.
Hiring Manager vs. Recruiter: Interview Types
Recruiter
Interviews with recruiters are typically the first step after submitting an application. They’re focused on a candidate’s general qualifications, with the goal of determining whether they meet basic requirements for the position. The recruiter’s goal is to generate a list of candidates to send to the hiring team for further consideration.
Questions may cover basic healthcare knowledge, but without the specificity and depth that would take place in future interviews. Recruiters might ask questions about a candidate’s career goals, overall experience, and reasons for choosing their specific healthcare organization.
Hiring Manager
Interviewing with hiring managers usually takes place further along in the interview process, after the initial applicant pool has been screened. Their goal is to assess specialized skills and expertise, and gain information about whether a candidate would be able to perform the job successfully.
Hiring managers are responsible for asking more in-depth, targeted questions, and need to have a better idea of what to look for when hiring healthcare professionals. Their interview questions may address how a candidate would react to a hypothetical situation, the ways in which their past experiences have prepared them for the role, and how they respond to adversity.
Tired of Hiring Decisions? We’re Here to Help
Now that you understand the difference between a hiring manager vs. recruiter, there is another important question to ask: How can you fill open positions without the lengthy hiring process? A partnership with IntelyCare can stabilize your workforce fast by providing access to the quality nursing professionals your facility needs.