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Loren was not happy. “I have a person on my team, a mid-level manager, who is always late on hiring. We get busy around here and she is always one person short. And we know ahead of time when we are going to be busy. But hiring is always something that can be put off, until it’s too late and you really need the person.”
“What do you think you should do?” I asked.
“I always end up jumping in. At the end of the day, I am the one who drives the recruiting process for her.”
“So, you are the manager-once-removed for the open position. You end up driving the process. Who makes the final hiring decision?”
Loren (MOR)
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Hiring manager
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Open role
Loren had a puzzled look on her face. “Yes, I am the manager-once-removed. But, the hiring manager has to make the decision. Sometimes, I will make a very strong recommendation, but the hiring manager ultimately has, at minimum, veto authority on the hire.”
“And, what if I told you that was the way it works best. You are the manager-once-removed. Your role is quarterback, the hiring manager makes the final decision. So, what are you frustrated about?”
“I guess I am not frustrated with being the quarterback. I am frustrated because the process is always late,” Loren realized.
“But, if you are truly the quarterback, you just have to get your hiring manager into the huddle earlier.”
“You are really piling on the sports analogy,” Loren complained.
“I know, I know, couldn’t help myself. Football starts soon,” I defended. “So, how could you get your hiring manager to the huddle sooner?”
Loren thought for a bit. “We know when we are going to be busy. Perhaps I should draw up a personnel staffing plan, that gives us lead times to hire, so we get the new hire out of training about the time we get busy.”