One of the most frustrating experiences for recruiters is losing a quality job candidate because of a hiring process bottleneck on the client side.  But what can a recruiter do?  Let’s take a look at a few tips:

1.     Build a relationship with the hiring manager that is based on a mutual respect and understanding of each other’s jobs.  Hiring managers who have a positive relationship with you are less likely to leave you and your candidate in hiring limbo.

2.     Educate your hiring managers about the importance of open communication and a smooth hiring process.  This education needs to begin before you job candidate becomes stuck in a hiring process bottleneck. Hiring managers who understand the risk of losing a strong candidate are less likely to tolerate lulls in the hiring process.

3.     Understand the hiring manager’s organization and educate yourself about how their hiring process usually works.  It’s ideal to learn about their hiring process through the direct experience of working with the hiring manager on various job orders over time; but if it’s your first time working with a client you may need to do a little digging.  Try to find out how long the hiring process usually takes and find out what obstacles can slow down  the process or even bring it to a screeching halt.

4.     Educate the job candidate about the employer’s hiring process and help them understand how long it will realistically take. If you’re faced with a hiring bottleneck, inform your job candidate immediately of any problems and keep them in the loop.