blog
Posted On Thursday, September 11, 2025
Author: Philip Sampson (Account Director)
Ah, the recruiter-to-hiring-manager relationship—a delightful mix of excitement, frustration, and the occasional existential crisis. Your ability to navigate the many personalities you’ll encounter in the hiring world can make or break your success. To help you survive (and thrive), here’s a breakdown of the most common hiring manager types you’ll run into—and how to manage them like a boss.
This hiring manager is fascinated by recruitment. They’ll ask how you source candidates, what Boolean searches are, and whether “AI will replace recruiters” (again). At first, it’s flattering—they seem so engaged! But soon, they’re eating up hours of your day asking about things that have nothing to do with hiring their next team member.
How to Handle Them:
Set boundaries: Let them know you’re happy to share insights, but your priority is filling their role.
Keep it high level: Avoid jargon and keep explanations brief to prevent a deep dive into “Recruitment 101.”
Offer a workshop: If they’re that interested, suggest a training session (bonus points if HR pays you for it).
This hiring manager is sweet but clueless. They don’t know what skills they need, have no idea how to describe the role, and keep mixing up LinkedIn with Indeed. They’ve probably been burned by bad hires in the past, so they’re skeptical and overly cautious.
How to Handle Them:
Guide them gently: Provide clear job descriptions and interview structures so they don’t feel lost.
Use simple language: Avoid recruitment jargon—stick to relatable terms.
Put everything in writing: Send summaries of meetings and next steps to keep things on track.
They’ve been hiring for years and think they could do your job better than you. They’ll challenge your candidate choices, ignore market trends, and insist on only hiring from “top-tier” companies (even though their budget says otherwise).
How to Handle Them:
Stroke their ego (a little): Acknowledge their experience while subtly guiding them toward reality.
Pick your battles: Let them win the small stuff so you have leverage when it really matters.
Present data: Know-It-Alls love facts. Show them market reports, salary benchmarks, and time-to-fill stats to support your recommendations.
A well-intentioned hiring manager who really wants to be involved—maybe a little too much. They’ll forward résumés they found on job boards, suggest "a friend of a friend" for an interview, and try to rewrite your job postings.
How to Handle Them:
Give them small tasks: Ask them to refine the job description or shortlist internal referrals—keep them busy but not in the way.
Set clear roles: Remind them that while their input is valuable, recruitment is your expertise.
Encourage structured feedback: Give them a template for evaluating candidates so they don’t derail the process.
This hiring manager wants the best talent for the lowest cost. They’ll ask if a candidate will take a pay cut “for the opportunity” and try to negotiate recruiter fees like it’s a flea market.
How to Handle Them:
Educate them on market rates: Show salary data so they understand what’s competitive.
Set expectations early: Make it clear that quality talent isn’t always the cheapest option.
Have a firm pricing structure: Avoid getting pulled into endless haggling.
They want a candidate who’s a visionary, has 15+ years of experience in an emerging field, and will magically fit into their non-existent budget. Their job descriptions read like wish lists for superheroes.
How to Handle Them:
Bring them back to reality: Gently explain that their dream candidate likely doesn’t exist (or has six job offers already).
Ask for priorities: Get them to rank their must-haves versus nice-to-haves.
Show real examples: Provide profiles of actual candidates so they can adjust their expectations.
They needed this hire yesterday. They’ll send emails at 6 AM, expect candidates within 24 hours, and act like you have a magic recruitment wand.
How to Handle Them:
Set realistic timelines: Explain that rushing leads to bad hires (which takes even longer to fix).
Stay organized: Prioritize tasks so you don’t burn out trying to meet their urgent demands.
Use urgency strategically: If they move fast, make sure they also speed up approvals and interviews.
They’re managing the hiring process, but they have zero decision-making power. Every choice has to go up the chain, leading to frustrating delays and confusion.
How to Handle Them:
Batch your questions: Instead of back-and-forth emails, send a list of questions for them to get answers all at once.
Prepare for slow responses: Factor in delays when setting timelines.
Don’t waste time over-explaining: Just give them key details—they’re just the messenger.
Your dream hiring manager! They trust your expertise, don’t micromanage, and just want the job done right. They’ll let you take the lead, approve recommendations quickly, and won’t demand daily check-ins.
How to Handle Them:
Respect their time: Keep updates concise and to the point.
Be proactive: Since they trust you, take the initiative in making decisions.
Maintain a strong relationship: These hiring managers are gold—do what you can to keep working with them!
Every hiring manager is different, but with the right approach, you can turn even the most challenging ones into successful partners. Whether you're dealing with a Dreamer, a Sprinter, or a Know-It-All, a little strategy (and patience) goes a long way.
Now, tell me—which hiring manager type have you encountered the most? And which one makes you want to mute your email notifications forever? 😆