Understanding the Role of Recruiters vs. HR Managers in Job Interviews: What Are They Looking For?

Respected Seniors, I am looking forward to an elaborated answer to a basic question about HR. I’ve done enough research before posting this question to ensure that I am not wasting the valuable time of seniors in the forum. Kindly reply:

Purpose of Initial Interaction with Recruiter

1) What is the purpose of the initial interaction of a recruiter with a candidate, and how does it differ from the final interaction with the senior HR person at the end of the recruitment process? For example, Mr. A took my first round; he was a recruiter, and after a few technical rounds, Ms. B took my HR round; she was the HR manager.

Purpose of Multiple Interactions

2) What was the purpose of talking to two different people from the same department working at different levels?

Evaluation Parameters

3) On what parameters was I being judged by Mr. A and Ms. B?

Looking forward to your valuable inputs.

Regards,

Understanding the Recruitment Process

The first interviewer may check the CV, communication skills, compensation, etc., and make an assessment based on his or her skills. If the candidate does not meet the required standards, they may get screened out immediately.

Subsequent interviews may focus on similar aspects but with the input of a more senior interviewer. This can serve as a re-validation of the junior's assessment. On the other hand, it could also influence the decision positively or negatively.

Recruitment is not an exact science, regardless of efforts to make it one. It typically involves a consensus among a group of individuals, starting from the initial screening of CVs without candidate interaction and concluding with the final decision-maker choosing from a panel of pre-approved candidates.

Each situation is unique, and there may be borderline cases where a candidate, initially rejected, could be suitable for other or future positions. In such cases, the HR head, with a broader perspective, is consulted.

Please let me know if you need further assistance with your text.

Let me answer you in simple words:

Purpose of Initial Interaction with Mr. A

The basic purpose of this interaction is to check whether the candidate is fulfilling the basic criteria/eligibility of the position or not, to save the time of further interviewers.

Purpose of Final Interaction with Ms. B

Generally, this interaction is done to ensure the behavioral/moral attributes of the candidate are on par with the requirements of the position/company. This round is also conducted to finalize the offer, which includes joining time, salary negotiation, etc.

Purpose of Talking to Two Different People from the Same Department Working on Different Levels

Generally, recruiters are at a junior level where they may not be able to assess the candidate perfectly on all HR aspects, and offer negotiation cannot be finalized at the initial stage. Therefore, a final HR round with the manager is conducted to ensure a smooth selection process.

I hope the above explanation answers your queries.

Hi Janardan, the basic purpose of interviewing a candidate at two levels in the same department is as follows:

1. The junior officer verifies the contents of the resume and also assesses the candidate's communication skills, reasons for leaving the previous organization, etc.
2. The senior executive evaluates the relevance of the candidate's experience and determines their suitability for the specific job within the organization.

I hope this simple clarification alleviates any concerns you may have.

Regards,
S.K. Johri

Dear Mr. Jordan, If I understood correctly from what you posted here, I visualize it like this based on your post: Was this recruiter 'A' an external agency, and was 'B' from the HR of a firm who is the ultimate employer? If so, Mr. A, who works for B, screened all the responses received, shortlisted them, and conducted the preliminary assessment of whether or not the applicants shortlisted fulfill, prima facie, the selection criteria given to them. Then, they pass on those found fit to the HR after 'a few technical rounds' by the employer team. 'B' had her task on hand with you after the essential rounds, viz., filtration on the basis of essentials—academic, experience, and technical. What was left? Fixation of remuneration and other matters like place of postings, work responsibilities, joining time, etc. Many firms finish these rounds in one or two in-person, one-to-one/team, and the rest over the phone as well. It depends on the company's policies/procedures, the convenience of interview panelists/availability & suitability of the candidates, etc. Some firms finish the process in a maximum of two rounds—one by a team consisting of both initial verification and technical suitability in one round and other admin/HR matters in the second round and take it to the 'offer' stage. Some others might finish it all in one round itself depending on the exigencies and status/criticality of the post. The process will differ from firm to firm depending on various factors. We cannot perceive all would follow one and the same methodology.

Regards,