6 Principles to Build a Strong Recruiter-Hiring Manager Relationship

In a recent presentation to a room full of recruiters and HR practitioners, I asked jokingly, "Who here has dealt with a hiring manager who wants the Queen of England to manage the marketing department for $60K a year?" I got a roar of laughs and 300 hands in the air. This is not an uncommon scenario to anyone who's been in the industry long enough!

Recruiters recruit and hiring managers hire — it's as simple as it is complex. As recruiters, we scout, source, advertise, sell, screen, assess and build the best strategy to get to the best person. Hiring managers are responsible for the final decision of whether that person will join the team.

Robert Cialdini is a world-renowned psychologist and best-selling author of "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion." In this work, he notes that influence is based on six key principles: Reciprocity, Commitment and consistency, Social proof, Liking, Authority, and Scarcity.

Leveraging the power of influence, we recruiters can set expectations for hiring managers and use our expertise to find the best person for the job. Let's look at how each principle can help you build a better recruiter-hiring manager relationship.