How to Answer: Tell me about a time when you had to tell a hiring manager that they had a very difficult to fill role. How did you handle that situation?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Staffing Manager job interview.
5. Tell me about a time when you had to tell a hiring manager that they had a very difficult to fill role. How did you handle that situation?
How to Answer
Everyone who has been a recruiter long enough has had a role they knew would be a struggle to recruit for. Luckily, most hiring managers are aware of specific roles that will be difficult to recruit for. By asking this question, your interviewer is trying to find out how you handle these situations and what recommendations you will make to the hiring managers at their organization. As you answer, try to stay focused on championing a solid recruitment plan with your hiring managers.
Written by Amy Hagan on September 6th, 2021
Answer Example
"Luckily, I have not had many positions that I was unable to fill in a short amount of time. However, I have had a few. We often struggled to fill engineering positions, and one time we ran recruitment for 90 days and could not find any qualified applicants. I went to the hiring manager and made several suggestions. The first was to re-review the pay for the position, the second was to offer some remote work as a draw to attract new applicants, and finally, I was able to convince the manager to re-review the position to see if we were able to make any changes that would attract more candidates. We were able to fill the position 60 days after we made these changes. In this situation, it was vital to be able to adapt to a changing workforce."
Written by Amy Hagan on September 6th, 2021