INSIDE THE 
NEWS + ADVICE
Understanding the Cleared Hiring Process
In your cleared job search it’s important not only to trust in the process but to understand the process. It’s important to understand how recruiters and hiring managers work so that your actions help move the process forward, not hinder it.
Who’s Who in the Zoo – And What They Do
Hiring Manager
- Operational Manager authorized to hire new employee
- Daily focus remains on the production/mission accomplishment
- Recruiting is not their “real job”
Recruiter
- Interfaces with both job seekers and hiring managers
- Focuses on guiding both through the process
Sourcer
- Focuses on finding people
- Frequently uses resume database tools such as niche job boards like ClearedJobs.Net
- Verifies basic certifications and requirements
The relationship between the hiring manager and the recruiter is extremely critical in the process. It’s a partnership that works well when the two communicate clearly. The hiring manager needs to be precise – and reasonable – in the skills and qualifications they desire. Unfortunately, the hiring manager is also responsible for meeting the mission with an understaffed team (hence the need to hire) which often makes it difficult to participate in the process as much as they would like.
The recruiter’s job is to identify candidates who meet these requirements and bring a manageable number of resumes to the hiring manager for consideration on whom to interview. Once the hiring manager chooses the individuals to interview, the recruiters will then reach out and make the arrangements.
While the function of a hiring manager, recruiter, and sourcer can be completely separate functions in a very large organization, it’s not uncommon for the tasks of recruiting and sourcing to be combined under a single individual. At a small company one person may actually perform all three tasks.
A recruiter works from requisitions and may be working with differing hiring managers or sourcing for several jobs for one manager, so each process is unique. If you see multiple job postings at one company, that doesn’t mean that the same recruiter is handling all of these assignments.
Preferred Sources of Hire
Part of the hiring process includes looking at sources for identifying appropriate candidates. This may vary depending on the size of the company, but these categories are pretty common throughout the industry.
- Internal promotions
- Someone already working in the organization
- Internal referrals
- Someone they trust, who knows the job requirements, makes a personal recommendation
- Candidates recruiters and sourcers find
- Resumes from job boards
- Candidates from job fairs
- Professional organizations and conferences
- Social media
- Job seekers who find them
- Applications through website or job boards
Hiring is a risk, and the hiring process is designed to mitigate that risk. So it’s not surprising that unknown job seekers reaching out via job postings — also known as “applying blind” — is the lowest of the preferred choices for candidate sourcing.
The more the company knows you, the more likely they are to feel like they’re making a good decision. Moving up that ladder of trust requires some sort of relationship which means job seekers with a stronger professional network will have a leg up.
Step one is to accept that networking is not a dirty word. It’s also not just running around talking to everyone you meet. But it also isn’t really that difficult. Strategic networking is simply “marinating in your profession”. This just means being involved in your industry and your professional community. It means participating in professional development. It means remaining curious and asking questions. There are many opportunities to marinate, including industry conferences, volunteer organizations, and yes, even Job Fairs.
The more people in your industry that you speak with, the more you will learn about them. But more importantly, the more they will learn about you. Even if you end up applying to a job online, the relationship you make and the info you glean at events like these can still help you craft a much more focused resume that moves you into that slate of candidates to be interviewed. Once there, these relationships help you make a better connection during the interview process itself.
Understanding how the process works will make you a better candidate. Hopefully these thoughts will put you on a more direct path to a terrific new position.
Bob Wheeler is a ClearedJobs.Net Account Manager, a Navy veteran, a former recruiter and a certified veteran transition coach. You may reach Bob at [email protected].
