2026
–A Ten Part Series–
Part Eight
by
Bob Marshall
June 23rd, 2026
Part Eight – The Personality of the Hiring Manager (HM)
One of the most overlooked aspects of recruiting is understanding the personality of the Hiring Manager.
Most recruiters focus almost exclusively on the technical requirements of the position. They spend hours identifying the right skills, experience, certifications, industry background, and compensation expectations. All of those things are important.
But here’s the question:
Who is the person making the hiring decision?
What schools did they attend?
What organizations do they belong to?
What are their interests outside of work?
What motivates them?
How do they communicate?
Are they analytical and detail-oriented, or are they fast-moving and entrepreneurial?
The more you understand the Hiring Manager as a person, the more effective you become as a recruiter.
Years ago, I learned that placements are often made for reasons that never appear on a job description.
Let’s say a Hiring Manager’s passion is deep-sea shark fishing. Not the casual weekend fishing trip—but the kind where he actually dives into the water and catches sharks with his bare hands and a knife.
Now imagine that during your search, you uncover a Candidate who happens to share the same passion.
The Candidate may not be the perfect technical match for the opening. In fact, he may come from a slightly different engineering discipline altogether.
But when you call the Hiring Manager and say:
“I know you were looking for an Electrical Engineer. What I’ve uncovered is an Industrial Engineer who is highly successful, has solved many of the same problems you’re facing, and interestingly enough, shares your passion for shark fishing.”
Do you think that Hiring Manager is going to take the meeting?
Of course he is.
Why?
Because you’ve created immediate rapport before the interview even begins.
Now, I’m not suggesting that hobbies should outweigh qualifications. The Candidate must still be capable of doing the job.
What I am suggesting is that people hire people they connect with.
When a strong technical fit is combined with a strong personality fit, the probability of a successful placement increases dramatically.
Too many recruiters spend all their time trying to make the perfect technical match while completely ignoring the human side of the equation.
Then they wonder why two highly qualified individuals sit down together and nothing happens.
The answer is often simple.
The chemistry wasn’t there.
The personalities didn’t complement one another.
The values didn’t align.
The communication styles were completely different.
In today’s recruiting market, cultural fit, communication style, adaptability, and shared values are often just as important as technical competence.
The best recruiters think beyond resumes.
They think beyond job descriptions.
They think beyond skills.
They learn what is happening behind the scenes.
Because at the end of the day, companies don’t hire resumes.
Hiring Managers hire people.
And people hire people they trust, respect, and enjoy working with.
An Illustrative Story
Several years ago, a recruiter I was coaching was working on a difficult engineering search. He had identified several candidates who were technically outstanding, but none of them generated much enthusiasm from the Hiring Manager.
Frustrated, he spent more time learning about the manager himself.
During a conversation, he discovered that the Hiring Manager was an avid private pilot who spent most weekends flying small aircraft.
A few days later, the recruiter interviewed a candidate whose resume was strong, though perhaps not the strongest in the group. During the conversation, he learned that the candidate was also a licensed pilot.
The recruiter immediately recognized the connection.
When the interview took place, the discussion quickly moved beyond engineering and into flying, aircraft maintenance, navigation, and favorite airports.
The two spent nearly twenty minutes discussing aviation before returning to the position itself.
The candidate received an offer.
Was he hired because he was a pilot?
No.
He was hired because he was qualified and because a natural connection developed that allowed both parties to build trust more quickly.
The lesson is simple:
Never stop at the job order.
Learn the person behind the job order.
Sometimes the difference between a send-out and a placement is found in details that never appear on a resume.
Next week: Part Nine – The Call Back
Bob Marshall began his recruiting career over 46 years ago at MR in Reno, NV. In 1986 he established The Bob Marshall Group, International, where he has trained recruiters throughout the United States and also in the United Kingdom, Malta and Cyprus. With a dedication to executive recruiting, he continues to offer his proven training systems to individuals, firms, and private corporations both domestic and in select international territories. To learn more about his activities and descriptions of his products and services, contact him directly @770-898-5550/470-456-0386(cell); bob@themarshallplan.org; or visit his website @ www.TheMarshallPlan.org.
Bob Marshall
President
TBMG, International
247 Bryans Drive, Suite 100
McDonough, GA 30252-2513
770-898-5550
520-842-5550 (fax)