Interviewing with a Recruiter vs a Hiring Manager: Prepare for the Right Round

Recruiters and hiring managers look for different things. Learn what each asks, what answers they want and what to ask back, so you prepare for the right round.

You prepared to describe your proudest project in detail, but the first call was a recruiter who only asked your expected salary, when you could start and why you want to move. When you reached the team lead round, your answers were too short and they had to probe again and again. These two rounds are very different, and preparing the same answers for both quietly costs you chances.

Who recruiters and hiring managers are

• Recruiter: manages the hiring process, either in-house HR or from an agency. Their job is to screen candidates down to those who meet the basic requirements and terms that can be agreed
• Hiring manager: the manager you would actually work for. They want someone who can solve the team's problems and whom they can work with every day

At small companies or startups one person may play both roles, for example the owner interviewing from the first round. In that case, prepare both the basics and your work stories, and notice which side they probe.

The recruiter round: what they look for

Common questions

• Tell me briefly about yourself
• Why are you looking for a new job?
• Expected salary and start date
• Are the work location and working arrangement okay for you?

How to answer

The recruiter has to summarise you for the hiring manager. Answer clearly and briefly, using words that match the job post, since they may not be a technical expert in the field. Instead of describing code, say for example: "I look after the app's payment system, use the language listed in the post, and work directly with the product team."

For salary, give a range you have researched and say you are flexible depending on the total package. Read more in Answering the salary question.

Questions to ask back

• How many interview rounds are there, and roughly how long does it take?
• How big is the team, and who does this role report to?
• Is there anything I should prepare for the team lead round?

The last question is very useful, because recruiters want the candidates they send forward to succeed.

The hiring manager round: what they look for

Common questions

• Describe a project similar to this team's work
• What would you do in this situation?
• How do you work with people who disagree with you?
• What would you start with in your first three months?

How to answer

Go into more detail and be concrete. Use STAR: situation, task, what you did and the result. Focus on what you personally did and the decisions you made. Hiring managers want to see how you think, not just results.

The recruiter asks whether you fit. The hiring manager asks whether you can help the team.

Questions to ask back

• What is the team's biggest problem right now?
• What separates someone who does this role very well from someone who does it adequately?
• How do you like the team to communicate and report progress?

How preparation differs

• Before the recruiter round: a 60-second self-introduction, salary range, start date and a positive reason for moving
• Before the hiring manager round: three or four STAR stories matching the main duties in the post, research on the team's product or service, and a rough 90-day plan

Common mistakes

• Treating the recruiter round as a formality and not preparing
• Using too much jargon with the recruiter, so they cannot summarise you
• Answering the hiring manager too briefly, so your thinking does not show
• Giving inconsistent information across rounds, such as your reason for leaving, because the two will talk

If the first round is a screening call, read more in Phone screening interviews.

How to start

1. Ask the recruiter early how many rounds there are and who each one is with
2. Write a 60-second self-introduction and a researched salary range
3. Pick STAR stories that match the main duties in the post
4. Prepare two or three questions to ask back for each round
5. After each round, note what you heard to use in the next one

To practise both kinds of questions before the day, try interview practice in Interview Lab, and find more questions to ask in Questions to ask your interviewer.