What is an intake meeting?
An intake meeting helps align the expectations of the hiring manager and the human resources (HR) team to prepare for the hiring process. It can help clarify the job requirements, salary range, hiring timeline and steps in the screening process before recruitment begins.
Recruiters typically lead intake meetings with hiring managers before the hiring process starts for an open position. The participants discuss specific job details to ensure they have the necessary information about the position.
Topics typically covered in an intake call or meeting include:
- Job title
- Skills-based job description
- Salary range
- Goals of the hiring process
- Desired candidate qualifications
- Screening and interviewing steps
- Ideal time-to-fill and time-to-hire
- Recruitment and sourcing methods
Benefits of an intake meeting
Conducting an intake meeting helps establish straightforward communication between the recruitment professional and the hiring manager. Specific benefits may include:
- Streamlined hiring process: Discussing goals and needs before recruiting for a position helps ensure both parties have the necessary information.
- Effective hiring decisions: Having a clear idea of what the hiring manager is looking for allows the recruiter to develop effective hiring strategies and attract quality candidates.
- Better candidate experiences: By understanding the open position, recruiters can confidently discuss the role with potential hires to improve the candidate experience.
How to conduct an intake meeting with a hiring manager
Conducting a successful intake meeting requires adequate preparation and a strategic meeting agenda. Consider these four steps:
1. Develop a recruitment kick-off meeting template
A clear agenda helps ensure the meeting is productive and effective. You can create a general meeting template to help guide recruiters and serve as a checklist to discuss the relevant details. Sections may include:
- Background information about the position
- Compensation plan
- Job details, including duties and responsibilities
- Assessments and interviews
- Questions for the hiring manager
2. Research the position
With the information provided by the hiring manager, the recruiter can research the role, industry and current job market to formulate a hiring plan, including the competitive salary for that role. Assessing the talent market helps recruiters determine the competitive pay for job seekers in that field.
Research also helps the recruiter estimate how long it might take to hire for the position and what types of recruiting strategies, such as using job boards or attending job fairs, may be effective. This information can introduce additional questions for the hiring manager, such as how flexible the hiring timeline is.
3. Conduct the meeting
During the conversation between the hiring manager and recruiter, they may share and ask questions, revealing additional details. Here’s an example of questions for each topic above:
- Background information about the position: What are the expectations for this position? How does this role contribute to company objectives?
- Compensation plan: Do you have a salary in mind? Do you plan to offer bonuses or employee bonuses, such as health insurance, paid time off (PTO) or a 401(k)?
- Job details, including duties and responsibilities: Who will the new hire report to? What are the role’s duties and responsibilities?
- Assessments and interviews: Do you use a standardized interview process? How many interview rounds do you plan to use, and does the format involve virtual, in-person or panel interviews?
- Questions for the hiring manager: What does a day on the job look like? What are important company values ?
4. Perform follow-up activities
After the meeting, the recruiter can review the information gathered and potentially adjust their recruitment plan. This should align with the hiring timeline for recruiting, screening, interviewing and onboarding the new hire.
Questions to include in your recruitment kick-off meeting template
By asking strategic questions to hiring managers, recruiters may be more likely to find quality candidates. Examples of intake meeting questions to consider are:
- Is this a new position, or are you replacing a previous employee ?
- What is the structure of the department, and where does this position fit?
- Will the new hire interact with other departments or professionals within the company?
- What are the essential skills and qualifications the candidate needs to be successful in this role?
- What are the preferred qualifications for the position?
- What makes this position unique?
- What is the salary range for the position, and is there any room to increase this range?
- Are there additional benefits or perks you plan to offer the new hire?
- How soon do you need the new hire in the role?
- What stages do you want to include in the screening and interview process?
- What types of interviews do you plan to conduct?
- Who will participate in the selection process?
- What is the natural progression or career path for this role?
Frequently asked questions about an intake meeting with a hiring manager
How long should an intake meeting last?
A typical intake meeting lasts between 30 minutes and an hour. However, some situations, such as complex roles or specialized positions, may require more time to discuss the hiring process. Completing research on the position and industry standards can save time during the meeting.
How do you know if an intake meeting is successful?
Successful intake meetings result in an understanding and alignment between the participants. The hiring manager has realistic expectations of the hiring timeline and potential barriers based on the current market. Meanwhile, the recruiter understands the time constraints and unique needs of the department.
Monitoring recruitment metrics can help you evaluate the effectiveness of intake meetings. Successful meetings help improve cost to hire, time to hire and retention rates.
