What Is a Hiring Manager and Why Are They Important?

Hiring the right people can make or break a company. Finding, evaluating, and selecting the right talent is a delicate process. That’s where hiring managers come in. They don’t just fill vacancies—they build teams, define company culture, and drive business growth. In today’s global and remote-first market, their role has never been more crucial.

The pressure on hiring managers remains immense in a complex market. According to SHRM’s 2025 Talent Trends report, 69% of organizations still face significant challenges in filling roles. This persistence is driven by a familiar-yet-evolving landscape of skills gaps, intense competition, and a lack of qualified candidates, underscoring the manager’s critical role in securing talent.

This rising pressure highlights the importance of hiring managers in ensuring recruitment efficiency and talent retention.

Yet, many businesses struggle to balance hiring efficiency with cost-effectiveness. This is where offshore staffing solutions like Penbrothers help companies scale without compromise.

Key Takeaways

• The Architect of the Team and the Final Decision-Maker: A hiring manager is the person responsible for the final hiring decision for a role on their specific team. Unlike a recruiter, who manages the process, the hiring manager owns the outcome and is directly responsible for the new hire’s integration and performance.
• A Critical Role in a Difficult Talent Market: In a competitive market where 69% of organizations face hiring challenges, the hiring manager’s skill is a key competitive advantage. Their ability to communicate clearly, assess fit accurately, and “sell” the role to top candidates directly impacts talent acquisition and retention.
• Responsibilities Go Far Beyond Just Interviewing: The hiring manager’s role covers the entire hiring lifecycle. Their key responsibilities include defining the job requirements, collaborating on screening, making the final selection, negotiating the offer, and, crucially, supporting the new hire’s onboarding and integration.
• Offshoring Management Roles Offers a Massive Cost Advantage: Companies can strategically build their management teams offshore. The cost savings are significant; for example, an HR Manager who costs an average of $123,134 annually in the U.S. can be hired in the Philippines for approximately $11,379, allowing a company to scale its leadership capacity cost-effectively.

What is a Hiring Manager?

A hiring manager is responsible for selecting and hiring candidates within their specific department or team. Unlike recruiters and HR professionals, they don’t just shortlist candidates—they make the final hiring decisions.

• Recruiters source and screen applicants.
• HR Professionals oversee company-wide HR functions.
• Hiring Managers assess role-specific qualifications, make final hiring decisions, and ensure new hires integrate seamlessly.

A hiring manager is the bridge between HR and operational success, ensuring that each new hire aligns with business goals.

Key Responsibilities of a Hiring Manager

1. Defining Job Requirements

Hiring managers work closely with HR and department leads to define job responsibilities and required qualifications. They ensure job descriptions are clear, realistic, and attract the right candidates.

The hiring manager’s communication is a primary factor in the candidate experience. Vague roles or a poor process are costly. In fact, 2025 data shows that 47% of candidates have withdrawn from a hiring process specifically due to poor communication, as noted in a 2025 Candidate Experience Report from JobScore. This highlights the manager’s direct responsibility for keeping top talent engaged from the first interview.

2. Screening & Interviewing Candidates

Hiring managers collaborate with recruiters to review resumes and pre-screen applicants. They conduct structured interviews to evaluate both technical and soft skills, ensuring a comprehensive assessment. Many hiring managers also utilize skills assessments and test projects to make objective, data-driven decisions.

While skills acquisition remains vital, the 2025 landscape shows a strategic shift. The top priority for HR professionals and their organizations is now “leadership and manager development” (51%), according to SHRM’s 2025 CHRO Priorities Report. Businesses recognize that a better manager is the new competitive advantage for attracting and retaining talent.

3. Making the Final Hiring Decision

Once candidates have gone through the screening process, hiring managers assess their cultural fit, skills, and overall alignment with team and business needs. They also negotiate compensation and job offers in collaboration with HR and leadership to ensure competitive and equitable pay structures.

Aligning compensation with market standards is non-negotiable. Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends report (or the most recent available) emphasizes that transparency and equity are key to meeting evolving workforce expectations. The hiring manager is on the front lines of communicating this value, negotiating offers that are both competitive and sustainable.

4. Supporting Onboarding & Integration

The responsibilities of hiring managers extend beyond hiring decisions. They play a crucial role in onboarding, ensuring that new hires have a smooth transition into the organization. This includes setting clear expectations, facilitating introductions, and providing mentorship opportunities.

Brandon Hall Group report shows that effective onboarding improves new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%, making this a critical responsibility for hiring managers.

Essential Skills of a Hiring Manager

1. Communication & Active Listening

• Clearly define job expectations and provide constructive candidate feedback.
• Build a positive candidate experience that attracts top talent.

2. Adaptability & Problem-Solving

• Stay ahead of industry trends, recruitment challenges, and evolving team needs.
• Address skill gaps, team misalignment, and remote hiring complexities.

3. Tech-Savviness & Data-Driven Decision-Making

• Leverage Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), virtual hiring platforms, and data analytics.
• Use hiring metrics to refine recruitment strategies and improve retention.

Looking to improve your offshore hiring strategy? Learn about how to build an effective offshore team here.

How Hiring Managers Influence Recruitment Success

A hiring manager’s influence extends beyond hiring. Their decisions affect:

• Company culture

Hiring managers have a significant impact on company culture. Every new hire they bring in alters team dynamics, affecting collaboration, morale, and workplace environment. A well-aligned hire can foster innovation and cohesion, while a poor fit can disrupt workflow and team synergy.

• Retention rates

Retention rates are also closely tied to hiring decisions. A poor hiring choice can result in high turnover, leading to increased recruitment costs, lost productivity, and decreased morale among existing employees. For instance, SHRM emphasizes that “poor hiring choices aren’t just expensive to replace; they’re also expensive during their tenure and can damage the reputation of an entire organization.”

• Business performance

From a business performance standpoint, hiring managers ensure that the right talent is brought in to drive efficiency and innovation. The right employees contribute to business growth by streamlining operations, improving customer experiences, and bringing new perspectives to problem-solving. Research from McKinsey & Company highlights that high-performing talent is 400% more productive than their average counterparts in complex roles.

Without an effective hiring manager, businesses face misalignment, lost productivity, and unnecessary hiring costs. Explore the challenges of talent acquisition and how hiring managers can overcome them here.

Common Hiring Managers and Cost Comparison

In every organization, managers from various departments act as the “hiring manager” for their team. The cost difference for this high-level talent is one of the most compelling reasons to build an offshore team.

Below is a 2025 comparison of average annual salaries for key management roles in the US versus the Philippines, based on current market data.

Operations Manager

Oversees daily business activities, optimizes workflows, and ensures efficiency in production, logistics, or service delivery.

Philippines Annual Salary:	~$21,630
United States Annual Salary:	~$106,635

HR Manager

Manages recruitment, employee relations, performance management, and compliance to support a productive workforce.

Philippines Annual Salary:	~$11,379
United States Annual Salary:	~$123,134

Marketing Manager

Develops and executes marketing strategies, campaigns, and branding efforts to drive business growth and customer engagement.

Philippines Annual Salary:	~$25,560
United States Annual Salary:	~$83,488

IT Manager

Leads the IT team, ensuring technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, and system functionality align with business needs.

Philippines Annual Salary:	~$13,515
United States Annual Salary:	~$81,709

Finance Manager

Handles budgeting, financial planning, reporting, and risk management to maintain the company’s financial health.

Philippines Annual Salary:	~$14,011
United States Annual Salary:	~$104,979

To get a more tailored estimate based on your company’s needs and industry benchmarks, try our Employee Cost Calculator here.

Is the Hiring Manager Usually Your Boss?

Yes. In nearly all cases, the hiring manager is the person you will directly report to.

This is the key difference between a recruiter and a hiring manager.

• A recruiter (or HR) is responsible for the process of hiring: they find, screen, and schedule candidates.
• The hiring manager is responsible for the outcome of hiring: they own the role, make the final decision, and are responsible for your performance and development once you join the team.

When you interview with the hiring manager, you are speaking with your potential future boss. This is your best opportunity to ask specific questions about team workflow, performance expectations, and management style.

How to Find a Hiring Manager on LinkedIn

For professionals looking to be proactive, finding the hiring manager on LinkedIn can be a powerful strategy. It allows you to send a targeted message, build rapport, and demonstrate your serious interest in the role.

Here is a simple 3-step process:

1. Identify the Correct Department

First, analyze the job description to determine the exact department.

• A “Content Strategist” role will likely report to a “Marketing Manager” or “Head of Content.”
• A “Senior Accountant” role will report to a “Finance Manager” or “Controller.”
• A “Sales Development Rep” will report to a “Sales Manager” or “Head of Business Development.”

2. Use LinkedIn’s Search Filters

Go to the company’s LinkedIn page and click on the “People” tab. This will show you all employees on the platform.

In the search bar, type in the likely job title you identified in Step 1 (e.g., “Marketing Manager”). LinkedIn will filter the employee list to show you people with that title.

3. Look for Clues and Commonalities

You may find several people with the same title. Look for clues to identify the right one:

• Hierarchy: Look for titles like “Director,” “Head of,” or “Senior Manager” for the most likely person.
• Location: If the role is based in a specific city, filter for managers in that same location.
• Recent Activity: See if any of the managers have recently posted about the open role. This is a clear confirmation.

Once you have a high-confidence match, you can send a brief, professional connection request or InMail message.

Pro-Tip: Your message should be direct and add value. Instead of “I applied for a job,” try: “Dear [Name], I recently applied for the [Job Title] role and am incredibly impressed by your team’s work in [Specific Area]. My experience in [X] aligns directly with the role, and I’d welcome the chance to discuss it further.”

Final Thoughts

A hiring manager is more than just a decision-maker—they are the architects of business success. Companies that invest in strong hiring processes see improved performance, culture, and retention.

For SMEs, startups, and global companies looking to scale efficiently, we provide valuable final interview insights to ensure you hire the right talent. Penbrothers provides the perfect hiring solution. Our offshore staffing expertise ensures you find the right talent at the right time, without the usual hiring bottlenecks.

Looking to build a world-class team? Let Penbrothers help you hire smarter, faster, and more cost-effectively. Learn more today!

Frequently Asked Questions