Hiring manager satisfaction survey: 16 questions once a role closes
Sixteen questions for the manager who owned the role, about how the recruiting team ran that search.
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- about 4 minto answer
- 1 requisitionper response
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The 16 hiring manager satisfaction survey questions
A hiring manager satisfaction survey asks the manager who owned a role how the recruiting team ran that search: the brief, the candidates, the process, the offer and the speed. It goes out once per requisition, filled or closed. All sixteen questions open ready to edit in the free online survey tool.
This requisition
Two fields first, so every score names its role and its outcome.
- Which role are you answering about?Role title or requisition number, to match the answer to its recruiter.
- How did this requisition end?Read closed and on-hold searches apart from filled ones.
The brief
Three items about the intake, where the search is set up.
- Before the search began, the recruiter and I agreed which requirements were must-haves.Agreed must-haves give the shortlist a fixed bar.
- The recruiter understood what the role involves day to day.The job as it is done, beyond the advert.
- The recruiter told me early when pay or market conditions would make the search harder.An early warning on pay protects the timeline.
The candidates
Fit and volume as separate items.
- The candidates I was sent met the must-have requirements we agreed.Measured against the must-haves agreed at question 3.
- The shortlist was the right size to make a real choice.Question 14 shows whether it was too few or too many.
The process
The part of a search the manager sees every week.
- I knew where the search stood without having to chase for an update.A standing weekly update is the usual fix.
- Interviews were arranged without delays I had to sort out myself.Read it beside the "my side" answer at question 14.
- When the search stalled, the recruiter suggested a change instead of waiting.Shows whether the recruiter acts as a partner.
Offer and speed
Three outcome items, each with an answer for a stage that never happened.
- How well was the offer stage handled?Leave "No offer was made" out of the average.
- How did the time this search took compare with what you needed?Speed against the manager's own need, which they can judge.
- How confident are you in the person who was hired?A first signal. Ask again at 90 days.
In your words, then the verdict
One checklist, one open answer, then the rating.
- Which of these cost the most time on this requisition?Lists the manager's own approvals, which keeps it fair to recruiters.
- What one change would make your next search with this team go better?One change each, so fifty answers can be ranked.
- Overall, how satisfied are you with how the recruiting team handled this requisition?The headline number, tracked by quarter.
How to use the hiring manager survey
Send it to the manager who owned the role, within a week of the offer being accepted or the role being closed. Applicants rate the same process separately, in the candidate experience survey.
Tell managers who reads the answers, usually the recruiting lead. The recruiter knows which roles they ran, so call the survey confidential.
For the headline, take the share of question 16 answers across a quarter that said satisfied or very satisfied. Under it, score the agree items 5 down to 1 and average each block: the brief, the candidates, the process. Your first quarter sets the baseline.
Hiring manager satisfaction survey FAQ
How do you measure hiring manager satisfaction?
Send the same short survey each time a requisition closes. Report the share of managers who answered satisfied or very satisfied, with averages for the brief, the candidates and the process beneath it.
What questions go in a hiring manager satisfaction survey?
Questions about one search, stage by stage: whether the must-haves were agreed, whether candidates met them, whether updates arrived without chasing, how the offer was handled and whether the time taken fit the need. Close on one overall rating.
Is it the same as a survey of candidates?
No. This one asks the hiring manager about the recruiting team. A candidate survey asks the people who applied about the process. Run both and read them separately.
Who runs hiring manager satisfaction surveys?
In-house and agency recruiting teams alike. US federal agencies run one too: the Office of Personnel Management worked with the Chief Human Capital Officers Council to put manager satisfaction surveys in place to improve the hiring process.[1]
Michael Hodge, survey methodology · Updated 2 October 2026 · How templates are reviewed
Sources (1)
- US Office of Personnel Management. "Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Hiring Manager Satisfaction Survey." opm.gov
Ready when the next requisition closes
Sixteen questions, about four minutes, one role at a time. Open it in the editor and put your own stage names in.
Use this template