For most companies, finding the ideal employee becomes arduous as the recruitment process drags on. No wonder 60% of candidates are dissatisfied with the drawn-out hiring process. Therefore, establishing a highly efficient recruiting procedure is imperative to identify, attract, and assess candidates quickly.
You don’t want to lose a qualified applicant to another job offer, but at the same time, you also don’t want to rush into making the wrong choice. So, how can you effectively fasten the hiring process timeline without putting the cart before the horse? Consider these six steps.
6 Ways to Shorten Your Hiring Process
Make Sure Your Job Descriptions are Clear
Companies make the first mistake of publishing job descriptions for the purple squirrel (the imagery perfect candidate that doesn’t exist). Instead, start by crafting clear-cut descriptions when seeking to attract the right people for a position. The summary should contain detailed information about the role requirements, such as the necessary skills, qualifications, salary and bonuses, and the experience needed for that position. These details will encourage suitable professionals to apply, saving you time and resources during the recruitment process.
Most importantly, make sure that everyone, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity, feels welcomed. It is reported that gender-neutral job listings receive 42% more responses. Hence, it is crucial to appear inclusive in descriptions to avoid excluding potential candidates because of unintentional biases.
This sends a message that professionals of all backgrounds are welcome to apply, and the employer values diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Revising job postings is one important step in attracting a more diverse pool of candidates.
Practice Open Communication & Gather Relevant Data
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Effective communication between departments and hiring managers is crucial for successful recruitment. When crafting a job description, HR needs to understand the exact requirements of the role and the experience you want in a candidate. This allows them the clarity and confidence to identify suitable candidates without any confusion. Specifying that candidates need five years’ experience warehouse management, ETL data pipelining, or Microsoft 365 experience.
Next, start gathering hiring data. This can cover everything from the initial posting of a job opening to the final selection of a candidate. It can help your company streamline its recruitment efforts, reduce costs associated with hiring, save time, and improve the overall candidate experience.
Another key metric to track is how long it takes for candidates to move between stages of the hiring process. Look into everything from the time it takes to schedule interviews to receiving feedback from hiring managers. By monitoring this information, you can identify bottlenecks in the recruitment process and work to speed up the flow of candidates through each stage.
Now, there are two practical ways to collect this data. First, you can use an applicant tracking system (ATS). Most ATSs have built-in tools that track each stage of the hiring process. This data can be used to generate reports on how long it takes to fill a position.
Another option is to analyze historical data. You can have a meeting with staff members, ask for a time report containing complete information about hiring cycles, and even calculate the average time it took to fill each position. The entire timeline can provide a benchmark for future hiring cycles.
Once you have gathered and analyzed time data, identify the most concerning numbers and seek out tailored solutions to improve “slow” areas (like creating automated emails to thank potential candidates for submitting their resumes or confirming interview times).
Create a Talent Pipeline in Advance
Building a talent pipeline ahead of time is a proactive approach that can help recruiters quickly fill job vacancies as soon as they arise. Here are some necessary steps you should take:
- Identifying the roles that are frequently hired for or those that are hard to fill
- Jotting down the qualification, experience, skills, and list of requirements you want in a candidate to do this job proficiently
- Integrating yourself into the venues frequented by your ideal candidates, like job boards, social media, referrals, and industry events
- Tracking all potential candidates in a centralized database to stay organized and quickly access the candidates’ details when a job vacancy arises
- Building relationships with candidates by sending personalized messages, connecting on LinkedIn, and exchanging valuable industry-related content
- Staying in touch so you can call them whenever a position is vacant
Slim Down the Interview Process
To further reduce the time it takes to sift through applications, consider using a streamlined interview process. This could involve a telephone or video interview to screen candidates, followed by an in-person meeting to finalize the selection. Avoid multiple interviews with several internal team members as it complicates the process.
You can also consider a group interview. This format is beneficial when the role requires significant amounts of teamwork, as is true of the supply chain industry.
Once the top candidates have been identified, finalize the decision and send confirmation as soon as possible.
Make Your Website User-friendly
If a website looks archaic, forms don’t work correctly, information is not readily available, or if a page takes forever to load, candidates may lose interest from their first website visit. All these issues can result in a loss of potential candidates.
Therefore, it is essential to invest in a website that is mobile-friendly, aesthetically pleasing, loads fast, easy to navigate, and provides all the necessary information for candidates to make an informed decision. This includes presenting anyone visiting your website with details about your company culture, values, and mission statements, presenting your brand to potential candidates.
Engage a Recruitment Agency
Recruitment agencies have access to a vast network of potential candidates who may not be available to your business. In fact, the right partner can quickly increase the chances of finding the right fit for the role.
There are multiple agencies that specialize in various departments like administration, HR, engineering, accounting, supply chain, skilled trades, logistics, and transportation. An agency like Total Talent Search can immediately put you in touch with qualified people for manufacturing and logistic roles, reducing the time it takes to fill openings.
In conclusion, a lengthy hiring process can be frustrating for both the employer and the candidates, but you can compress the mess. By implementing these six strategies, you can expedite recruitment, simplify your hiring process, and find the finest talent in the industry. Better service, better people – who wouldn’t want that combo?
Have more questions on how to speed up your hiring process? Connect with the experts at Total Talent Search to find your next hire in no time.
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