Today's skills shortages are making competition for top talent rougher than ever.
Many skilled job seekers receive multiple offers from competing companies--if you delay or waffle during the hiring process, you may lose the race.
So how do you expedite hiring, without compromising quality?
Believe it or not, thoroughness and speed are not mutually exclusive. Here are seven ways to "move it" through the hiring process, while still effectively
collaborating with your recruiter or staffing firm.
Create a spot-on job description
Many companies simply dust off and reuse job descriptions. If a job posting is vague or not truly representative, however, it may attract a flood of applicants who are not a good fit.
This slows down the screening process--and can cost you your best candidate.
Work with your recruiting partner and make sure that your job description aligns correctly with the job that exists today--not the job that existed years ago.
Your new job description should:
Updating your job description enables your recruiting partner to quickly locate the best applicants for your open position.
Communicate
Every company wants to be an "employer of choice" because the best people want to work for them! What sets their hiring processes apart?
For starters, they're great at communicating. Employers of choice communicate effectively every step of the way with:
You can easily do the same things. Talk with everyone involved so that they understand the skills, behaviors, knowledge and experience required of an "ideal" hire.
Create a formal update process to keep all parties informed throughout the entire process--and avoid "communication limbo" that can stall the process.
Communication and clear understanding keeps everyone engaged in the process, and engagement equates to speed.
Expedite interviewing--consider a panel interview
Schedule your interviews to minimize downtime between them. This does not mean that you must conduct seven marathon interview sessions all in one day (that is exhausting and counterproductive).
A couple of days can elapse between interviews, as long as the timeline is communicated effectively.
If conducting multiple interviews turns into a long, protracted exercise, panel interviews are a great solution.
They can be a significant time-saver because the candidate talks to multiple interviewers at the same time.
Plus, getting a group of panelists together is often easier than having the candidate meet with multiple interviewers individually.
Set aside sufficient time to plan
Give yourself enough time, prior to the interview, to review the candidate's resume and application. If your recruiter or staffing partner has conducted an initial screening interview,
review any feedback that was provided. Then take the time to prepare a list of relevant interview questions that focus specifically on the job, your needs and what the candidate brings to the table.
Have solid job offers ready
Any delay in making an offer can cost you an applicant. Be prepared to close the deal fast once you have made your decision, by having your offer prewritten and ready to deliver.
A speedy job offer:
Consider temp-to-hire
Work with your staffing partner to implement a temp-to-hire program. When you use a temp-to-hire solution, you can add temporary workers
immediately--without subjecting them to a lengthy hiring process. While on the job, you can observe candidates' work styles and determine
if they are a fit with the firm's culture. A great cultural fit + the right skills equals a great hire!
Build a talent pipeline
Staffing firms and recruiters can help you quickly find good replacement candidates, because they proactively recruit every day.
They have built a community of qualified, interested candidates who have been screened and tested for needed skills.
In addition, they can assist you in "moving" through the hiring process, by effectively communicating with candidates, providing needed salary
benchmarks and formulating contingency plans if something goes wrong.
Meet with your staffing or recruiting partner to discuss your long-term hiring needs and develop a proactive plan to source top talent ahead of those needs.
When you have to add or replace staff, your partner will be ready to respond with a selection of great candidates.
Final thoughts
Recruiting and hiring is a 24/7/365 process. Talent is your #1 asset. If you are looking to speed up your hiring process to fill jobs quickly and efficiently, use the ideas in this article.
Working with your staffing company or recruiting partner to implement these suggestions will save you time, effort and money--and help you successfully grow your organization.
Move It!
