As an experienced hiring manager, you know that time is of the essence when it comes to filling vacancies. The standard end-to-end recruitment process can take over 70 days, from identifying the need for a new employee to their start date. Therefore, it’s essential to have an efficient yet effective recruitment process to attract and retain the best talent and outperform your competitors.
Based on our conversations with recruiting managers, HR, and People teams, here’s our advice to fast-track your recruitment process:
First, define each stage of the recruitment process
Defining each stage of your recruitment process enables you to identify areas that may create delays.
The typical recruitment process includes:
- Establishing the need for a new employee and the duties required
- Obtaining approval and budget sign-off
- Creating the job description
- Publishing the job advert
- Setting a reasonable application deadline
- Screening applicants (reviewing CVs, shortlisting, interviews, etc.)
- Making an offer
- Onboarding and training your new employee
Outline your hiring needs
Be clear from the start to save time. Consider the recruitment life cycle and how long it takes from the first interview to making an offer. Missing out on top talent due to slow internal processes is a common mistake. Define your selection criteria to discover the ideal candidate’s hard and soft skills. This will enable you to make decisions and offers more efficiently.
The market has changed
The job market is very candidate-driven, which means that job seekers have more options to choose from. To beat the competition for top talent, a proactive approach to recruiting and keeping candidates engaged during the process is necessary. Ensure that your processes and stages are clearly communicated to all applicants.
Keep your friends close, but your competitors closer
Knowing your local competition is important for maintaining an upper hand in the market. Follow their social media content and check their latest posts. How are they presenting their business and culture to potential candidates? Then, define what makes your business unique and focus on what sets you apart from the competition.
Be inclusive and non-biased
This goes beyond just hiring underrepresented groups. “Inclusive hiring practices” guarantee that all suitable candidates are given equal attention to counteract workplace discrimination and bias. Your job descriptions, ads, and work-for-us information should also be inclusive and non-biased towards eligible applicants.
Check out our Top 10 Tips on How to Write an Inclusive Job Advert.
Partner with a recruitment expert
The relationship and communication between a hiring manager and the candidate are crucial, and it can be a lot to juggle on top of general daily responsibilities. This is where recruitment consultants can help support you. Recruiters are able to maintain an open line of communication with candidates at each stage of the process and are able to make more accommodations to a candidate’s needs, such as taking calls outside of office hours. Those interactions early in the morning or later in the day can save a lot of time during the process.
Use video interviewing technology
Since the pandemic, video interviewing has emerged as a practice that is still overlooked in today’s recruitment processes. Using videoconferencing for first interviews means that screening can be done much faster. You can then schedule an in-person interview if they ace that initial video chat.
Don’t drag your heels
Your candidate will likely be pursued by multiple businesses. By making an offer faster, you can beat your competitors. Keep potential candidates engaged by not stretching out the interview process. Take your time getting to know each applicant but move quickly. If you want the best applicant to join your company, set a schedule, minimise unnecessary hiring steps, and make a decision quickly.
In conclusion
Given the level of competition in the market for talent right now, businesses need to move quickly. It’s more important than ever to have a well-thought-out plan, open lines of communication with your hiring managers, and streamlined processes, all while maintaining a positive candidate experience.
The Jomo Effect
Are you in need of the Jomo Effect? We’re here to help guide you in defining a high-performing and efficient recruitment process.
Curious to know more? Get in touch with us today!
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