In many cases, the best candidates only remain on the market for a mere 10 days. Considering that, on average, it takes a company 27 days to land a new hire, it isn’t surprising that 50% of human resource managers are struggling to find top-notch candidates for at least one of their open positions. To put it simply, the best and brightest don’t wait around, and they get scooped up fast.
As a result, companies and recruiters have to move swiftly if they want to secure top talent. Luckily, it is possible to accelerate your recruiting process, and you don’t have to sacrifice quality or due diligence along the way. Here’s how to get started.
Put Energy Into Planning
When you have a solid plan in place, it’s easier to move quickly through the hiring process. Begin by clearly defining the position’s requirements and identifying any skills that are truly necessary from day one. This allows you to focus on the essentials when screening candidates, ensuring those who could be trained to excel in the role aren’t screened out accidentally.
Next, consider where to post the vacancy announcement and how to streamline the application process, ensuring candidates can submit their information with ease. For example, you may want to give job seekers the ability to apply using their resume or an online application, but eliminate the need for them to provide both. Similarly, you might want to reduce the number of essay questions (or eliminate them entirely), keeping the initial entry steps into your pipeline quick and painless.
Additionally, decide when resume reviews will begin and how communication with candidates will be managed throughout. Keep in mind that 52% of candidates say that a lack of response from employers is their number one frustration and failing to keep them apprised of next steps and any progress can cause them to seek out opportunities elsewhere.
Determine whether in-person interviews will be the only option or if an initial phone screening or video interview will be on the table. In one survey, 57% of job seekers said they preferred live video interviews. Plus, 47% of companies assert that video interviewing reduced their time to hire.
Finally, outline when other forms of screening need to occur. This can include reference calls, background checks and any additional due diligence you need to complete. Try to use an approach that allows these to be completed concurrently with other phases. That way, they don’t cause a delay that could cost you top talent.
By knowing exactly how the process will proceed, you have a reliable framework to guide your efforts. Plus, it ensures nothing critical will be overlooked.
Give Your New Approach a Test Run
Choose a few vacancies you need to fill and use the new approach, allowing you to gauge its effectiveness and validate the idea.
Consider using the updated methodology on a hard-to-fill role. This may give you the clearest indication of whether you are on track or achieving a better ROI. Plus, if you need buy-in from members of the leadership team for a wider implementation, it may be the type of job that gives you the easiest to showcase results.
Create an Ongoing Feedback Loop
Ultimately, a recruitment process is never perfect; it’s a living, breathing entity that must constantly evolve to remain effective and relevant. By creating an ongoing feedback loop, you can keep refining your approach, allowing you to decrease your time to hire, improve the results, and enhance the candidate experience.
Along with evaluating relevant KPIs regularly, consider asking candidates who engage with your process for their input. Give them a chance to discuss what they appreciated and air any grievances about the steps. That way, you can get their perspective, empowering you to better meet the expectations of top talent as you move forward.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can speed up recruiting, the team at Cloutera can help. Contact us with your questions today and see how our recruitment process expertise can benefit you.
