In the current market, a speedy hiring process can be a key differentiator when it comes to securing top talent. The best candidates often have multiple offers to consider. Even though salary, benefits, and career prospects all matter, speed is often the deciding factor. Those who make the first offer have the best chance of success.
If you wait too long to hire someone, your competitors may scoop in and secure your desired candidate before you. This can lead to your company missing out on top talent, which can ultimately cost the business more than just lost time.
So, how can you shorten the recruitment process without sacrificing thoroughness in your search for the best candidate?
Determine your exact needs before engaging candidates
Being clear from the beginning and determining what your current hiring needs are is the best way to avoid wasted time in the hiring process. This involves identifying what you want in a recruit and how many positions you want to fill.
The process can be accomplished in a variety of ways; gap analyses, workforce consultations, and the development of business and expansion plans. You should also identify a budget for your recruitment activities, as well as a target starting date for your new hires, so that you can create a realistic timeline.
Get rid of unnecessary steps
Examine your recruiting process closely and create a plan for improving in areas where you find issues.
A key component of this step is ensuring sign-off from both a headcount and budget perspective. Once you have established the ideal candidate's profile and the recruitment timeline, determine who you need to engage across the organisation and at what stage.
Establishing an interview timeline will help you block time in your calendar in advance. Last but not least, all steps unique to your company's recruitment process, including personality assessments, questionnaires and enhanced reference checks, should be in place and ready to go.
Put yourself in the candidates’ shoes
It’s important to consider the candidate's experience. The more comfortable you make a candidate feel, giving them all the information they need and asking them the right questions, the more likely they will be to work for you and give you a quick response. If you look after your candidates and keep them informed about everything, they will see your company as one that cares about its people.
Keep a talent pool for future opportunities
Consider creating a talent pool of candidates when trying to speed up the hiring process. This can be accomplished by maintaining a positive relationship with previous candidates who have already been screened, are qualified, and are familiar with your company.
You can significantly reduce your time-to-hire for a future opening if you keep these qualified candidates engaged and within your hiring pool.
Engage the services of a recruitment agency and communicate quickly between parties
Due to cost concerns, many hiring managers and talent teams are initially hesitant to engage recruitment agencies. Costs, however, are usually heavily outweighed by the number of high-quality candidates presented and decreased hiring times.
Recruitment agencies always have a pool of qualified candidates available to them and are continuously searching for top talent in their sectors. The key to working with a recruitment agency is to establish your expectations, agree a timeline in advance, and to keep communication open. This is important for both parties, as it reduces the time between the first step and hiring the right candidate.
Want your hiring process to move more quickly? With the help of our experts, you can build a recruiting strategy that will attract the best candidates. Contact us today and let us help you attract the right talent.