In the spirit of the moment, let’s cut to the chase: The longer your hiring process takes, the higher the risk you’ll lose out on talented candidates who were scooped up by companies with shorter and more efficient hiring processes.
It’s really that simple. If your hiring process takes months, plural, to complete, you’re likely losing out on the best candidates because they either thought you weren’t interested or your competition made them an offer faster.
Here are the problems that might be holding you back — and how to fix them.
Clunky or outdated job descriptions.
How long does it take to read through a job description for an open position on your company’s website? Are you interested in the job as you read it? Does it sound fun, exciting, and engaging? If you’re not enticed to join your company based on the way jobs are described, how can you expect anyone else to be? It’s time to give your job descriptions a refresh, with concise, clear descriptions of what’s expected, the responsibilities of the position, and language that makes people eager to apply and hopeful to learn more.
A long application process.
One of the most common complaints among job seekers is the redundant steps needed when applying for a position. Having to upload their resume and then manually write in the same information is a surefire way to get people to walk away, metaphorically speaking, no matter how interested they may be in the position. Whatever steps you can take to streamline the process, be sure to take them. Make it as easy as possible for qualified candidates to submit their information. You can always request more information later if needed; just make sure you’re asking for the most pertinent details up front and don’t require people to provide the same information multiple times.
Waiting too long to contact applicants.
Talk to some of your recent hires about how long they waited to hear back from HR or managers during their application and interview process. Was it hours? Days? Worse yet — weeks? Applicants who don’t hear back from the companies they applied to will think they’re out of the running and will continue their search and will take a job elsewhere. Make it a priority among the people responsible for interviewing and hiring candidates to take no more than 24 hours to respond to an inquiry, follow up after an interview or otherwise provide an update. This is also an area in which automation and artificial intelligence can be a useful tool: automating responses, even just confirming the receipt of information, is an easy way to keep candidates interested and thinking about your position.
Too many interviews.
It makes sense that you want to get the opinions and feedback from several people on your team before making an offer and bringing someone into your group. But if you’re asking candidates to complete multiple rounds of interviews, whether in person or via phone or video call or a combination of the two, you’re asking a lot of the candidate’s time and attention for something they’re not even guaranteed to land. Make your interview process more efficient — after an initial screening to determine whether a candidate might be a good fit, your second interview should include several people on your team in order to get their opinions all at once.
Making the perfect the enemy of the good.
That’s an old expression but one that ultimately could harm your company: If you’re waiting for the perfect candidate, the one that hits every single possible item on your dream candidate list, you could lose out on those who are qualified, talented and would make a great addition but might need a little training. Holding out for someone who ticks every box means you’re keeping your current team shorthanded and overworked while feeling stressed about when they’re going to be operating at full staffing again. That could result in even more open positions as your existing employees lose faith that they’ll get the help they need to handle their increased workloads and they start looking for new jobs too.
Looking for skilled candidates? Sterling Personnel can help you find them — fast!
It’s a very competitive job market these days, with talented candidates applying for positions while being courted by other companies who are utilizing LinkedIn and other platforms to find people qualified for open positions. You don’t have to lose out! Make a few changes, consider streamlining your application process and make a concerted effort to keep your candidates in the loop in order to bring them onto your team sooner.
If you need help bringing in candidates faster, call Sterling Personnel. Our recruiters can help identify candidates who have the skills and background your company needs, all of whom are eager and ready to start working fast! Contact Sterling Personnel today and let’s get started.
