Every successful company has one thing in common, talented people. Without the right people, work may get done but is it done well? Will your company continue to grow and succeed? Being able to confidently answer these questions could quickly be linked back to your people. So, when you need to add to your team, doing it effectively and efficiently is critical. The trick is to do it well, but also fast in order not to miss out on the best talent for your organizational needs. TalentFund has compiled a list of our top five tips proven to help your hiring process move quicker, without jeopardizing the quality of candidates, your organizational needs and the candidate interview experience.
1. Detailed Job Description
Putting it bluntly, candidates are no longer drawn in by job titles, experience requirements and anticipated role responsibilities. Jobs are more than just the work that is done each day, and with talent being such a commodity, it’s important to be clear but descriptive. Highlight what you expect from the person in this role, but also what they can expect from the role, you and your company. Things such as benefits offered, company culture, expected work location, travel requirements and reporting structure are all helpful for candidates to make a quick initial decision on whether the job fits their career plans. This saves you time by vetting people before an application is submitted.
2. Identify Efficiencies
We have seen, too often, great candidates accept other positions during the recruiting process. It’s a candidates market right now, with the ratio of jobs and talent being heavily skewed, so timing is everything. Screens, interviews, follow ups, offer, negotiations, acceptance; there are several steps involved in properly placing talent, and honestly, most of them are necessary. How do you find efficiencies without eliminating these steps out of haste in order to keep your company in the running? Lean into your hiring or TalentFund team. Our experience allows us to find creative ways to minimize time, while maintaining quality, custom placement, such as: let the job description naturally prequalify candidates, initial screenings replacing traditional first interviews, continual negotiations versus final negotiations. There are several adjustments we can make with you, and for you.
3. Make the Interview Count
Fill the interview room with the right people, not just people. If someone will be directly involved in the hiring decision, include them. Other department heads or potential coworkers for instance, may not be helpful. The phrase “too many cooks in the kitchen” comes to mind when you introduce various opinions, interview styles and even personalities. Extra tip: Identify those people before posting the job for an even smoother process.
4. Open Dialogue
Now is not the time to be vague or non-committal with candidates. If you can, express the likelihood of additional interviews or your continued interest early on, either directly to the candidate or to your TalentFund contact. Candidates who know where they stand along the way, can make a decision quicker if an offer is made. Additionally, candidates may favor companies who maintained open dialogue versus generic timeframes and minimal feedback. Lastly, your willingness for transparent discussion encourages the candidate to do the same, giving both parties a clear understanding of where they stand at each stage of the hiring process, rather than waiting until a decision must be made.
5. Maintain Talent Pool(s)
Your top candidate views you as their top choice and the offer is accepted. While this is what we strive for by implementing the first four tips, it’s possible your top candidate falls through. That is why it is imperative to maintain a pool of other qualified candidates during the process, not after. Keep each candidate in mind and provide feedback to the hiring team on where they stand. This way, the decision is not made out of panic. Pool number two? Your future pool. Sometimes the timing doesn’t work out, or the role isn’t the best fit for them but the company and culture is. When that scenario arises, add them to your future pool for new roles and opportunities. The work has already been done to find the talent, why not capitalize on that one day? As an added bonus, TalentFund keeps our own future pool stocked for clients too!
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the average time it takes to hire one person, is 36 days. Thirty six days from the time you decide to begin recruiting through the accepted offer. Add in training and onboarding, hiring new talent can feel never ending, and time is rarely a luxury that we have in business. By weaving these tips into your hiring process, you can start to eliminate redundancy, minimize avoidable delays and improve communication, all adding up to more time for you to do what you do best; run a successful company filled with talented people.
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