Employees are undoubtedly the most important asset any organisation acquires. This is even when it’s compared to strict funding and even data as a commodity. This is because employees are the true heart of any organisation. Without them, nothing gets done, made, manufactured, delivered, or anything else. Hiring the right candidate for a role, though, is often a time-consuming and laborious process. As such, hiring managers and HR professionals alike, are often looking for ways to streamline their hiring process from end to end. The trick here is still recruiting and onboarding high-quality candidates that will stick with the organisation for years to come.
There are a variety of tactics and strategies that employers can use to streamline the hiring process while still bringing on quality candidates. If you’re looking to expedite your hiring process, these industry practices can assist you with just that.
“From the application process to interviewing procedures, finding the right candidate for a role within your organisation can be a complex and time-consuming undertaking. If you’re a human resources professional or hiring manager seeking to streamline your hiring processes, you might consider implementing a few recognized best practices during your next application period.” – Indeed Editorial Team
Utilising candidate shortlists
When it comes to expediting or accelerating the hiring process, shortlists are a favourite among industry experts and professionals, alike. A shortlist is named for exactly what it is. It’s a list of around 10-15 high-quality candidates that meet the requirements of the job description and fit the role the organization is looking to fill. Shortlists are great because they allow organizations to narrow the candidate pool before the first round of application filtering is even completed.
There are a variety of ways to create shortlists, though most modern organizations create shortlists with the assistance of technology and services. Indeed, for example, is a popular candidate sourcing platform, and HR professionals can create custom pulls for candidates.
Another popular method of short-listing is through industry knowledge. This typically happens in higher levels of tight-nit circles where all the industry professionals know the main players in the game. In these instances, short-listing can happen internally through the collective networks of executives and organizational leadership.
“Creating and using short-lists through platforms like Indeed and ZipRecruiter completely changed the way that we looked at hiring within our industry. It made the whole process so much easier and we were able to fill positions a lot faster, too.” – Jae Pak, founder of Jae Pak MD Medical
Seeking personal referrals
Similar to making use of the networks of high-level managers, executives, and leaders, other employee networks can be tapped into as well. In fact, many organizations and employers already have a referral incentive programme in place. In this way, if a candidate that an existing employee refers, should get hired, the existing employee (and sometimes the new hire) both get a cash bonus. Typically, this bonus is delayed for around 3-6 months of employment, but either way, this is a great perk and can help shorten the hiring process significantly.
“I love hiring from someone’s network if I can. The interview process is always a lot easier, and I already have a first-hand relationship with one of their personal referrals, so I feel like there’s a little bit of trust already innately there. We also try to prioritise promoting from within whenever possible, too, so people who get their first promotion sometimes bring in someone they know to take the vacant position.” – Susan K. Shaffer, president of Pneuma Nitric Oxide
Minimising interviews
During the hiring process, interviewing is one of the most time-consuming activities that is included in the design. While interviews are certainly necessary, how many rounds, how many people get involved, and how long they last, are all variables to be decided by the company and HR.
The easiest way to shorten a hiring process is to eliminate any unnecessary interviews and to consolidate as many rounds as possible. In practical terms, this means, at maximum, having 2-3 interviews. The first interview is an optional pre-screening with an HR representative. The second interview should be with a direct manager and a colleague, and a follow-up interview should be with that same day-to-day manager and any upper-level managers who want a say in the hiring process.
The fewer interview processes you put candidates through, the faster a hiring decision can be made and a new hire can be onboarded.
“We try to limit ourselves to 2 interviews at maximum. Sometimes we get a recruit from a 3rd party, or our HR people send us a lead they’ve prescreened. But once they’re talking to the people involved in their daily roles, we really want to have an answer by the end of the 2nd interview.” – Juan Pablo Cappello, co-founder and CEO, Nue Life
Transparency throughout the hiring process
Transparency is becoming more and more important in all facets of running and operating businesses. This is especially because consumers are paying more and more attention to the finer details of the truth of business operations.
The same is true in the context of the employee-employer dynamic. Candidates who end up getting a job offer shouldn’t be surprised by the conditions or responsibilities they’re met with.
Both employers and candidates need to be clear and upfront about their expectations for the working relationship.
“It’s not always easy, sometimes I like a person a lot, you know we just seem to get along. But I can tell they aren’t excited, or their passion lies elsewhere somehow, so I encourage them to go pursue it. It’s no hard feelings, I just explain that they seem better suited for a different path.” – Yuvraj Tuli, founder, Compound Banc
Making high-quality offers
When it comes down to hiring and retaining high-quality employees, the compensation package matters a lot. If your leadership and HR teams are able to put together fair and quality compensation packages, you’ll be able to attract plenty of high-quality talent ready and willing to work with you.
“More companies plan to make a bigger investment in compensation in 2022. In fact, 86% said they have a concrete compensation strategy in place or are in the process of creating one.” – Renee Cocchi, author, HR Morning
Robert Haynes, a psychology graduate from the University of Hertfordshire, has a keen interest in the fields of mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
