HR Resolution: Streamline the Hiring Process
Ever identify a great candidate – an individual with the ideal combination of experience, skills and personality style who’s looking for a job – only to hear “thanks but no thanks” once you make an offer?
It’s downright disheartening.
While factors like salary or geography may be out of your control, you could also be losing talented job seekers for one simple, and largely preventable, reason:
The hiring process takes too long.
Obviously, hasty hiring is a risk you cannot afford to take. But what can you do to get promising candidates to the finish line faster, without sacrificing quality? Resolve to accelerate your hiring process! Today, PrideStaff shares practical tips to streamline hiring by eliminating red tape:
Tighten your timetables. The longer your hiring process takes, the more time applicants have to explore other job options or be outright poached by a competitor. Scrutinize your entire process, looking for ways to eliminate unnecessary steps or delays, without cutting corners:
- Consider screening candidates over the phone to identify and fast-track your best prospects.
- Combine first- and second-round interviews into a single event.
- Use a panel interview in place of individual interviews with decision-makers.
Standardize your interview process.
If you frequently experience delays during the post-interview assessment process, a standard interview form could expedite decision-making. When all candidates are asked the same basic questions and judged with the same rating scales, comparing them is much more efficient and accurate – especially when candidates are interviewed by different staff members.
Leverage your networks for referrals.
Working your professional and personal networks to connect with prospects can speed hiring at both ends of the process. In addition to initially bringing more high-quality candidates into your recruiting funnel, referrals also expedite the reference-checking process. If a candidate comes to you with a “stamp of approval” from someone you know, that’s one less hurdle you need to clear.
Always have a backup plan.
During the interview process, carefully maintain relationships with second- and third-choice candidates. Keep them up-to-date on the position’s status and ensure they know exactly when they will receive communications from you. This way, if your first choice turns you down, you’ll have other individuals who are primed to accept your offer.
Partner with a qualified staffing and recruiting agency.
A national staffing firm like PrideStaff can shorten your time-to-hire, eliminate recruiting and screening red tape, and consistently deliver high performers who exceed your expectations. When you partner with us, you only pay a fee if you hire a candidate we refer, who is backed by our guarantee. Learn more about PrideStaff’s On Target fulfillment process today.
