Low Unemployment - Efficient Hiring Process

Low Unemployment - Efficient Hiring Process

If you have been unlucky with great job seekers not accepting offers, perhaps it can be resolved with a more efficient hiring process.  With unemployment being less than 4% it is imperative that companies have efficient & effective hiring processes.  Hiring decisions are hard and you don’t want to skimp on your screening process, but dragging your feet can result in losing great candidates because your competitors have figured out a more efficient way to handle hiring.  Great candidates that are shortlisted will not wait around for you if a better opportunity came their way. Here are some ways to be more efficient in your process.

1.       Job Descriptions: They must be well written and showcase why an employee should chose you.  They are also a target that provides you with the questions you should ask in an interview, as well as what you should communicate to the job seeker about what you expect.  Not having a properly crafted job description is like playing darts in the dark.

2.       Good timely communication:  If you are working with a 3^rd party recruiter, providing fast and timely communication about candidates you are interested in and candidates you will not move forward with is crucial.  All too often, poor communication can lead to a “bad brand” for the job seeker and it will plant seeds of doubt about the strength and efficiency of the organization.  Your communication with job seekers is a potential employee’s first impression on you.  You have one chance to make a good first impression, make it a good one. 

3.       Organized interviews: Have interviews organized and structured.  Have a list of questions already prepared for the professional and take good notes so that you can compare candidates at the end.  It is also best practice to have a weighting system that allows you to grade employees: i.e. degree, years of experience, industry knowledge etc.

4.       Fast decision making: This can be determined by #3.  If you have all of the information you need, it will help communicate to hiring managers and decision makers.  Having consistent and timely information will help the hiring managers make fast decisions.

5.       Group Interviews:  Everyone is busy and overworked, so when possible have a team-based approach to the interviews.  HR can craft questions for each hiring manager or decision maker to ask and the interview can be done jointly or on the same day.  If travel or locations pose a problem allow someone to video conference or skype in.  The technology is there to help make this happen.