If you’ve noticed that you’re losing some great candidates because you’re taking too long to hire, you’re not alone: in this candidate-driven market, where there are just 1.5 applicants for each opening, a slow hiring process can mean you’re losing out on top performers, because someone else has already snatched them up. (Many top prospects are hired within just 10 days of dipping their toe in job search waters.)
We understand that sharing the misery of missing out on the best candidates in no way alleviates the pain of losing those prospects. So we have some strategies for you. Take a look below.
- Make sure the job’s description is well defined.
That is, know exactly what the job entails and make sure you define it clearly. Absolutely clearly. Knowing precisely what type of background, certifications, education, and skill sets required from the get-go helps you make better – and faster – decisions when it comes to comparing qualified candidates with varying degrees of what you need.
- Use an applicant tracking system to shortlist candidates.
An ATS uses keywords to filter through candidates and pass over those who don’t fit your requirements. This can make the sourcing process much faster compared to having an individual spend hours going through resumes received. This also can help ensure great candidates aren’t lost due to simple human exhaustion.
- Consider allowing a candidate to send you a link to her LinkedIn profile first.
Doing so can save you some time in the preliminary vetting process, especially so since not all great candidates (think passive candidates) have an updated resume on hand. Looking at a prospect’s LinkedIn profile can allow you to see if he or she has the qualifications you need. You can always ask to see a resume later.
- Embrace the video interview….live and pre-recorded.
Many companies already use live video interviews/conferencing for preliminary interviews. Others are starting to drill down even further for preliminary vetting by sending candidates a set of questions and asking them to send them a video recording of their answers. This does benefit candidates: it allows them to think carefully about their answers and they can record their answers at a time convenient for them.
- Rate prospects against the job, not other candidates.
We must admit, we really like this one: instead of comparing candidates to each other, compare them to the position. That is, because you have clearly defined the role (see number 1, above), you should be able to see how each candidate would or would not fit it. This allows you to choose the candidate best suited for the role, not the best candidate among the candidates.
- Use a recruiting or staffing service to vet prospects.
Of course we are going to suggest using a staffing service such as Helpmates to help you get through the sourcing and vetting process! Doing so can free you up to interview only the top candidates for the position. Together we can craft a clearly defined job description and then source and vet candidates, sending only the best on to you for interviews.
Contact the Helpmates branch nearest you for more information.
