Hiring is a long and trying process. One side holds the ball in their court for almost the entire process. The other side has to smile and play nice until the organization shows interest. A roommate of mine, who is an educator of young minds, recently switched jobs and within a two-week span was interviewed and hired. I thought to myself, imagine if the rest of the hiring world made sense like this.
Obviously, hiring is a complex process that takes time. According to Robin Erickson, vice president of talent-acquisition research at Bersin by Deloitte, “Since the cost of hiring the wrong person is extremely high, some organizations have become much more selective with the desired candidate requirements—skills, education, experience, location—[and wind up] looking for a candidate that doesn’t exist.” Yes, if you’ve gone through enough interviews, then at times it does feels like employers are searching for a candidate that does not exist.
But what if hiring was more like speed dating, and not this awkward date that lasts forever? A recent Glassdoor poll has discovered that the average interview process has been extended to 23 days in 2013, which is 11 more days than it was in 2009. While 23 days may not sound like a lot for the already employed, to recent college graduates or unemployed talent it’s an eternity. It’s a struggle and a never-ending challenge to recruit the ‘right talent.’ It’s also a struggle to display purpose in the recruiting process. How many of us have sat throughawkward interviewing because the other side was not prepared and lacked focus? Who hasn’t experienced the long pause of radio silence from organizations? Whatever the case, hiring is a slow process that could move faster if organizations took the time to invest in these processes:
1. Applicant Tracking System
According to a CIPD report, it takes 12.5 weeks to hire managers and professionals, which leaves over a three month gap of lost productivity or swamped workloads for some employees. An Applicant Tracking System creates organization and proper management of the candidate experience. It helps with documenting the process, organizing job applications and resumes. Once candidates have been hired, a simple approval notification can be sent to them, which includes all the necessary paperwork they’ll need going forward. Applicant Tracking Systems help reduce time spent on paperwork and put the focus on getting the ball rolling with candidates.
2. Video Technology
While it varies for every organization and job opening, on average 250 resumes are received for each corporate job opening. Sounds crazy, but it’s not and candidates can be met head on through video interviewing. Imagine being able to lower time spent on filling a position by 38 percent. Well, that’s the added value video interviewing brings to the table. Video interviewing lets organizations reach out to talent on a global level, but also through a time saving and cost-effective process. The idea is to use the time saved on bettering the candidate experience. Remember, candidates also set aside time to learn which organization is the right fit for them as well.
3. Planning
Organization and planning are two different things. Both are related, but planning allows for forecasting of expected and unexpected events to take place. If organizations expect to find and hire the right talent, then they have to sit down and create a strategic hiring plan. The plan has to anticipate for making one of two types of hires: planned and unplanned. When there’s room to grow, then have a plan with a timetable for how the plan hiring will proceed. Unfortunately, employee turnover happens and while companies can take steps to reduce this, they also need to plan for unplanned hiring. Hiring is a costly process, and bringing in new candidates to fill new roles or vacancies requires diligent planning.
This article was originally posted on Recruiter.com.
photo credit: jcn via photopin cc
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