Why It's Important to Move Quickly Through the Hiring Process

Even in a slower job market, top-tier candidates are still fielding multiple offers. If you want to remain competitive and attract the most motivated talent, you need to move fast -  or risk losing that person to a competing offer. This doesn’t mean rushing through the steps, but rather being thoughtful and efficient. After all, hiring someone new is an important decision and you want to be thorough in both vetting the individual and making sure they’re a good fit for your team. However, the longer you deliberate, the higher the chance of missing out and having to start from square one.

What are the benefits to hiring faster?

It’s no secret that moving swiftly through the interview process is more enticing for the candidate, but are there benefits for your company as well? The short answer is yes. The long answer is hiring faster will help your organization perform in the long run. Here’s why:

• You’ll save time and money.
• You’ll spend less time out of your valuable workday interviewing candidates. Plus, the cost of leaving a position unfilled for months on end can be devastating when you consider hiring, recruiting, and marketing fees.

• You’ll attract the highest caliber talent.
• Being decisive will set you apart and candidates will appreciate your respect for their time and enthusiasm to hire.

• You’ll achieve business goals faster.
• Odds are, you’re hiring because you need help. The sooner you make a hire, the sooner they can get to work helping your company reach its goals.

Unfortunately, we’ve seen many hiring managers miss out on their ideal candidate because the timing wasn’t right, there were unforeseen hold ups, or they spent too long waiting for feedback. Here are five tips on how to optimize your hiring strategy in advance so that when you find your perfect match, you’re ready to make an offer.

Tip 1 - Make a Hiring Timeline

If you have a position that needs to be filled, it’s time to think strategically and make a plan. Thinking ahead of time about budget, interview rounds, and compensation packages will save you time in the long run. Outline all the steps required to hire and make a timeline: reaching out to your recruiting partner, getting budget approval, drafting a job description, scheduling interview rounds, the list goes on. If this hire needs to assist you with an upcoming project - make sure you know your deadline and the absolute latest you can have someone start.

Tip 2 - Partner with a Recruiting Firm

When you want to find the best talent, working with a recruiting firm is essential. A recruiting partner will assist you with sourcing talent, vetting and screening candidates, and negotiating salaries. They will do the heavy lifting, so all you have to worry about is interviewing candidates and choosing your perfect match. A recruiting partner can also act as a strategic advisor if you’re unsure on competitive market rates or interview strategy, and will offer tips to help optimize your hiring process even further.

Tip 3 - Plan your Interviews

This is perhaps the most important part of the process, because it has the potential to take the longest. Think ahead and ask yourself: “Who on my team needs to interview this candidate before we can make an official offer?” This way, you’ll know how many rounds you need to schedule in advance, and you can even try to overlap candidates or schedule back-to-back lighting rounds. This may take more planning at the outset, but you will be grateful in hindsight when your interview scheduling is seamless. Video interviews take even more planning, so have processes in place to ensure they run smoothly.

Tip 4 - Create a Positive Candidate Experience

Research shows that over 75% of candidates will research a company's reputation and brand before applying to a job. (Source: LinkedIn) It’s important to remember that applicants can anonymously review your interview practices on Glassdoor and if their experience was negative, this may deter future talent. This means it might not be the best idea to drag a candidate through 12 rounds of interviews stretched over 8 weeks - not only are you likely to lose that person to another offer, you also risk damaging your company’s hiring reputation.

Tip 5 - Gather References in Advance

There’s no need to do this the old fashioned way. Companies like WorkGrades are simplifying and streamlining the process like never before. Candidates can create a free account and request references from their former boss or supervisor, then easily send those references to future employers or recruiters through a secure platform. When you enter final rounds, ask the candidate to get started gathering their references. Even if you don’t end up making an offer, they can use those references for their next opportunity. There’s no reason references, employment verifications, or background checks should prevent you from making an offer when you’re ready. Ask your recruiting partner to ensure references are collected early and experience the difference efficient planning can make. -- At the end of the day - time is money and that’s why it’s important to hire fast. Spend less time hiring, and more time working on the projects that will help your company grow. The recruiting experts at Career Group Companies are here to assist and guide you through creating an iron-clad hiring strategy. We will help vet and screen candidates, and present only the best options for your consideration - we’ll even handle the onboarding. Get in touch today and gain a strategic recruiting advisor for life.