7 Helpful Hints for Hiring
1. Be efficient with your time.
Map out your process by working backwards. When would you ideally like this person to start? It is common for hiring processes to take 2-3 months; take this into account! The search for a decent shortlist of candidates can take anywhere from 2 weeks to a month. The interview process then usually takes 2-3 weeks which includes: a phone interview with the recruiter, then a phone interview with your internal HR/hiring manager, followed by an onsite interview. After the interview stage, references can take up to 1 week to track down and conduct. Then the notice periods average 2-4 weeks. If you allow plenty of time to conduct the search for the right candidate, you will avoid making rushed hiring decisions. Another tip: block out interview slots ahead of time.
2. Invest time up front.
In an ideal world, your recruiter has a list of interested candidates ready to go that perfectly match your business need. More often than not, the time it takes to identify relevant candidates and then convince them to consider your opportunity is not factored into the length of the process. If you have a clear understanding of your needs, you can avoid wasting your time and the candidate’s time by having to restart the search. By investing your time early and upfront, you can ensure that little time will be wasted later in the process with unqualified candidates.
That said…
3. Be realistic.
Setting high expectations for candidates is important to increase the likelihood that new hires hit the ground running. With that being said, these expectations can truly impede on the recruitment process if they are set too high.
“There are 7 billion people on Earth, there has to be one person out there that can check all of the boxes, right?”
Well… not always. It is important to be realistic during the recruitment process. A great method of doing so is to compile a long list of all the characteristics that you would like to see in a candidate. Then, try to categorize these aspects into ‘essential’ versus ‘nice-to-have’, and rank them accordingly. By doing so, you will be sure not to rule out anyone that may have been a great fit, but lacked “10+ years of experience w/ FSMA compliance…”.
4. Manage expectations.
Provide consistent and clear communication throughout the process to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Try to provide as much detail as you can regarding the role and expectations as well as compensation and benefits to ensure that you avoid any nasty surprises near the end of the process. The earlier you can get everyone on the same page, the better.
5. Don’t sugarcoat it.
If you are a hiring manager, being honest and genuine with feedback can exponentially speed up the recruitment process because it allows recruiters the opportunity to make the necessary changes to their screening process. I understand, giving negative feedback can be very awkward. However, it all depends on the intent and delivery of the message itself. Leave it to your recruiter to deliver the message as they could be helping the candidate’s future prospects.
6. Don’t leave your candidates hanging.
What’s worse than negative feedback? No feedback at all. There is nothing more damaging to an employer brand than a lack of feedback. All too often we hear stories of resumes disappearing into a black hole after they’re submitted to an employer. Even worse, when a potential candidate has an onsite interview to meet the team and then does not hear anything back. What a shame! A simple email response goes a long way to foster ongoing relationships.
7. Avoid negotiation.
Contrary to popular belief, the goal of any recruiter is to avoid any last-minute negotiations. Our job is to make the process as seamless as possible while still respecting the expectations and needs of both clients and candidates. Ideally, the budget is set from day one and the candidate’s expectations have been managed throughout the entire process to avoid any last-minute back-and-forth.
For more information, feel free to contact any of our wonderful recruiters.