It’s no secret that the hiring process can be lengthy and exhausting for everyone involved. In fact, within the last several years, the length of the average hiring process effectively doubled, taking up more than three weeks of a company’s time.
To avoid taking valuable time away from your company, use the tips below to speed up the hiring process and more efficiently find new employees.
1. Craft More Thoughtful Job Listings.
So many employers overlook the value of a strong job listing when searching for new hires. Ultimately, it’s the listing that’s going to catch the eye of new talent, so doesn’t it make sense to make it as thorough as possible?
First and foremost, make sure that your listing contains all relevant information. What are you expecting from a potential employee in terms of experience, education, professional values, and so on? And don’t forget to inject some personality into your listing. Add some information about your company culture and any noteworthy perks to attract more applicants.
2. Picture Your Ideal Employee.
Part of the reason that today’s hiring processes take so long is that employers have no clue what they’re really looking for. If you’re unsure of what the ideal candidate looks like, you risk ending up with an employee who can’t perform the required tasks or doesn’t fit into your company culture.
As you start to ramp up your hiring process, ensure that you and your team have a clear image of what the new hire should embody.
3. Give Yourself a Clear Timetable.
Finding new employees is going to take time, but that doesn’t mean it needs to take months. Sit down with your team and establish a timetable for the entire hiring process. While some adjustments can be made if necessary, you should try to stick to the timetable as closely as possible.
4. Ask Better Interview Questions.
We all know how canned and generic most interview questions are. And aside from being boring, they often offer little to no information on the candidate’s actual skill set. No one ever changed the world with a great answer to, “What is your greatest weakness?”
It’s time to start compiling a better list of more thoughtful, creative interview questions. Keep your interview questions tailored to the individual position, as well as the candidate’s prior experience. And don’t forget to give the candidate ample time to answer. Some people get nervous during interviews and may need an extra second or two to better answer your question. Talking too much or rushing the process is a waste of everyone’s time.
5. Let Candidates Mingle With the Team.
Some of the best interviews involve more than one person, which makes perfect sense since most jobs aren’t solitary endeavors.
Bringing in additional team members to assist with the hiring process or simply letting candidates meet and talk to their would-be coworkers is mutually beneficial. You’ll get a better sense of a candidate’s personality and how well they’d mesh with your team, while the candidate gains a better understanding of the job.
Great Hiring Process, Great Employees
The hiring process may not ever be perfect, but these five tips should improve your experience — and the candidates’ experiences — quite a bit.
And remember, it’s okay to show a bit of personality. A light joke or an unconventional question will always get more attention than a dry, boring hiring process.
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