When it comes to hiring today, you need to move quickly. In-demand candidates aren't likely to stick around for long before competitors snap them up. By the time you make a job offer, the best candidate may no longer be available. Quick placement decisions also benefit a company by making it possible to meet its organizational goals, maintain the quality of its products and services via high-caliber employees, and save valuable resources like managers' time and business costs related to the open position.
Many companies outsource recruiting to potentially reduce hiring costs, but this can also increase expenses initially. Fortunately, there are several possible ways to improve and speed up the hiring process while still keeping it internal. Try eliminating these common time wasters from your hiring system.
Irrelevant job titles
Advertising for a "sales rock star" or "software ninja" may seem like a way to stand out from other companies, but it actually makes it harder for candidates to find your job posting. The problem with using unique job titles is they seldom match candidates' search terms. Optimize your job titles for how job seekers search and save the fun, creative stuff for the description itself. The right keywords will also optimize your job posting for search engines like Google.
Vague job descriptions
Writing comprehensive job descriptions can be a bit time-consuming (unless you're using CareerBuilder's AI Job Posting tool, that is). However, the more time you invest in writing out clear, specific job descriptions, the more time you'll save later on. The more detailed you are about the scope of the job, its responsibilities, and the skills and experience required, the more likely less-than-ideal candidates are to weed themselves out. Make it your goal to stop swimming in a sea of resumes from unqualified applicants.
Third-round interviews and beyond
Sure, if you're hiring for a leadership position, doing multiple interviews makes sense. However, putting candidates for entry- or mid-level positions through third- or fourth-round interviews is often just an excuse to delay hiring decisions. Not only is this a waste of your time and theirs, but you may lose quality candidates to a competitor in such a lengthy process. Instead, strategically ask the best possible interview questions to identify ideal candidates for positions. Group interviews can also help you introduce the candidate to multiple employees at once without needing more than one interview.
"The more time you invest in writing out clear, specific job descriptions, the more time you'll save later on."
Using outdated technology (or no technology)
Talent acquisition technology has become a necessity in today's competitive recruitment landscape, no matter how good your recruiters may be. Automating the recruiting process can increase your recruitment team's productivity and provide a more personalized experience for job candidates. The right technological tools can help you save time when posting jobs and searching resumes. They can also be beneficial for managing, communicating with, and re-engaging candidates.
Take some time to evaluate your recruitment technology. Ask your recruiters what their biggest challenges are and what recruitment tools will help them do their job better. Consider these questions:
- Where is your current technology falling short of meeting your needs?
- What more could you accomplish with more automation?
- How many more qualified candidates can automated recruiting software bring to your organization?
Don't just look internally, either. Consider the application process from the candidates' perspective. Is your career site hard to navigate and in need of an update? Is the online application process clunky? The more you streamline the application process and make it easier on candidates, the faster you can bring them into your organization — before you lose them to competitors.
Not disqualifying underqualified or ill-fitting candidates
Candidates who aren't qualified to fit into any open position inevitably apply for jobs, especially in tight job markets. Don't keep underqualified candidates in the hiring pool. If you know a candidate is not a good fit for a position, don't put them through the interview process. Interviewing underqualified or ill-fitting candidates is a waste of the organization's time and resources as well as the candidates' time since the company isn't going to make a job offer.
Inform applicants of what the company seeks regarding skills and experience so that they understand why they aren't the ideal fit for the position. You might be able to suggest resources for their continuing job search. Eliminating these applicants early in the process allows the hiring team to focus time and resources on finding the best-fitting candidates for open positions.
Brainteasers and useless interview questions
Asking brainteaser-type questions was a popular interview trend several years ago, but getting a brainteaser question correct (or not) doesn't effectively qualify a candidate for a position. Answering a brainteaser might show that a candidate is clever or knows how to use a search engine. Still, it's not truly effective for determining whether an applicant can perform the job role or meet the organization's needs. Instead of brainteasers, stick to questions that are relevant to the position, the candidate, and the company.
An effective hiring process brings in a sufficient amount of quality candidates, doesn't take excessive time, and gives companies a chance to hire top talent before their competitors. By implementing these tips to reduce hiring time wasters, your organization can speed up the hiring process and reduce wasted costs from being understaffed.
More recruiting and hiring tips:
Learn how quiet hiring can benefit the company and reduce hiring costs.
Consider outsourcing hiring to a staffing firm to optimize the hiring process.
Increase your selection of talented applicants by eliminating the degree requirement for positions.
Implement strategic recruiting tactics to find qualified talent more efficiently.
