It’s time to speed up your recruiting and hiring process

With the U.S. economy running at record-low unemployment, it is easy to see why competition for top talent is fierce. Unfortunately, it takes organizations nearly 24 days on average to complete interviews and 42 days to actually make a hire. In that span of time, a top candidate is likely to receive multiple compelling offers and there is a strong chance one of your competitors will snatch your favorite recruit.To combat this recruiting challenge, many organizations are adopting faster hiring processes. To compete for talent in this economic environment, companies need to field offers during the same week as an interview takes place. Some organizations are making same-day hires. 

How fast is fast enough?

Let’s face it—the typical recruiting and hiring process leaves most candidates feeling cold. After applying for the job and submitting a resume, they receive an automated email response. After that, it is not uncommon to wait two weeks or longer before being contacted for an interview. The candidate puts her best foot forward during the interview and believes she has knocked it out of the park. But the waiting game begins again.After the interview, candidates find continued waiting particularly frustrating. According to the Time to Hire survey by Robert Half:

• 57% of job seekers say the most frustrating part of a job search is waiting after the interview to hear if they will be offered a job.
• When faced with a lengthy hiring process, 39% of respondents would lose interest and pursue other opportunities, and 18% would keep current positions.
• In the judgment of 39% of respondents, a hiring process of 7 to 14 days from initial interview to extending an offer is too long!

Remember that the most talented candidates will often receive multiple, compelling offers, so time is of the essence in this hiring environment. Research by Dr. John Sullivan, an HR thought leader from Silicon Valley, shows that the most qualified, talented candidates are off the job market within 10 days.You need to move quickly and efficiently through the recruiting cycle, however, you don’t want to rush the process to the point of making bad hires. Determine the jobs where speed matters the most and develop your accelerated hiring strategy to fill those positions most quickly. 

Do not give candidates the silent treatment

While you cut as much slack time as possible out of your recruiting, interviewing, and hiring, it’s also a good idea to step up communication efforts to combat the frustration candidates feel during periods of waiting.If you don’t keep recruits fully informed about where they stand in the process, they may lose interest and accept a competitor’s offer. In the Robert Half survey, nearly one-third of respondents said a protracted hiring process makes them question the organization’s broader decision-making capabilities. 

Automate routine tasks so you can concentrate on hiring decisions

Use automation to keep your hiring process moving efficiently and ensure timely communication with candidates. Asure Software’s Talent Management solutions delivers an entirely web-based recruitment process that automates correspondence, manages interview scheduling, and automates tracking and approvals for position requisitions and offers.