There is more technology available to help us hire than ever before. Despite this, the average time to hire is the highest it has ever been and increasing.
Many managers are trying to be more particular in their hiring process, spending more time trying to find the perfect candidate. Managers my think taking longer to fill a role means they will find a better candidate, but extended time to hire is more of a problem than solution.
Here are 4 extended time to hire problems which are actually damaging your onboarding process:
1. Labour intensive interview methods.
Telephone interviews, group interviews, questionnaires, and trial days. These interview methods sound like a great filtering process, but they end up leading to extended time to hire.
Great candidates will wonder how many hoops they have to jump through to join your organisation. An extended time to hire process will filter out as much top talent that loses interest as unfit candidates.
Reference checks are one of the best ways to judge character, but even they are taking too long. If you want to find the best candidates, ask their references and ask them fast.
2. There are more diverse roles to fill, and more roles in general.
There are more jobs and more job ads than ever before. A poor job description in a job ad contributes to extended time to hire.
It has become more important than ever to understand the responsibilities and competencies required for a position before advertising. The quality of applicants can be attributed to the clarity of a job ad.
Unclear language makes the ideal candidate less defined. You can tell if you’ve posted a poor job ad if applicants only meet part of the requirements. The skills required must be articulated so there is no confusion as to what is involved. To do this, you must understand the position you’re advertising yourself.
3. Fear of mistakes in hiring.
One of the biggest causes of extended time to hire is a bad experience in hiring. Managers who have made a bad hire in the past become cautious when hiring in the future.
Managers look for safe hires that fit the bill, rather than taking the risk on a left of field candidate. Looking for the perfect hire takes longer and loses out on the unexpected attributes an alternative hire could bring.
There is always risk in hiring. Managers need to avoid the once bitten, twice shy approach. It is better to hire a candidate that ticks most of the boxes and is willing to learn, rather than wait for the impossible, perfect fit.
4. Believing hiring slower means better candidates.
As mentioned in the first point, a longer hiring process is not always better. Managers should not mull over their options for too long.
Having an extended time to hire approach means you miss out on the candidates you first encountered. A candidate is not going to wait 90 days for you to decide they were actually the right fit for the job all along.
You should make an offer to a candidate if you have a gut feeling about them. You should get them onboard if your gut still says yes after the interviews and reference checks. A great candidate won’t wait for you. It’s better to get them onboard and productive sooner than waiting for the perfect candidate later.
Now, how do we speed up?
1. Automate your hiring practices and processes
Automation not only removes the manual burden on your hiring manages, but will also reduce the chance for errors.
You could try using recruitment software, or you could try to set up some automated workflows and checklists for yourself. The aim is to remove the uncertainty that managers may have when hiring by providing a clear, repeatable process to follow.
2. Automate your employee onboarding
One of the best (and most overlooked) ways you can cut down your extended time to hire is to utilise employee onboarding software. Create offers in minutes and email them out instantly to your best candidates, and you’ll make a huge impact to your time to hire.
Having a clear, systemised process for employee onboarding will also give your hiring managers more confidence that new hires will be looked after (they know contracts will be sent and they know access and tools will be provisioned in time).
Watch this short video of HROnboard in action and see how HROnboard helps you convert candidates to employees. Fill those empty positions with the best talent faster.