With a fluctuating hiring market, many hiring managers struggle to balance the risk of losing candidates due to lengthy hiring processes with the need to ensure they hire the right person for their team. Yes, thoughtful and purposeful hiring processes are essential, but so is moving quickly when an intelligent, qualified candidate is available and interested in joining your team.
So what should you do? How can you balance being patient and hitting the gas pedal when necessary during the hiring process?
We asked these questions to our Client Experience Team. They shared five key ideas to help break the process down and take the guesswork out of hiring the right person for your team!
How Long Should the Hiring Process Take?
In terms of duration, your sweet spot is two to three steps. Any interview process over three steps risks losing the interest or availability of candidates who are likely to interview with multiple companies simultaneously. That’s not to say you can’t have more than three steps. If there isn’t any way to streamline the interview process to three steps, keeping the entire process under two weeks will help your company stay competitive.
What Options Are Available to Speed Up the Hiring Process Without Sacrificing Quality?
To help ensure your process is as efficient as possible, consider these five areas:
Determine who truly needs to be involved.
Who are the decision-makers whom you can’t make the hiring decision without? Identify those team members and pinpoint where they need to be involved in the decision-making process.
Outline your game plan.
Does your company require a phone screening with Human Resources before moving the candidate to team interviews? Does your manager or a senior leader need to provide final approval after a conversation with the candidate? Will the new hire’s team be part of the interview process to ensure team alignment? Spend time outlining how many steps are necessary and where each stakeholder fits in before initiating the interviewing process to save time once you’ve identified potential candidates.
Create an interview review process.
How will you evaluate and rank the candidates you meet? How will you ask other stakeholders to assess and rank the candidates they meet with on your behalf? Creating an interview review process and evaluation criteria for everyone to follow will help collect input and make quicker decisions after completing the interview.
Use time efficiently.
Many companies schedule interviews back-to-back with different stakeholders or conduct group interviews with two or three stakeholders to keep the hiring process moving and ensure the team has the opportunity to align on interview feedback in an expedited timeline.
Communicate your interest early and often.
Share with the candidate if you’re interested in keeping an active conversation going because you think they could be a good fit! Don’t be afraid to show your hand, as the candidate is most likely interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them. As you know, the job market is fierce, and candidates often interview at two, three, or more companies simultaneously. Sharing with a candidate that they are top of the list for your team may help keep your company at the top of theirs.
If you’re looking for additional insights, check out these tips for speeding up the hiring process.
Is Speeding Up the Hiring Process Ever a Bad Idea?
In short, yes! Don’t rush the process, as bad hires will cost you time, money, and resources. Even if you are incredibly excited about a candidate, it’s still a best practice to follow your interview process to ensure a good hire. If you feel the candidate isn’t right, making that decision as early in the process will help you make time for other applicants. If you’re unsure if the candidate is a good fit, try adding informational interviews with team members who typically wouldn’t be involved in the hiring process. Their fresh eyes and perspective will give you invaluable insight. Keep in mind; those additional interviews may slow down the process, so if you add these discussions, ensure you keep the two-week timeline in mind.
How Will I Know This Candidate is Right for My Team?
It sounds corny, but often, it comes down to your gut. If your gut says this is the right person for the job, don’t hesitate to act on it! Think about things beyond the requirements of the job. This new hire will be an integral part of your team and the overall company culture. Could they be a good addition? Do they bring something that could add additional perspective or ideas to your team? Imagine the candidate telling you they accepted an offer from a different company and consider your reaction – would you be relieved or regretful?
Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask other team members or carve out time to discuss your interview review feedback with stakeholders at your company. They may highlight things that will help you uncover if the candidate is the right fit for your team.
I Found a Great Candidate. Now What?
First, congratulations! You’ve probably been through what feels like dozens of interviews but have finally found the candidate that is an excellent fit for your team with an equally exciting set of skills.
As soon as your evaluation system and gut tell you the candidate is the one, communicate your excitement and talk about the next step in the process with the candidate. Ask them what other positions they’re interviewing for, and request that they keep you posted on the timeline and status of potentially competing offers. It would help if you spent time selling the job and your company to the candidate. Share highlights about your culture, retention strategies, career growth, education opportunities, or other ways to support and engage your team. This is your chance to be authentic and share why you enjoy working at the company.
Don’t underestimate the power of a pitch. You’ve found an incredible candidate. Help them see that you are the ideal company for them!
How Can Celarity Help with Hiring?
Celarity’s mission is to create happy careers with meaningful connections, starting with the first conversation.
Our team works hand in hand with you early in the process on everything from finessing the job posting language, to defining the ideal candidate. Our goal is to bring you candidates who match the skill set of the position and the company culture and values.
The Celarity team handles the busy work involved in hiring, including scheduling interviews, gathering references, tracking candidate timelines and competing for offers, and more!
We focus on transparency throughout the hiring process to help us place the best candidates with the right companies. If you need help finding the right fit for your team, we’d love to help! Reach out to us at info@celarity.com.
