Are you a human resource manager that has noticed that hiring time has been dragging on your team? No problem. There are a few ways you can cut that time down. After all, when searching for a new employee, there’s a good chance you’re not finding the perfect match.
The average company spends 3 to 4 weeks interviewing potential new teammates, according to statistics. That’s why even though you think you’re thorough with your process and candidate analysis, sometimes it’s just not enough.
With that said, let’s get into practical tips that will reduce time to hire, so you can quickly fill those empty seats in your department and get back to business.
Hiring Tips That Will Save You Time
If you’re in charge of hiring employees, you should keep a few things in mind when looking to reduce time to hire. Here is what some experts have done to reduce their time to fill their job openings
Make a List and Check It Twice
The first thing you need to do when trying to figure out how to reduce your time to hire is to list qualifications and attributes that would be ideal for someone working in your position. Once you have this list, you must stick with it while screening candidates.
If you’re looking for someone with stellar communication skills, your top candidate must have these qualifications. Moreover, if you decide that they have all the qualities, skills, and attributes you are looking for, it’s best to offer them the position right away.
Rushing through the interview process just because another candidate may be available soon will only waste your valuable time.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
Sometimes companies try to hire as many people as possible in the shortest time. This means they don’t have time to really verify the candidates’ suitability for the position, so they end up wasting their time and everyone else’s.
Instead of spending all day sorting through resumes and applications that don’t meet your minimum requirements, it’s better to focus on quality over quantity. Get back in contact with only those candidates who have the minimum qualifications for the job.
Doing so will help you whittle down the number of applications you get to just those serious about the position and reduce time to hire.
On the other hand, if you find out that someone doesn’t meet your minimum requirements, apologize for wasting their time. However, make sure you explain that it’s essential for your team to be able to work together well.
Of course, that doesn’t mean they won’t work at all; sometimes, an excellent candidate can be a good fit for another position on your team.
Use Technology to Streamline the Process
Trying to find the right talent via traditional methods, such as job boards and cold calling, can be challenging and time-consuming. Then, once you’ve found someone who might be a good fit, you have to filter through resumes and cover letters and phone screens, and that’s all before you ever get to an in-person meeting.
That’s why it’s better to try to automate as much of your hiring process as possible. An excellent example is using video interviewing software that allows candidates to record their responses via webcam instead of flying across the country or state just to drop resumes off in person.
In fact, the vast majority of companies nowadays use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to reduce time to hire. These systems speed up the process by allowing you to store resumes digitally, send automated messages and manage interviews more efficiently.
Hire Internally Whenever Possible
One primary reason it’s hard to find suitable candidates is that not enough companies value internal promotions. When you promote someone internally, you eliminate the hassle of hiring and training new employees.
That’s because hiring internally means that you’re bringing on an employee who’s already familiar with your company’s culture and work environment. So, you’ll have no concerns about whether the person will be able to adapt to your company’s unique environment or learn the ins and outs of its processes and systems.
You won’t also have to worry about the time it takes for that person to get up-to-speed since they already know what they’re doing. You won’t only reduce time to hire but also acquire other benefits.
Improve Your Job Listing
There are many ways to optimize your job posting for search engines, but we’re going to focus on only three main ways you can improve your job listing to reduce time to hire.
The first one is to post a detailed job description instead of just “see attached” or “job details,” post as much detail about the position and the required qualifications as possible.
In addition to this, it’s best to write a compelling summary that addresses the purpose of the job listing and the benefit that the candidate will acquire by joining your team.
Lastly, it’s better to pick all your top skills and keywords and repeat them throughout the job description. Doing this will help you rank higher in the search engines, attract better candidates and reduce time to hire.
Tailor Your Job Description to Your Target Audience
Unless a skill is vital for the position or advantageous for doing the job, it’s better not to include it in the job description to significantly reduce time to hire.
After all, a generic job description will never attract the right kind of applicants. It would be best to make sure that the qualifications listed in your job description are relevant to your industry and your company culture.
For example, suppose you are hiring for a marketing role, which requires excellent communication skills. In that case, it makes sense that you should mention “great communication skills” as a qualification in your job description.
However, if you want someone who has worked in a team environment before, this can be a shortcoming if not mentioned.
The Bottom Line
The tips above are just a few to get you moving in the right direction. Hopefully, they’ll guide you and reduce time to hire. After all, new employees will bring fresh ideas, skills, and productivity.
Keep these tips in mind if you want to keep your team operational and growing strong. All it takes is a little organization and some discipline.
