How long does an open position in your company get filled? The 2020 Yello Interview Scheduling Survey estimates that it takes 3 to 4 weeks across all industries. A different study by the Society for Human Resource Management reports that it costs around 4,129 USD.

Most businesses don’t have the time or money to dedicate to recruitment though. This is especially true for small to medium enterprises when most of their manpower and budget go towards keeping the organisation running. For this reason, it’s all the more vital to improve hiring process.

Recruiting new talent takes more than conducting interviews and reviewing resumes. There are countless mistakes that may dissuade qualified candidates from seeking employment with you. Below are strategies to refine your hiring process and make it as effective and efficient as possible.

How to Improve Hiring Process

Craft attractive listings

To better evaluate applicants, you need to write job descriptions that:

Have straightforward titles. Avoid using words like “rockstar” or “all-rounder” along with click-bait-sounding text such as “great opportunities for fresh graduates”. Instead, be clear about the positions you’re hiring for.

Provide specific details. Mention tasks they may handle or teams they might work with. Determine which requirements are preferred or optional. Ideally, your list of must-haves must be limited to 6 bullet points.

Use inclusive language. Speak directly to candidates rather than in a passive tone. Also, steer clear of jargon, complicated terms, and discriminatory statements. If your organisation supports diversity, inform applicants.

Promote your business. Talk about what makes your company different from others to compel people to apply. Be specific as telling them that you have 100 employees is more appealing than saying you’re growing.

Build talent pools

To build talent pipelines that reduce your time-to-hire, you must:

Consider past workers. Though they weren’t a good fit before, you never know if they become so in the future. It’s also a good idea to look to interns and former employees who’re already familiar with your business.

Engage with applicants. Reach out to everyone who sends you a cover letter or resume even if they don’t pass the initial screening. Maintain a good relationship until you find a spot for them.

Pick suitable roles. Some jobs needs a talent pool more than others, particularly those with high turnover. It may be that the requirements are too technical such as needing a masters degree or a Cisco certificate.

Source passive candidates. Many people look for jobs while currently employed and you want to access these talents for your organisation. Combine various recruitment techniques for connecting with them.

Boost talent sourcing

To discover passive candidates, consider the following sourcing techniques:

Use Boolean search. Boolean strings help you find profiles on social media. Examples are site:remoteworkmate.com “web developer” “Angular.JS” or site:remoteworkmate.com “sales agent”.

Attend industry events. You don’t have to go to meetups and gatherings physically as there are plenty of networking events online. Go for gatherings that designate time for mingling or getting to know each other.

Invest in tools. There are plenty of sourcing tools for recruitment such as Monster, Github, Twitter, and AngelList. Find out which are best for your needs to improve hiring process.

Use social media. Join groups on Facebook where people are looking for jobs in your industry. Follow conversations and people on niche platforms like Reddit too.

Get employee referrals. Create a program that offers incentives to those who can refer high-quality applicants. Maybe they can receive a bonus if the new hire stays for at least 6 months in your company.

Improve hiring process efficiency

To raise your efficiency as a recruiter, try these tips:

Make email templates. Personalised messages are important but it’s good to have a writing guide for each situation. Have templates for scheduling interviews, requesting for sample work, or asking for referrals.

Utilise recruiting software. Track candidates over the course of the recruitment process with an applicant tracking system. It also automates communications so talents stay up-to-date on their application.

Create a checklist. Keep things organised by listing down everything that needs to be done for recruiting. Prepare for interviews and exercises better by ensuring you have the necessary information.

Refine candidate experiences

To leave a good impression of your organisation to applicants, you have to:

Cut things short. To improve hiring process, ensure that applications can be filled out in less than 5 minutes. You may also request talents to upload their cover letter, resume, and sample work on cloud instead of email.

Keep them informed. Set reminders to follow up those who pass the initial screening then use your ATS to contact them. Don’t forget to send rejection emails to those who didn’t pass and offer feedback.

Update your website. Potential applicants visit your site to learn more about your business. Hence, check that your content is informative and concise while your design is user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing.

Evaluate applicants effectively

To select the most qualified people for your open positions, screen applicants better when you:

Conduct competency tests. In the second round of interviews, ask candidates to take standardised tests that assess their skills and knowledge. Analyse their results thoroughly to reduce recruitment time.

Structure your interviews. Refer to the job description when preparing your questions. Ask the same things for all applicants so they will be scored using the same scale.

Review work samples. Evaluate their portfolios or ask them to complete an assignment before proceeding to the next step. Have their professional references confirm their abilities and quality as well.

Market your brand

To get the best talent to apply at your business, boost your reputation as an employer with these tactics:

Establish your goals. Focus on the culture, vision, and mission of your organisation and make sure your decisions align with them. Then, discuss them in your social media and corporate website so visitors are aware.

Leverage current workers. Learn to appreciate the people who are already part of your team. Additionally, ask them to share what they love about your company and their working environment.

Upgrade your onboarding. Make the transition from candidate to employee easier. Have presentations ready and keep training simple for new hires so they find it easier to work towards your business goals.

Offer some flexibility. Professionals now expect employers to offer flexible working arrangements to improve work-life balance. See if this is possible for certain roles to reduce staff turnover.

Prioritise your employees. If you want to build an authentic employer brand, treat your people with respect and value their contributions. Perhaps you may give them rewards if they perform beyond expectations.

Improve Hiring Process Further

Now that you know how to improve hiring process, you must be ready to screen and interview applicants to fill your open roles.

Do you find yourself overwhelmed by the things you have to do to attract higher-quality talents? You may also leave the job to us at Remote Workmate instead.

We provide offshore staffing services for clients from around the world. Our process typically starts with discussing with the employer about their requirements and needs.