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It always makes sense to regularly review current processes and see if there are places to make them more efficient. I believe recruiting is one of those processes. Regardless of what’s happening in the labor market, no one wants to waste time or resources during the hiring process.
So, I thought it might be helpful to put together a list of questions that recruiting teams might want to ask themselves. The idea behind this list is to not assume anything about what’s currently being done. So, don’t just immediately reply with “Oh yeah, we do that.”
Organizations change. That’s not a bad thing. In fact, it could be a very good thing. But it does mean that we need to make sure that our organizational processes remained aligned.
7 Recruiting Questions to Make Your Process More Efficient
I think the best way to use this list is to bring a group of key stakeholders together to discuss the answers. Approach these questions like you’re totally new to the organization, don’t have any history, and just simply want to know what’s going on.
What recruiting metrics matter to us? Organizations don’t have to calculate everything, but what they do measure needs to matter. As we’re spending less time talking about the pandemic, organizations are making decisions about how they will manage the operation. Now might be the right time to also reevaluate what recruiting metrics they measure and make some adjustments.
Have managers bought into the candidate experience? I’m not implying here that managers don’t care about candidates. However, there have been countless articles written about how employee expectations have changed over the past few years, so it’s only logical that the candidate experience might have changed as well. Review the current candidate experience. Make sure it aligns with what the organization wants it to be. And most importantly, that everyone knows it.
Do we conduct recruiting strategy meetings for all open jobs? A recruiting strategy meeting (some might call it a manager intake meeting) is the opportunity for the recruiter and the hiring manager to discuss the job and the process for finding the best candidate. It’s necessary to have this meeting, even for positions that you recruit on a regular basis. Small changes can happen to the job requirements which add up to big changes over time. This can create a disconnect when it comes to sourcing and screening.
Are resources available to test new sources? The last thing that any recruiter wants is for their “go to” source to stop delivering results. But it happens. And when it does, recruiters need to be ready with a Plan B. Years ago, I heard a panel of recruiters talk about testing sources, so they didn’t rely on a small number of sources. But this takes organizational support in terms of time and budget dollars. It also means developing a list of criteria for what a good source can deliver.
Has the organization embraced the latest recruiting technologies? Today’s recruiting technologies can help to reduce administration time and deliver a better experience – for candidates, hiring managers, and HR. In fact, it could make some sense to ask this question in the context of all three stakeholders. For example, a process that’s great for HR but not great for hiring managers and candidates, isn’t necessarily delivering an efficient experience.
Are we using selection tools to make good decisions? When I refer to selection tools, I’m talking about assessments and background checks. Assessments can help organizations confirm skills. Please remember that a pre-employment assessment should be valid, reliable, and aligned with the process of selection. Background checks provide a comprehensive search of a candidate’s information. Common background checks include credit, criminal, driving, Form I-9, health, and drug screening. One additional screening that organizations might want to dedicate some time to consider is social media background checks. (And I don’t mean just Googling the candidate.)
Do we have a plan in place to create a smooth transition from candidate to employee? The recruiting process doesn’t end with the job offer. It’s essential to make sure the candidate has a smooth transition to employee. This could include preboarding, buddy programs, etc. The reason that organizations should consider this a part of the hiring process is because if an employee leaves in the first six months…well, that’s not an efficient recruiting process. Granted, the reason the employee left might not have anything to do with the recruiting process. But the recruiting process will be overloaded if employees don’t stay.
Oh, and here’s a BONUS question for recruiting professionals to ask themselves: Am I spending time learning new recruiting strategies? Just because we’ve been recruiting for years, doesn’t mean we can stop learning. We need to read, listen to new voices, and take educational offerings to help us stay on top of our profession.
Speaking of learning, I’m partnering with the Accurate Background team on a webinar discussing “Better Candidate Selection is the Key to Employee Retention”. The webinar is Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at 2p Eastern. I hope you can join us. I think selection is such an important part of the overall recruitment process and one we don’t talk about nearly enough. And as always, if you’re already booked, please sign up to get the recording. The program is pre-approved for SHRM and HRCI recertification credits.
Candidates and Employees Want to Work at Efficient Companies
I made the comment earlier in this article that when we hire someone and they leave shortly after starting, that puts a strain on the recruiting function. It’s one of the reasons we need to regularly ask these questions about the efficiency of our processes. Because if we have a good process, then hopefully candidates see that and want to be a part of an efficient and successful organization.
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