Some businesses out there are wondering why they’re not seeing any return on their hiring investment. Many will try to hire more lackluster job seekers to compensate.
Not only does this cause more problems in the workplace, but it drains more funds, too. Instead of risking revenue to follow behind new hires, companies should look at their recruiting process.
The wrong hire can cost companies between $17,000 and $240,000. Recruiting is an expensive part of a business budget anyway. Businesses should spend money wisely between interviewing, training, and retaining the right people.
The interview process can be lengthy for all parties involved. Reliable job seekers shouldn’t have their eye on a company only to find that their interview process is aimless.
Wasted time and money reflect poorly on businesses in this way. So, it’s important to make this exchange as efficient and worthwhile as possible.
Have a hiring panel when conducting interviews
As it pertains to speed and inclusion, hiring panels are becoming increasingly popular. Having a few extra opinions that weigh in on a potential hire could alleviate a few facets of the interview process.
For one, leaders can minimize potential bias. Having multiple perspectives on candidates leaves room for a more balanced determination.
Hiring panels typically consist of a manager, a subject matter expert, and an HR professional. Each representative can provide some insight into candidate relevancy.
Sometimes it takes more experts around to catch memorable interview moments. This is important for company culture upkeep just as much as it is for proper skill assessment. It may take a few more opinions to tell how well a person melds with the business environment.
Having a subject matter expert on a hiring panel can help the legitimacy of an interview. They can specifically pinpoint if a candidate truly understands their goals and how to reach them.
Essentially, having a hiring panel will save on time-to-hire and finding truly qualified new hires. Businesses should consider shrinking their 3-part tiered interviews into a comprehensive group analysis.
Use pre-employment testing to screen candidates
A survey showed that 32% of Americans have admitted to lying on their resumes. The lengths some people will go through to be a part of a company are surprising. Still, it takes diligence from a team of hiring managers to weed through unqualified job seekers.
Adding a couple of pre-employment assessments to an interview process could help in a few ways. Underqualified talent shouldn’t be able to successfully understand complex business requirements. These minimize the chance of sneaky candidates getting closer to a new position they’re not ready for.
Pre-employment testing can look like aptitude tests, skills assessments, background checks, and more. Hiring managers can create skills assessments depending on the open role.
For example, if the new hire is filling a data management role, a skills assessment should require them to prove their knowledge. They would have questions about specific data warehouses, data analytics software, and unique use cases.
Certain assessments like these could be in a digital application. It may take longer to complete for applicants, but confident job seekers will get through it easily. This can flag lacking applications and alert hiring managers of the ones with the best scores.
Maintain a consistent interview strategy with applicants
Keeping a standard hiring process intact helps drive better decision-making. All applicants should go through the same steps and answer the same questions. This makes it easier to balance candidates appropriately.
Equally tracking and evaluating each candidate allows hiring managers to find the cream of the crop. Asking standardized questions across the board is one way to make this happen. It keeps hiring managers all on the same page about the expected answers and what it takes to fill the role.
Using a scoring system can be helpful this way by assessing skills fairly. Managers can keep up with key metrics better, which creates more accurate decisions in record time.
Make the interviewing system more personal
Fitting into a work environment is a shared goal between a business and an employee. If they don’t seem to be in alignment with company views, it may be worth it to find more dedicated candidates.
Job applicants may try to hide their reluctance with a confident interview, though. So, the best way to find out for sure if a person is the right fit is to make interviews more personal.
Interviews aren’t always easy for candidates. They can be stressful and pressing, which can make them act to impress.
When applicants are more comfortable during the interview process, this can help show leadership more of their true selves and more effectively match candidates with company culture.
Automate the interview process with workflows
With technologically constantly evolving, many companies are looking to automate their hiring process workflows. Technology that facilitates easier interviews optimizes the entire hiring process. Recruiting automation takes control of everything from candidate sourcing to the final decision.
One beneficial part of recruiting automation is the ability to streamline interview scheduling. This software can take humans out of the process. Systems do this by applying a matrix that allows scheduling to take place without disrupting hiring professionals.
This allows the candidate to coordinate their time with available slots. From here, the software can add the appointment to integrated calendars.
This is just one task performed after software like this pre-screens candidates. First, marketing strategies find the best practices for proper market coverage. From here, it targets the best talent, and applications begin to come in.
Some systems administer pre-employment assessments and pre-recorded video interviews. Then, it filters through the best candidates for their desired interview slots.
Using new tech like this can expedite the interview process and reduce time-to-hire. Hiring managers can focus on essential employee onboarding and training schedules.
Plus, skill gap mitigation simplifies the interview before it even begins. This minimizes the time spent fishing through applications and reading endless resumes.
Keep communication open with job applicants
Better communication is necessary for all business ventures. As many as 70% of job applicants lose interest within just a week after the interview. Communicating effectively with candidates throughout the interview process can help maintain their interest.
The traditional “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” approach isn’t favorable for a company’s brand these days. There are several sites where people can anonymously give negative reviews about a company based on their experience. This means someone could reveal publicly that they were well qualified but left in the dark after their interview.
Communicating effectively with candidates throughout the interview process can help maintain their interest.
Businesses that cease communication after the interview ends are making it seem like they don’t care about their employees. The right candidate won’t have the confidence to apply to a company with reviews about negative interview experiences.
Optimizing the interview process saves time and money
It can be difficult to get the most out of an interview. With an inbox full of applications and a tough schedule ahead, interviewing can be a repetitive, time-consuming process.
When advancements like these are properly implemented, they can narrow down the potential market and ensure that hiring managers aren’t wasting their time on unqualified candidates.
Hiring, onboarding, training, and retaining the right talent can be a pricey business endeavor. Optimizing the interview process is just the start of revolutionizing revenue and retaining the best talent.
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