Make sure your Recruitment process is timely and efficient. In a Candidate-driven market, great talent won't be kept waiting

If nothing else, the cost of leaving a vacancy open for longer than you need to is counter-productive. On average, it takes close to a month to recruit a new Employee and this is often longer for larger companies and highly skilled roles. Why is this and what can be done to reduce the time to hire?

Defining the role
The recruitment process can be held up in the advanced stages when interviewers disagree about the best person for the role. This is often because the skills and qualities the company requires haven’t been pinned down. You’re more likely to come to a decision quickly if you’re all on the same page from the outset. 

Likewise, you can avoid Candidate indecision in the latter stages of the recruitment process by making sure the job description is clear and accurate. If the interview paints a different picture to that of the job description, it’ll confuse and potentially put off candidates. 

Agreeing the salary budget and benefits in advance will also prevent issues later down the line when your perfect candidate requests something out of scope.

Managing applications
Although it’s very much dependent on the role, there has been an overall increase in the number of CVs received; wading through them can be an arduous task. On the other side of the coin, the recruitment process can be unexpectedly extended when companies find they don’t have enough applications. This may be because attempts to advertise the role effectively were unsuccessful.

Screening and selecting
Testing and carrying out background checks on applicants often adds time to the recruitment process – this is compounded when the role has a high level of responsibility or requires a specific skillset. Often, it means more interviews as candidates are whittled down - and that requires more communication and feedback on the part of the hiring team.

It’s also becoming more commonplace to carry out personality tests. Add to this the time it takes to chase and review references and it’s easy to see why the process can stretch weeks over what was anticipated but not planned.

This is also compounded when recruitment isn’t normally part of a person’s role. A recent survey we undertook with businesses in Oxfordshire showed that local businesses are struggling to recruit, with 32% saying that they didn’t have time to do it properly and 20% stating that having a convoluted recruitment and selection process was a key issue.

Finding a way to organise and simplify each step of the hiring process can ease the strain on your resources and ensure the process is as speedy and fruitful as possible. 

Although technology can help relieve some of the burden, many companies don’t have the time or wherewithal to set it up. Fortunately, for companies struggling to align resources for a timely hire, a Recruitment Agency can be a great asset. The right Agency will streamline and manage the entire recruitment process and use their knowledge and experience to help secure the best possible talent for the role.

You may think your offer is worth your ideal Candidate’s wait, but the reality is that modern jobseekers have more options open to them than Employers do – if they’re the ones holding the cards, you don’t want to be too slow to snap them up.

For advice on how to secure the best talent quickly and effectively, speak to us on 01865 335 600.