The Waiting Game: Your Hiring Process

Waiting is the worst, isn’t it? When was the last time you were in a hospital, either because you were sick or you were helping someone else? Things take forever in a hospital. Waiting for tests. Waiting for test results. Waiting to be discharged. How about traveling in the airport? Waiting in line for security. Waiting for your plane to board. Waiting to take off. Waiting to get off the plane … and that’s all if your flight goes smoothly! Or, how about waiting in line at the DMV?

Even though these scenarios all sound painful, there’s one waiting scenario that tops them all: the waiting you experience when you’re seeking a new job. Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes. There’s a lot at stake, like finding the perfect opportunity, making enough money, and/or the feeling of rejection. To HR professionals and hiring managers, it’s all about “the process,” but to job seekers, it’s personal. It’s about the experience.

With unemployment low, the need for talent is high. Companies are competing for the best people and the candidate experience is a hot topic for many. Still, companies are taking longer than ever to fill their openings. Part of this is due to talent scarcity, but a major contributor to long hiring cycles is inefficiency that drags out the process and ultimately creates negative candidate experiences.

Is your organization losing out on the best talent? Are you finding that your top candidates are accepting other positions? Are your vacancies open too long? Are you experiencing higher turnover? Part of your problem might be your hiring process. Let’s look at two steps you can address:

1. The Application

What is your application abandonment rate? How often are people dropping out before they complete your application? Your application process should be fast and efficient. Eliminate unnecessary questions. Minimize the number of clicks people must make. Consider the user experience; make it modern and sleek. Make sure your application works well on mobile devices and be sure your process can be completed in one step.

2. The Interviewing Process

How many steps are in your interviewing process? How prepared is each participant? Does everyone know what is expected of them? How does communication flow before and after each step? How quickly are you gathering feedback and making decisions on how to proceed? How are you communicating with candidates and keeping them apprised? Examine each stage of the interviewing process and look for opportunities to improve efficiency. 

Your process not only impacts your ability to hire talent; there are other effects as well. Consider the following:

• 42% of candidates with negative applicant experiences said they would never consider employment at the company again
• 22% of candidates with negative applicant experiences said they’d actively tell others not to work for that company
• 9% of candidates with negative applicant experiences said they would not purchase products or services from that company again (source: 2015 CandE Awards)

Your hiring process creates experiences for candidates and negative experiences hurt your reputation, your brand, and potentially your revenue. Don’t keep candidates waiting. Create more positive experiences, and you’ll create more success.

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) solutions from Advanced RPO can help you evaluate and improve your hiring processes to get the talent you need to succeed. Contact us today to learn more about our high-touch solutions.