How Your Hiring Process Can Improve Your Hiring Decisions

January 7, 2020

 

So you need to find someone new to join your team. There’s a particular mix of skills, experience and personality you’re looking for – oh, and the right person will also have glowing references, salary needs that match what you’re offering, and availability that works with your interviewing scheduling and targeted start date. And multiple members of your team will have to agree on the same person. Does this hiring process sound familiar? 

It’s no wonder that hiring someone can be so long and so stressful, not just for applicants but for hiring employers too. Dozens of factors have to align before you can make a job offer. When you’re in a rush to fill openings, collapsing your hiring process and hiring the first suitable candidate will fix things in the short term. But good hiring requires thinking about the long term, and finding employees who will help you grow your business.

Taking shortcuts isn’t worth the time saved. You’ll make better hiring decisions for your company’s future when you standardize the process and make thoughtful choices about how to approach each step. Committing to a thorough hiring process means:

  • Hiring the right people now and reducing turnover later. There’s always an element of unpredictability in hiring, because you can’t know with any certainty how a new hire will perform until they’ve actually started doing the job. But using a hiring process that’s focused on finding the right candidate, instead of on finding a warm body to fill the role, could pay tremendous dividends down the line. If you’ve ever hired anyone who quit immediately or later turned out to be a problem employee, were there warning signs you missed because of a slapdash or unfocused hiring process? Remember those lessons before making your next hiring decisions.
  • You’ll do a self-evaluation that could force you to up your game. No matter your industry or geographical location, you’re in competition with other businesses to get the best employees. The hiring process offers an opportunity to make sure your organization is communicating its values and treating employees in a way that makes them want to stay. If you want to attract the best workers, you’ll have to sell them on coming to work for you. That’s not going to happen if you can’t objectively assess your business – both what’s great about it, and what’s lacking. What kind of benefits and perks can you offer new employees? What’s the company culture like? Would you describe your team as collaborative and supportive? Keep in mind that candidates may check Glassdoor and seek out other internal reviews about what it’s like to work for your company. Monitor these reviews and be prepared to address any recurring issues mentioned in them during interviews.
  • Getting actionable information about what jobseekers and employees want. The job market is constantly changing. The candidates you meet now might be more interested in flexible work schedules than in the perks you’ve always offered. Taking the time to find out what your current candidates are looking for could help you make changes that attract top candidates next year.
  • Collecting more relevant data to consider, including knowing how a candidate will perform on the job. The hiring process can be long. Some employers may take shortcuts in the interest of moving things along, like by hiring an applicant on the spot at the end of the first interview. It’s understandable that businesses may want to get new workers into open roles right away. Hiring someone who’s “good enough” may work out  just fine in the long run… or you may find yourself trying to hire that person’s replacement just a few months later. Using a thorough hiring process allows you the time to talk to references and get a sense of the candidate’s abilities and how they might translate to job performance. Is there a sample assignment you could have candidates complete that simulates tasks they would have to do on the job? Even short exercises give you more data on your candidate pool, making it easier to make an informed hiring decision.
  • You’ll walk the walk with regards to diversity and inclusion. If your company claims to have a commitment to being inclusive and diverse but your workforce is noticeably homogeneous, your hiring process could be part of the problem. Could you invite a diverse group of employees to be part of the hiring committee? Are you mindful of removing any biased language or unnecessary requirements from job postings that could discourage good candidates from applying? These are just some of the things to think about if you’re not seeing diversity reflected in your workforce.

Hiring can be really difficult to get right, and changing your hiring process tends to require some trial and error. Commonwealth can help you make sense of how to approach this process going forward. For an in depth discussion of the hiring process, check out our recorded webinar, Recruiting and Hiring Great Employees. Our team is always here to help with all of your hiring questions, contact us today.

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