August 9, 2017

3 Reasons Why the Hiring Process Should Be Expedited

By ThinkingAhead

Every hiring manager, HR professional, and recruiter knows that the hiring process is constantly changing thanks to evolving technology and shifting expectations between companies and candidates. We live in an increasingly fast-paced world where every transaction — from making dinner reservations to securing a spot in yoga class — has been accelerated by technology. Today, job seekers are overwhelmed with information and options; for hiring managers, this has made speeding up the selection process invaluable for securing the best candidates.

Time Kills All Deals

Ideal relationships are ones where both sides have something to offer. Creating that ideal relationship is dependent on relatively consistent energy from both sides to keep the relationship going. This is particularly true in hiring, where companies and candidates engage in negotiation as they learn about each other and determine their mutual compatibility. Though there is naturally an ebb and flow to the hiring process, it should never lose momentum: any real or perceived red flag on the part of the candidate immediately becomes a liability in the process, and perhaps a deal breaker. As a result, a lapse in momentum can compromise a potentially successful professional relationship.

Allowing too much time to pass at any point after the initial contact between a company and a candidate for a position can be interpreted (by either party) as a lack of interest. This type of miscommunication can result in a missed opportunity for qualified candidates and hiring professionals alike. Recruiters are experts at managing the relationships between job candidates and companies; ensuring that both maintain the appropriate amount of contact at the right time. Hiring managers and HR departments may be swamped with day-to-day work, but dropping the ball or failing to communicate with job candidates increases the risk that they’ll end up elsewhere. Recruiters can help ensure you’ll never lose a hire to lack of timeliness.

The Interview High

Few things are more professionally fulfilling than a company demonstrating their interest in one’s achievements and indicating their faith in one’s potential — that’s why the post-interview high is so powerful. Receiving positive feedback from a potential employer is exhilarating and validating. But interviews are also emotionally draining (for candidates especially), and highs are generally followed by lows. In other words, if you wait too long after an interview to respond to a candidate or move them forward in the hiring process, they could begin to second-guess what they interpreted as positive feedback; if their emotional state changes too much, you could easily lose a brilliant candidate to a quicker competitor.

Professional recruiters understand the importance of the interview high and know how to leverage the phenomenon to acquire the best candidates. Recruiters also know job candidates as actual people, not simply as job seekers looking for employment; they know a job candidate’s personality and career history and goals. They also serve as a go-between, communicating with candidates throughout the selection process and encouraging post-interview highs — all while helping companies make decisions faster, before they lose the best available candidates. Nothing can replace the personal connection recruiters have with their candidates, especially when it comes to making the most of this exhilarating feeling.

Outpacing the Competition

Companies must be nimble in every aspect of their business, and hiring is no exception. Quick turnaround in the hiring process has become the new normal, and job candidates now expect it. So much information about companies and positions is available online that by the time a face-to-face interview occurs, much of the vetting on the candidates’ side has already taken place. And job seekers also know that companies research them online before an interview occurs, from their LinkedIn profile to their social media accounts — in the minds of many candidates, there’s no longer any excuse for a company being “unsure” about them, especially for weeks at a time.

The modern hiring process is all about chemistry — and chemistry can have a short shelf life. Recruiters know that the strongest job candidates are being actively courted by more than one company, and they’re sensitive to the timing and behavior of all interested parties. Once a candidate and a company have interviewed, that company must act decisively, demonstrating their interest in hiring that candidate before they lose interest, grow insecure, or simply receive another offer. Job candidates often interpret a lack of action as a lack of dedication, shifting their energy to other opportunities; recruiters can help prevent these losses.