The bane of a recruiter’s job… not finding the right candidate. Most recruiters want to find the right candidate in the right amount of time without sacrificing candidate experience. Sounds easy enough, so why is it so hard? Tim Sackett recently wrote about how simple sourcing is (or at least it’s easier than ever before).

While there are no overnight ways to speed up your job process, there are processes you can put in place that will allow you to reduce your time to hire, and just in time for a new year!

1. IT ALL STARTS WITH A JOB DESCRIPTION

First things first. Create a job description marketed towards job seekers. I know it’s easier to use what you used last time but if it’s not the most effective messaging you have, what’s the point? Using the same tired language you always have gurantees that the best candidates will tune you out or worse perceive that you take forever to hire.

Organizational lingo and boring descriptions are two of the quickest ways to detract from the position and your company. Instead, insert a touch of company culture into the job description with pictures, tone and even a sense of humor. While it’s important to be creative, it’s crucial to be honest about what your company is and isn’t. A candidate applies for the position with the understanding that the image you’ve painted in the job description is true. If they get to the interview and realize they were (sadly) mistaken, they may reject a job offer. Rachelle Falls (@CorporateHRGirl), Founder & Engagement Strategist of Sun Strategies, said:

“If you find that your employer brand looks one way on the outside but is not the same internally, work to make those changes. Think of it this way: your brand visibility is like a children’s storybook. A great book has consistent messaging throughout, with illustrations that support the messaging. The story is clear. However, if your story doesn’t match the pictures, candidates can’t follow along. It’s confusing, prompts anxiety, and causes more questions about what the job will really look like.”

2. EXPEDITE THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

This doesn’t mean sacrificing quality for speed. Candidate experience still affects an employer brand. Instead, eliminate unnecessary steps during the hiring process. Have three or four interviews before the team thinks about making a hiring decision? Assess whether those are necessary. Worried about applicant flow when you’ve got the CEO interviewing every candidate? Running the interview process longer than ithonestly needs to go, can cost you valuable candidates. Moreover, hiring slower does not improve the quality of the candidate pool either, according to Dr. John Sullivan (@DrJohnSullivan), HR thought leader. He continues to say:

“Slow hiring may actually doom your firm to an extended period where you only hire average or slightly above-average candidates. Recruiters may offer the excuse that the weak applicant pool that they presented is a result of the highly competitive marketplace, but in many cases the actual reason may be a slow hiring process that only exists at your firm.”

3. TRAIN YOUR HIRING TEAM

Properly educate the hiring decision makers on what the position needs. If they are unaware of the kind of candidate they are looking for in the first place, how can they find a new hire in a timely manner? Without a trained hiring team with a direct line to the hiring manager, they are left to figure out the best candidate qualities as they screen. This can leave some candidates at a disadvantage and it lengthens the entire process. Dedicate a little extra budget to educating your hiring team on the best practices for the organization’s hiring process. Yes, it is money up front,however, that money upfront can save the organization in the extra costs that come from having an under-trained team. Margery Weinstein (@MargeryW), Senior Associate Editor at Training Magazine, says:

“When managers work with your Human Resources department to post job ads, how much guidance are they given about the next step – the applicant’s interview? Recruitment and applicant interview techniques should be part of the new manager training, and maybe it usually is, but as a person who has been on the receiving end of the process, it often seems like the hiring manager is flying blind.”

When you have several people involved in the hiring process, it can be difficult to reduce your time-to-hire. With different video interviewing platforms, however, you can save time and money by interviewing candidates and sharing the interview with those involved. Video interviewing can save time during the interview process by removing the need to travel to the interview. It can save money by shortening the interview process. Train your hiring managers on the best practices for hiring processes and have the team formulate a well-rounded job description so you attract the right candidates from the beginning.

Bio: Julie Salerno, VP Sales

Julie Salerno provides guidance and leadership to GreenJobInterview’s sales team and is responsible for the ongoing growth of the company’s revenues and profitability. She is involved in strategic planning, helping to managing the company’s resources, and improving its business processes.

Previously, she served as a partner and senior executive recruiter at Personnel Strategies, Inc.

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