It’s officially recruiting season and if your company hasn’t removed the clutter from its hiring process, then it may be time for some overdue spring cleaning.

Streamlining the hiring process is important to attracting and bringing in new talent. Job candidates who are unimpressed by the way they’re being evaluated may go elsewhere to find work, and word about long and confusing recruitment procedures can spread quickly.

Ultimately, streamlining the hiring process can ease stress on hiring managers, reduce the cost of hiring and ensure that top tier candidates are coming through the talent pipeline with ease. Hiring managers can determine if there are kinks in the recruitment process through an internal audit, and from there, work on making sure procedures are as efficient as possible. There are a number of solutions for the issues that could be cluttering your hiring processes. If your own internal audit turns up problems, the solutions may be found in the guide to streamlining hiring below:

1. Refine your job descriptions
Are most of the candidates who come through your doors not right for the job whatsoever? How is it that all of these people think that the open position you’re advertising is right for them? It is possible these bad fits are applying because your job descriptions aren’t specific enough or geared to the right audience. If your postings include loose, not-quite-accurate or extremely general explanations of responsibilities and requirements, chances are the job candidates you desire won’t be walking through the doors in droves – instead, pretty much everyone interested in a finance job will. This will certainly serve to turn the hiring process into more of a slog than a success story.

2. Make sure everyone involved in hiring is well-trained
What if your company purchases new software for human resources, or fresh legislation is implemented that affects the hiring process – will your team be prepared? Oftentimes, an uneducated team can muck up an otherwise efficient hiring procedure. Every mistake made will set the process back slightly, and all those minute issues can add up over time. Instead, taking an hour to make sure that your employees never question themselves for even a single second will help hiring move along quickly and smoothly.

3. Tackle efficiency issues with technology

New applications designed to improve various business processes are getting released all of the time, and some of these programs are worth the cost. Software thinks faster than people do – and makes fewer mistakes as well – so it makes sense that technology would speed up the hiring process. For example, video interviewing can make the process much more efficient. Instead of having every potential candidate come into the office, it is much easier to screen individuals with video software such as Skype. This way, you are able to speak with candidates with the speed and ease of a phone-based interviewing process, but with the extra human connection that comes with seeing them. Additionally, using a CRM system, such as OneWire, can make sourcing and tracking desirable talent much easier.

4. Organize your processes
Even with the most thorough training around and the most advanced training available, it is still possible that someone makes a mistake during the recruitment process. Keep everything – such as Form I-9s and job candidate contact information – well-organized to ensure that everyone can find the information they need. Additionally, lay out every step of the hiring process in a document so that, if someone forgets something, he or she can quickly look it up and continue working.

A cluttered hiring process is a significant setback to any company. An internal audit will help you determine what’s wrong, and the four tips above will assist you in solving those issues.

This post originally appeared on the OneWire Resources blog. Need help managing the recruiting process? Our team is here to help. Contact us to hear more about our recruiting solutions.