How Can You Make the Recruiting Process Faster? Did you know that the average time to fill a position is 42 days? However, this varies by industry. Still, during that span, top talent may accept an offer elsewhere....

Did you know that the average time to fill a position is 42 days? However, this varies by industry. Still, during that span, top talent may accept an offer elsewhere. And that means you have to continue devoting resources to filling that opening. This puts more strain on your current team as they have an additional workload.

But, there are some additional benefits to speeding up the recruitment process. It improves the candidate experience, but this can also lead to higher acceptance rates. And it will put a smile on the faces of your recruiters and leaders.

But, how can you make the recruiting process faster? Well, try out these ten strategies.

1. Enhance your job postings.

Let's not mince words. Having a lot of unqualified applicants applying to your job openings might be due to your job posting. So what makes an effective advertisement?

Yes. Your job posting must include all essential requirements. However, it should also be aspirational as well.

In order to attract the best talent, you need to write about why the candidate should choose you over anyone else. In other words, promote your company as their best option.

There's nothing wrong with the description of your job following a general template. However, it should also include the following criteria:

• Give a brief description of your company. Make sure you include your firm's tagline or pitch.
• Make it clear whether the position is remote or on-site. It's simple to narrow candidates who are only seeking remote work opportunities.
• The job posting should also be specific about the role. For example, describe who the candidate will report to and their responsibilities. Also, explain how they can succeed in their new role and how to track their performance.
• List the skills, requirements, or pre-requisites that your candidates must possess. Of course, some candidates may not apply unless they meet those requirements. Yet, it can assist serious candidates in deciding whether this role suits them.
• Explain what the perks of your job or company are. By doing so, candidates will feel valued before they even meet you.

2. Make it easy to apply.

A lengthy and exhausting application process is not appealing to candidates. What's more, they expect to apply for the job directly from their phones. According to Indeed, it is estimated that 62% of job seekers use mobile devices for their job search globally. Mobile job searching is driven primarily by convenience for 55% of job seekers. Additionally, 66% of applicants would use a mobile device to apply for a job if it were easier.

As a result, they expect you to parse their resumes. And also limit the remaining fields to relevant information related to the application process.

In fact, Careerbuilder reports that 20% of candidates abandon application forms that take more than 10 minutes to complete.

Take the time to review your application process. If it doesn't meet these standards, you need to step up your recruiting game. To start, you can offer a mobile-friendly application process that helps candidates apply faster by choosing the right recruitment software. Some suggestions would be Zoho Recruit, Recruitee, or Freshteam.

3. Encourage passive candidates.

Passive candidates are also encouraged to reach out during recruitment. Often, those not actively looking for work have extensive experience, ideal for a position you're filling.

Is it hard to convince specific passive candidates? It can be. You might be able to secure an interview with nothing more than a quick email to a few candidates you're interested in.

4. Automate tasks.

Looking to focus most of your recruiting efforts on the jobs that have the most significant impact? Well, removing time-consuming tasks from your schedule is key.

Thanks to technology, recruiting has become more effective and time-efficient. In addition, these tools allow employers to automate menial tasks. For example, screening resumes, scheduling interviews, answering simple questions, or sending rejection emails.

In the same way that talent pipelines influence efficiency, task automation does the same. This way, you can focus on improving your hiring process' speed and quality.

5. Implement an employee referral program.

There's no spoiler warning here. Many of the best employees are hired internally or through employee referrals. About half of referrals (45%) stay for four years or longer. And, only 25% of employees hired from job boards remain for more than two years.

Employee referral programs let your employees do a substantial amount of recruiting on your behalf. By doing so, recruiting and hiring will take a lot less time, and advertising costs will be reduced. It is also more likely that candidates with a personal relationship with a current employee will accept a job offer.

Best of all? Referral programs are not complicated or expensive. You could, for instance, try an old-fashioned approach like asking your employees who they know. However, you should make sure that they know you will help them through the process.

6. Leverage AI-powered candidate screening.

Screening candidates is a crucial step in the hiring process. Why? Recruiters can eliminate applicants who are not suitable for the job, focusing on the most qualified ones.

However, you probably have to perform this manual task daily. And, suffice to say, it can take a lot of time and effort. Moreover, if you receive many applications, it is practically impossible to screen all of them accurately and ensure only the best are considered in the hiring process.

The best solution? Automate the screening process with AI.

Using an applicant tracking system allows you to automate the process of selecting candidates based on the job requirements you set. As a result, it can speed up your recruiting process while retaining the quality of screening. Also, this technology doesn't get tired of screening candidates and reviewing their CVs. Additionally, it doesn't rely on human biases.

7. Expand the reach of your job listing.

Again, providing a good job listing will appeal to prospective employees and make the hiring process faster. If the listing has not been placed correctly, serious repercussions can be. Without enough job advertisements, your candidate pool will be less diverse, and the number of applicants will also decline. You can save time and resources by diversifying where you advertise your job openings now and in the future.

The thing is, if you do it inefficiently, actively increasing the preparation phase can bog down the process even further. After all, if you aren't using the right tools or channels, you'll be wasting both time and money. So instead, make your company more recognizable by increasing brand awareness, or use the next tip for optimal results.

And, despite your personal feelings, don't overlook the power of social media. For example, 94% of recruiters leverage LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter in their recruiting efforts.

8. Hire from within.

Employees should always be encouraged to apply for new positions. The reason? Well, it's less expensive and boosts employee engagement. But, it also makes the recruiting process faster.

Based on your current employee's skills, knowledge, loyalty, and work ethic, you already know they are a good fit for your business. Likewise, it takes time and effort to welcome a new team member. But, on the other hand, an existing employee is already settled and comfortable in your organization.

9. Embrace flexible interviews.

Can you offer more flexible interviews? For example, do you have the availability to meet with them during the evening or weekend? Are you willing to travel to meet them? Or, the interview can be done remotely over Zoom.

10. Enhance the candidate experience.

Lastly, improving the candidate experience will make your hiring process more efficient. Besides improving candidate experience, these methods also speed up hiring.

Candidates would get a better experience if the application process were shortened. Recruiters would also have fewer touchpoints.

If you keep an engaging career page and employer brand, candidates will be able to decide if they will fit in with your company culture. By pre-screening, they can reduce the number of applicants not fit for the role. Informed and enthusiastic candidates will also feel more qualified and enthusiastic about the job.

Final tip. Keep in constant contact with candidates. Through effective communication, you can improve their experience and prevent delays and roadblocks.

Image Credit: Tima Miroshnichenko; Pexels; Thank you!

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