We have all been hearing the constant reports of declining numbers of frontline employees across industries. In response, we’ve also seen the reports of recruiters being the most recruited role in 2021. According to LinkedIn, there have been 6.8 times more recruiter jobs posted in June of 2021 than in June of 2020.
Can hiring more recruiters really solve the problem, though? I would argue not. It’s like offering employees a raise as they put in their resignation. Throwing money at problems doesn’t always work. And it won’t work this time to ensure organizations meet staffing needs.
Employers are better off examining their processes and practices to make serious changes that will truly address hiring challenges. One of those practices is the never-ending, or what feels like the never-ending, interviewing process.
Candidate Dropouts
It has been over a year now that businesses have been reporting losing candidates mid-process. In fact, I’ve seen company leaders posting on social media about how disrespectful it is for candidates to drop out at certain stages or to ghost them completely mid-process — as if employers have never done the same thing to candidates.
So, if we have known this for some time, why do companies still have three, four, five, and more rounds of interviews for many of their reqs, including entry-level jobs? After all, we are not seeing this for leadership roles!
Think about how much faster companies could get candidates to the offer stage if they just cut their interview rounds in half. In simple terms, it would be twice as fast!
I watched more traditional organizations, such as in higher education and manufacturing, lose talent to forward-thinking companies. I even saw them lose hundreds of candidates to the restaurant industry, which was offering immediate interviews and on-the-spot offers.
Of course, not every company will want to do on-the-spot offers, but the point is that cutting the rounds of interviews can prevent losing candidates. Quite frankly, it means that candidates have less time to consider the offer — as well as seek other offers.
I worked at an organization where we tested this out. We cut the interview process in half. Not only did we start to see a decline in mid-process dropouts but we actually saw for a sustained period of time zero drop-outs.
Zero!
Indeed, candidates have expressed to me their gratitude for our process because it is not what they were experiencing with other companies.
The Hybrid Workplace Implication
It seems so obvious when we think about it, but remote and hybrid environments have only encouraged dropouts during the middle of interview processes. That’s because when interviewing has become so much more convenient, it makes sense that people probably have more choices at any given time. They can even schedule interviews with companies back-to-back since the interviews are often on video.
Fully onsite companies competing for talent that can just as easily work remotely are also facing greater challenges as candidates have more choice now. If candidates need or want a new job, they very likely will go with an employer that can exemplify a better process and experience.
Streamlining interviews is just one tiny step toward a better hiring process, but there are so many other practices that are outdated, as well. If we apply a critical eye to our recruitment processes and practices and are willing to cut the red tape that exists, we can move the needle in the right direction when it comes to securing top talent faster.
And guess what? Changing up the interview process or most other recruitment practices really does not cost a company money. In fact, it will likely lead to savings. It is a win-win!
If you want to hear more about how to change these antiquated processes and practices, join me at ERE Digital, April 6-7, for my session “Busting Bureaucracy: Eliminating Inefficiencies to Fill Roles Faster.” Register for ERE Digital and save 10% off using my code EREDS22LOTUS.