3 Keys to Recruiting: Collaboration, Friction-free Processes and Rapid Results

As published in HR Technologist.

In today’s hyper-competitive war for talent, a quick hiring process benefits all parties. Find out how by focusing on collaboration, putting friction-free processes in place and using technology, you can significantly shorten your time-to-hire.

A consistent theme in the world of talent acquisition is that it takes too much time to source and hire the talent organizations need. According to research from CEB, the average time-to-hire for office jobs takes well over two months of business days—68 business days to be exact—to fill open positions. 

Some people may believe that 68 business days are required to make a great hire, or that you can’t make the right hire in less time. That’s not the case.

“Contrary to popular belief, accelerating hiring speed does not lead to lower quality of hire. In fact, time to hire can be reduced by 37 days without sacrificing quality of hire,” according to CEB.

Organizations looking to avoid costly time-to-hire delays must examine their recruiting processes and use technology in ways that help increase collaboration, reduce friction and get rapid results by hiring faster.

Collaboration

The responsibility for recruiting and hiring is often held within one department, or with one person tasked with handling every step. More people in the organization need to be involved in the process if you want to maximize your hiring strategy. Even when there aren’t open positions to fill, recruiters and hiring managers need to focus on building long-term relationships that will facilitate the process when an opening occurs.

Collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers at every stage of the recruiting cycle is essential.  To increase the odds that your organization finds the right talent when you need it, be sure that you have ongoing methods for effective communication, stakeholder alignment, and systems that reinforce a collaborative hiring strategy. Everyone involved in the recruiting process—from recruiters to hiring managers, to executives—needs access to the information required to collaborate and make timely hiring decisions.

Friction-free Process

In addition to building relationships, an applicant tracking system (ATS) that supports a collaborative and friction-free process is key to a successful recruiting strategy. When systems prevent hiring manager involvement, unnecessary friction occurs. This friction can ultimately delay or prevent your organization from sourcing the right candidate.

Find an ATS that’s fast, efficient and accurate. The best ATS platforms use technology to reduce the friction that can occur with unnecessary barriers and limited access. Systems with role-based accounts solve issues around conflict by allowing for appropriate levels of access, so all team members have access to the data they need when they need it. Implementing the right technologies reduces friction and provides everyone with the information they need to hire the right talent promptly.

Rapid Results

Using a single platform, recruiters now can post and manage job listings, as well as search for active and passive candidates using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. AI allows organizations to put innovative technological and time-saving techniques to work to improve recruitment. While technology handles the data, recruiters are available to handle the tasks which require human interaction, such as interviewing candidates.

Particularly in the area of search, AI taps into online sources to gather information about passive and active candidates. Using everything from social profiles to web forums, AI has the power to build a database of candidates who are well-matched to posted jobs. Concerning saving time, these AI-built databases are invaluable—recruiters have immediate access to information that would have previously taken them days, weeks, and maybe even months to collect.

Recruiting will always contain a human element; however, a successful strategy maximizes the power of AI to help source and screen applicants.  By using technology in this way, organizations have the potential to hire better-qualified candidates in a shorter amount of time.

Conclusion

If you have an open position, taking 68 days to make a hire is, at a minimum, frustrating. In today’s job market, it could even mean losing out on the best talent to competitors who are able to make a more expedient hire. It’s also not good for employee morale or business results. Thanks to awareness and technology, today’s employers can make changes to reduce these unnecessary delays. Before your next hire, take the time to review and possibly update your recruiting practices. When you do so, you’ll not only decrease the time it takes to hire; it’s likely you’ll increase the level of satisfaction for everyone involved in the process.

By focusing on collaboration, putting friction-free processes in place and using technology to deliver rapid results, it’s within your reach to reduce the time required to fill open positions in your organization.