The average hiring process takes 30 days, according to a 2017 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. Although it has been a corporate cliche for decades that companies should be “slow to hire and fast to fire,” hiring new employees too slowly can be costly in terms of both time and money. If you want to find better players faster, here are some efficient techniques to cut down on the time spent on the hiring process.

Photo by Edmond Dantès

Collect The Right Data

How long does it usually take your company to fill a job? What are the standards in your field? How long does it take for candidates to move through each stage? How many good applications do you get compared to bad ones? If you know the answers to these questions, you can figure out what you need to do to screen potential candidates and set up interviews. You might even be able to do some of it automatically to save even more time.

Have A Structured Hiring Process

A well-defined hiring procedure can help even the smallest of companies succeed. Otherwise, every time a new post needs to be filled, you’ll have to start from square one. Keep records of all of your hiring procedures. Everything from the initial interview to the first day on the job. That can also speed up the hiring process.

The key is consistency; complexity is not required. That way, as the business’s founder/owner, you won’t have to handle all the hiring duties on your own; if everything is written down and systemized, you can delegate this task in the future. Get out from under that burdensome work and devote more time and energy to what you do best.

Consider Outsourcing Your Recruitment 

Poorly managed recruitment lengthens time-to-hire, which is a problem because good candidates are sometimes poached by other companies while they are still in the interview process. Time and resources may be lost as a result of this. One solution to this problem is to outsource the hiring process in order to get the top candidates as quickly as possible. 

This approach is not going to work for everyone; it is costly, and it does remove some of the personal touches that you might want to include (which we will go over more in the next point). However, in terms of efficiency, it’s certainly something that can work. 

Offer A Great Candidate Experience 

If you can engage your applicants from the beginning of the hiring process, when they fill out the application, right up until the interview process, they will be much more inclined to want to work for you, assuming they are the right candidate. Most people who are looking for work want more than just money. They want a place where they can make a difference, fit in, and feel good about the work they do. Make sure that the way you hire people gives a clear picture of what it’s like to work for your company. Let them know about the up-to-date software you use, such as Lenovo LanSchool and LanSchool Air, give them an insight into company culture, and get to know them – make things more personal. This can all make their decision much easier, which speeds things up considerably. 

Start with these ideas as you think about who to hire next. Look for ways to improve your hiring process and do it one step at a time. Your company may not be very big, but every hire is important. Make sure it’s a good fit and give them a good time, and you’ll be able to hire good people for your team much faster.