Recruitment can be challenging for employers, with the search for top talent becoming increasingly competitive as good candidates are often in short supply.

One of the main factors when hiring for new talent is the recruitment process itself. 60% of candidates would be put off and seek work elsewhere if they felt the interview process took too long.

Researchers have found that the average hiring process within the UK is 28.6 days, nearly a month-long recruitment process! An experienced recruiter will tell you that a great candidate won’t be on the market for more than 10 days. So, what can you do as an employer to ensure you find and recruit talent from the initial contact to the onboarding process?

Why your recruitment procedure could be worth a review –

Better experience

Decisiveness and a faster hiring decision process mean your less likely to lose out on top talent to competitors and it is vital in providing a better candidate experience. If you do have a truly great candidate, you don’t want to keep them waiting. You want to use this opportunity to further cultivate your reputation in the market, demonstrating to the world that you are a company with smooth and organised working practices! This will be a positive for the candidate and also everyone else they tell!

Improved response rates

A candidate is going to be glad if you’re getting back to them quickly. Keeping them in the loop and updated with their application is proven to speed up the hiring process and the response from candidates. Good, quick and effective communication is a great way to create a positive impression of your company.

Winning the new recruit

Getting to the prime candidate first is essential if you want to limit the chances of them being poached by another company. Clear communication and less waiting time between interviews reduces the window of opportunity for other companies to approach the candidate, and if their process is faster than yours…

Saving money

A shorter process will reduce direct and indirect costs. Reducing the time and increasing the effectiveness means managers will spend fewer hours out of their “day to day” job doing interviews and less money will be wasted on an unfilled position.

How many interviews

As mentioned the timeline for interviews can take on average a whole month, plus effort into travelling, time to prepare/rehearse and the interview itself. So, it’s best to avoid having them if they aren’t totally necessary. It’s worth considering the seniority level of the position and makes this relative to the interviews, more than two for an entry-level or mid-level position may deter candidates. The average is usually one to two. Senior positions may be three stages, perhaps even four makes sense. A single meeting is considered by many not enough to gauge both an individual’s personality and competency for the team and vacancy.

So, if your process is currently more than this it could be worth reviewing where changes and improvements could be made to limit the time and improve efficiency, ensuring you source, hire and retain top talent!