Become A Well-Oiled Hiring Machine: 4 Tips to Optimize Your Hiring Process

June 6, 2013

I recently read Janine Popick’s article on Inc. titled “Do You Make It Too Hard To Get A Job At Your Company?” It’s a good article, and I recommend giving it a read. The last section, “Is Your Process a Process?,” really stuck with me, especially the point from AOL Jobs — “The average length of a job search is at an all-time high in America. For the unemployed, it’s now well over seven months.”
Over seven months. That seemed crazy to me, but after reflecting on first-hand experiences I have had with the hiring processes at numerous companies, I can see why.
Particularly in expansion-stage and startup environments, everyone is so busy and wearing so many hats that hiring can often fall on the backburner. As a result, the hiring process may be drawn-out and mixed up.
If that sounds a little too familiar, here are four tips that can help you optimize your hiring process and fill your roles quicker:

4 Steps to Optimize Your Hiring Process

1) Hire with a Sense of Urgency

Remember, while you may be “too busy” to interview now, this position is being filled to help lighten the load. Make it a priority and make time to interview. The earlier you realize that filling this role is important, the earlier the position will be filled and your team will be getting the help it needs.

2) Keep Your Hiring Process Consistent

I know that schedules get busy but it’s important to have the same person phone screening all candidates and the same people meeting with these candidates. This is the only way to make sure you are getting an accurate comparison and a fair process overall. Additionally, all interviews should be similar in terms of the questions asked and topics covered.

3) Cut Out Unnecessary Steps

Okay, so you’ve asked candidates to come in four different times for one hour each to meet with two people in each interview session — why are you making things so difficult? That’s simply too much scheduling, and you are undoubtedly drawing the process out longer than it needs to be.
Instead, combine the interviews, have each candidate come in for a full day of interviewing to meet with everyone they need to meet. It will be easier for the candidate and requires no extra time from the interviewers. Additionally, at the end of the day the team can meet for a discussion while the candidate is still fresh on their minds, allowing for a more informed decision.

4) Cut Out Unnecessary People

If you have people involved in the hiring process who will never work with or be directly impacted by the position, they should not be interviewing. For example, there is no reason that a Customer Support Rep should be meeting with everyone in the company. Cut the list down to the hiring manager, one or two peers, a VP/C-level if needed, and anyone else you deem absolutely necessary who will be directly impacted by this person.

Bottom Line: Putting Effort Up Front to Streamline Your Hiring Process Will Pay Off in a Big Way

Optimizing your hiring process will lead to quicker hires and more qualified employees. Additionally, the more efficiently the process moves, the better the candidate experience and the less likely you are to lose candidates to other opportunities in the process.
What steps have you taken to optimize your hiring process?

Senior Talent Manager, Engineering

<strong>Meghan Maher</strong> is Senior Talent Manager, Engineering, actively recruiting top talent for OpenView and its Portfolio Companies. Her tech background has helped OpenView hire for nearly 20 IT and engineering positions. Meghan began her career at AVID Technical Resources, where she was a Technical Recruiter for two years.