A top priority for hiring managers is employee retention. There’s nothing worse than securing the best talent only for the new hire to quit too soon. You’re forced to go back to square one, which can be expensive and time-consuming. And that’s where efficient hiring comes into play.
If you’re concerned about your organization’s ability to attract and retain talent, you need to start streamlining your hiring process. Here’s how you can do that.
Why efficient hiring affects employee retention
Constantly replacing team members isn’t only frustrating. It’s also expensive and stunts the businesses’ growth. You should aim to keep morale high and turnover rates low.
The best way to do this is to think about the candidate’s experience from the very beginning – starting even before the new hire’s first day of work. A well-thought-out, streamlined hiring process is the way to do this.
Successful hiring managers will tell you that recruitment and retention are deeply linked.
You can speed up the hiring timeline by cutting down on delays, extra steps, and bottlenecks. This reduces the number of unnecessary hoops candidates need to jump through. It does this by creating a seamless experience for both the hiring team and the potential hires.
Taking care of the happiness and job satisfaction of employees who have ben with the company for a long time is crucial. But if they have a bad view of the company, it probably started when they were first hired.
Going from applying for a job to becoming an employee should be straightforward. So, the things you tell prospects and new hires about the job during this time should be true and honest.
If a candidate feels that the company cares about their well-being, they are less likely to want to quit in the long term. That’s why it’s crucial you know how they’re doing throughout the recruitment and onboarding processes.
Happy employees are those who feel supported and valued from their very first interaction. And those are the people who are more likely to stay on and contribute meaningfully.
So, how do you prioritize candidate experience while hiring? We recommend streamlining the whole process.
How to streamline your interview process (and improve employee retention!)
Improve the job description for efficient hiring
A good hiring process begins with a job description that is truthful, interesting, and concise. So, when people see the job posting, they start thinking about your company in the right way. Think of it as a chance to make a great first impression.
Make sure to clearly explain the job duties and skills needed for a role. Also, talk about what the company believes in. If you don’t do this, employees might leave later because they end up with more work than they expected. And also, this is when they start to think that the job isn’t what they thought it would be based on the job description.
Additionally, a well-written and specific job description is more likely to attract quality candidates who are a good fit for the job. As a result, you’re more likely to find talent who is a good fit for the company in the long term.
You may already have a perfectly functional job description. Take a look at our tips for editing job descriptions to see how you can elevate it even further.
Once the job description is as good as it can be, make sure you upload it to a job site that is both accessible and easy to use.
Invest in digital solutions for efficient hiring
After getting a good number of applications, it’s time to go through them and choose who to interview.
Looking through resumes by hand can be slow and might lead to mistakes and biases. It also means dealing with a lot of paperwork, which makes hiring take longer and not work as well.
So, many businesses choose to automate this part of the process. You too can do this by investing in digital solutions such as a candidate relationship management system (CRM) or an applicant tracking system (ATS).
You may ask, CRM vs ATS, what’s the difference? Here’s what you need to know.
A CRM system helps recruiters stay in touch with potential candidates, even if they’re not actively looking for a job. While, an ATS system, on the other hand, gathers and manages job applications, tests, and selects candidates all in one place.
Using these solutions helps recruiters because they can do all their work in one place. So, instead of switching between different tools to keep track of job applications their work is easier.
Centralizing all candidate data also allows for improved collaboration between team members. When resumes, interview notes, and communication histories are kept in one place, everyone is (literally) on the same page, so there’s less chance of duplicate efforts.
Structure the interview for efficient hiring
A common mistake many people make is having too many complicated interviews. This makes applicants tired and puts too much work on the hiring managers. Also, this makes the interview process confusing and unpleasant for the candidates.
Streamlining the interview procedure is a great way to gear the recruitment process toward getting happier, more loyal employees.
Plan out the interviews, keeping them to a maximum of three rounds. These interviews can be one-on-one, with a group, in person, or online. Also, share a clear schedule with the candidates so they know what to expect and prepare for.
During interviews, don’t keep saying the same things or ask the same questions again and again. If something was already talked about in an earlier interview or is on the person’s resume, asking again is a waste of time for everyone.
So, share notes with other interviewers about what has been asked already. This will show the candidate that you respect their time. It also shows that you want to keep the process moving quickly.
It can also be helpful to have a standardized set of questions to ensure fairness across all interviews. You should be mindful of ways to reduce interviewer bias at this stage.
After the interview, try to keep decision periods short and managed.
Overall, a streamlined and well-structured interview process does wonders for attracting top talent. It shows that yours is a business worth staying with in the future.
Maintain communication
Imagine applying for what seems like a dream job, then out of nowhere, the company stops replying.
A reported 50% of candidates would reconsider joining a company if they didn’t have an open line of communication with the hiring manager. That’s why it’s absolutely crucial to be responsive from the beginning.
Don’t stop there – your entire organization would likely benefit from more open lines of communication, both among coworkers and between employees and executives. Using a cloud communication platform makes communication easier, allowing for seamless cooperation between people and departments.
Employees who feel listened to are more likely to approach managers with any problems or concerns instead of quitting out of nowhere. So, make sure communication is not only possible but encouraged at every stage of their career.
Perfect the onboarding process
How new employees are welcomed into a company really matters. So, if they have a good experience when they first start, they feel like they belong. This makes them more motivated, productive, and willing to work extra hard for the company.
But if the onboarding process is rushed and not properly planned, it has the opposite effect. Employees feel disappointed by the company and stressed because they don’t get enough help when they begin their job.
To ensure things go without a hitch, it’s good practice to have all necessary documents in order before their first day in the office. Give them a warm welcome and make sure they know who to talk to and where to find the things they need. It’s about setting new hires up for success – otherwise, why would they stay with the company longer than they have to?
Take on employee feedback
Automation is often the answer when it comes to streamlining business operations of any kind. Recruiting software is great for centralizing data and making screening tasks more efficient.
However, there is also a human element which you must not neglect.
If you want to make your hiring process better and keep employees, ask your current workers for advice. They can share what the hiring process was like for them, what was good, and what wasn’t.
Create a way for employees, whether they’ve been here for a while or just started, to share their thoughts anonymously about the hiring process. So, this helps you understand what you can do better in hiring. It might also show what current employees want to stay happy and stay with the company.
Taking the straightforward approach
A streamlined recruitment process massively affects employee retention. An organized and straightforward approach will lead to more satisfied and loyal employees, whereas a bumpy and confusing hiring process will lead to employee turnover.
So, it’s really important to make your hiring process simpler. You can do this by using technology, having a consistent way of interviewing, or listening to what employees have to say. The goal is to make things easier and also get rid of unnecessary complications.
You’re not only improving the experience for prospective hires, but you’re also making sure the hiring manager’s job isn’t more difficult than it needs to be. So, why not get work streamlining your hiring process today?
