Experiencing High-Volume Recruiting Challenges? Discover Three Strategies to Improve Your Process.

Is your company experiencing challenges with your current high-volume recruiting strategy? If so, it’s time to change your process. 

First off, there are many reasons why a company may consider high-volume recruitment, including being awarded a federal grant or contract to hire a specific amount of roles or because you have short-term project needs, such as:  

• Healthcare companies needing support during enrollment periods
• Seasonal needs for customer service and call center departments
• Developer time for website updates.

In fact, there’s a growing number of companies with mass hiring needs. According to an Aptitude Research study of 420 Talent Acquisition Directors and above in all industries and sizes, 65% of companies have mass hiring needs.¹ We also polled our LinkedIn followers and found that 19% of organizations plan to invest in high-volume recruitment for full-time roles in 2024.  

To get the most out of your mass hiring efforts, let’s go over some common high-volume recruitment challenges and strategies to overcome them. 

Key Takeaways

1. Common high-volume recruitment challenges 
2. Signs your strategy needs an upgrade 
3. Three ways to improve your hiring process 

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Common High-Volume Recruiting Challenges 

Finding talented candidates in a fast hiring timeline is the key challenge when high-volume recruiting. The accelerated timeline makes it difficult to dedicate the internal resources required to review resumes, screen candidates, and keep track of all the other hiring steps that need to happen before filling those requirements.

Additionally, should the skillset you are looking to hire not be a typical skillset your organization hires for, you have the added task of quickly identifying those candidates who have not heard of your organization previously. 

Hiring teams who manually review applications are also at a disadvantage. Reviewing resumes and vetting candidates is time-consuming without resources and systems to speed it up and keep the process well organized. 

These common challenges align with the results from one of our LinkedIn polls. We asked our followers who are looking to high volume recruitment full-time or temporary roles what their biggest challenge is, and the results were:  

• Finding talented candidates (45%)
• Fast hiring timelines (22%)
• Reaching the right people (19%)
• Internal bandwidth (14%) 
  
  

Signs Your High-Volume Recruitment Strategy Needs an Upgrade 

Along with experiencing the challenges above, businesses identifying with any of the following should take that as a sign they need to update their high-volume recruitment strategy. 

Our business experiences: 

• A high level of candidate drop-offs and ghosting before the job offer. 
• A high rate of rejected job offers. 
• Increased turnover. 
  

Crystal Connelly, Director of Sales at Sparks Group, said candidates ghosting because of perceived replaceability can be an obstacle for high-volume recruitment. Rejected job offers are also a sign your current strategy isn’t working. 

“A high level of rejected job offers can indicate the process is too long, the company isn’t paying enough, they’re not looking at the right types of people or experience, and so on.” - Crystal Connelly 

Aptitude Research found that 45% of high-volume hiring candidates drop off at the application phase, often because they’re unhappy with the salary.¹ 

Decreased business productivity is another sign your strategy needs an upgrade. From inefficient hiring timelines that deter top talent to not recruiting the right people, all these hiccups in the hiring process result in lost revenue and productivity. Learn more about how to improve your business operations. 

A burned-out human resources department is also a clear indicator of an inefficient process. According to SHRM, almost two-thirds of current HR professionals have considered switching to a non-HR profession due to burnout.² Often, HR teams are overworked, needing to take on hiring processes and vetting candidates in addition to managing and improving their current workforce. 

Are inefficient processes impacting your bottom line? Complete the calculator to discover your true cost to hire.  

How to Improve Your High-Volume Recruiting Strategy 

Fast hiring deadlines and keeping candidates engaged don’t need to hinder high-volume recruiting efforts. Use these strategies to improve your plan. 

1. Openly Communicate 

Keep in regular contact with candidates so they feel valued, understand the next steps, and know whether they’re still eligible for the position. 

Businesses should ensure applicants are aware of the expectations for the role, including: 

• Required skills 
• Daily expectations and KPIs (Key performance indicators) 
• What “a day in the life” looks like 
• PTO expectations during training and ramp-up periods 
• Company culture fit 
  

Additionally, explain the onboarding process so they know what to expect. An extensive training program can be what wins them over. 

2. Create Fewer Barriers to Entry 

Hiring teams should simulate applying for a job to understand the process better and note opportunities to streamline the experience.   

Below are some optimization examples:  

• Reduce the number of tests candidates must take. Prioritize only the most important assessments.
• Have realistic test score expectations by benchmarking your top and mid performers to properly align expectations.
• Implement automation tools like an applicant tracking system (ATS) to speed up hiring. Companies should audit their current ATS to make sure it meets their needs. Aptitude Research found that 65% of companies with high-volume recruitment needs aren’t happy with their current ATS.¹
• Stay organized. “The most important part of mass hiring is having an efficient process in place and being organized because it’s very easy to start getting confused. Candidates have the same name. Sometimes, they return certain documentation and not others. Some need to be handheld longer than others, so organization is key.” - Crystal Connelly 

3. Partner with a Staffing and Recruiting Firm 

Businesses don’t need to tackle challenges alone. With a staffing and recruitment firm, companies can: 

• Tap into an agency’s pool of candidates.
• Work with experienced recruiters who know the needs of candidates applying for positions with high volumes of applicants.
• Reduce costs for finding, vetting, placing, and training talent.
• Free up internal resources for other projects. 
  
  

Bolster Your High-Volume Recruitment Strategy with Help from Sparks Group  

Sparks Group is a premier provider of top talent for organizations looking to fill temporary, contract-to-hire, full-time and executive-level positions, whether a single role or a whole department. We have filled jobs across all industries, including non-profit organizations and security-cleared government candidates. 

More than a staffing firm, Sparks Group is a strategic partner that takes a consultative approach to finding the right candidates for a company’s needs and culture. 

Ready to find top talent? Speak to a recruiting expert today. 

Sources

¹Aptitude Research, The State of High-Volume Recruitment, August 2021. 
²SHRM, The Cure for HR Burnout, September 2023.