When jobs were tight and candidates were plentiful, companies could be more relaxed and lackadaisical with their hiring process. They could pick and choose candidates at their leisure. Unfortunately, the times have changed and some hiring managers are still operating under that prior philosophy.
Today, you don’t have days to hire. Our experience shows that to have any degree of success in the hiring process you must hire within 72 hours before that candidate is gone. That’s 72 hours from first contact to onboarding (or at least firming up an offer).
It’s a candidate’s market, which means it may be harder for employers to fill open positions, and this gives candidates more bargaining power at the point of hiring. Some of our candidates will have three interviews scheduled for the same day. To overcome that, we must be more creative about getting people onboard quickly. The secret is: condense the hiring timeline!
We listed below five common problems that hold-up the hiring process and corresponding solutions to speed up your company’s procedures so that your company can follow the 72 hour rule:
Problem #1
The candidates interviewed don’t meet the company’s requirements and are not a good “fit” for the job position.
Solution: Finding the perfect fit is nearly impossible, but you should create and stick to a short list of necessary skills and experience. This list of your job requirements is not a wishlist, but a list of the qualities you need to see in a candidate to consider them for a role. Have a job description that clearly lays out the skills ‘Required’ from what is ‘Desired’. Be as honest and forthright as possible so no one is wasting their time on people you would not hire.
Problem #2
The wages are not competitive.
Solution: In a saturated job market, it is often necessary for employers to offer competitive salaries to attract qualified candidates. “Competitive pay” is a term that refers to an employer offering a salary that is equal to or exceeds the industry standard for similar jobs in the same geographical area. MaintenanceBest offers a free wage assessment for that specific job position so you know your company’s suggested salary range is competitive.
Problem #3
The resume is not well written or may have some issues.
Solution: Unless you are hiring for a position that requires the writing level of Mark Twain, instead focus on the overall experience, the enthusiasm of the individual, and the actual skills the applicant possesses. We are all more than what’s on our resume and it’s easy to get the wrong idea about an applicant’s skills and interests from their on-paper experience. Resumes seldom reflect a job applicant’s true potential for success in a role, which can lead to employers overlooking great hires or making poor hiring decisions.
Problem #4
Drug tests taking a long time.
Solution: MaintenanceBest uses an oral screening five-panel instant drug test that can be done onsite. Our test is as accurate as a urinalysis and it takes 20 minutes so the candidate doesn’t have to travel to some lab to take the test.
Problem #5
Background checks are time consuming and are holding up the process.
Solution: Background checks can be challenging but critical in the hiring process. They strengthen the company’s security, safety, and integrity and they can eliminate unsuitable candidates so a company is only concentrating on hiring the ideal candidate. MaintenanceBest uses a background screening process that can produce results within 24 hours.
Best practices would indicate that we should capitalize on the first seventy-two hours and be prepared to make hiring decisions and issue offers and contracts within the first three days realizing that this process is not about us – it’s about them.
