How To Hire Faster – Part 1

There are two general schools of thought in regard to hiring talent: take your time and try to get the perfect candidate, or hire fast and grab the best fit at the time, hoping that they’ll turn into the perfect employee.

While both approaches have their respective strengths and weaknesses, there are some serious advantages to simplifying things and implementing automated ATS software to streamline the hiring process:

• The best talent comes at a premium. Move fast if you want to grab them for your company.
• Unemployment is dropping, which means great candidates won’t sit idle for long.
• A long hiring process ties up precious resources that could better be used elsewhere.

With that in mind, here are a few ways your company can put the recruitment system in overdrive and get the talent you want tomorrow.

1. Write a Compelling Job Listing

Copywriting is not just a skill reserved for marketers; it’s one that comes in handy in nearly every type of business environment, including the hiring room. Skip the boring job description and opt for a listing that communicates enthusiasm, growth, and opportunity. Use words that don’t just talk about what the applicant will do but how their contribution will improve the company.

2. Create a Shorter Shortlist

You’ll probably end up having to interview a variety of candidates with various areas of expertise who may or may not be right for the job. That doesn’t mean you need to shorten that list to make it more efficient, though. Implement job-specific keywords in your resume tracking software to narrow the list down, and then only bring in the candidates you feel strongly about. In many cases, companies will interview seven to ten different candidates when they were really only impressed with a few.

3. Utilize Your Networks

LinkedIn is an amazing platform. Not only can you read top-tier blogs written by industry professionals, but you can also network with a wide array of people and view detailed profiles with the click of a button. Start with the most obvious candidates for the open position, and let your current employees know that the vacancy exists. Once you’ve tapped your internal employee base, move on to their networks and look for people with similar skills who might be interested.

4. Outsource the Recruiting Process

If you know you need to hire faster but don’t have the time to overhaul your entire process, consider outsourcing it to a company that can do it for you. Use your existing ATS software to streamline potential candidates and select some strong criteria for what you’re looking for, and then hand the information off to a team that can do the heavy lifting for you.