Regardless of whether you’re an employer or a candidate, I’m sure you’ll agree that a positive recruitment experience is what we all want. A smooth process makes recruitment less stressful and more efficient for both businesses and candidates. So how can employers help to ensure a smooth recruitment process? From my experience working with employers across a range of industries, three areas commonly stand out as key in a smooth recruitment process. These are prioritising recruitment, planning recruitment and communicating your timelines. Let’s take a look at how to do these well and ensure a smooth recruitment process for everyone.
Make recruitment a priority
Prioritising recruitment is the number one thing you can do to improve your recruitment process. This means actively engaging with the process and working towards your preferred outcome. I have too often seen what should be no more than a three or four week process become unnecessarily drawn out because of lack of engagement. As well as slowing down the process, it can also negatively impact the candidate experience. A positive recruitment experience can be a significant factor in whether candidates choose you. Prioritising recruitment can demonstrate that you are serious about filling the role. Furthermore, it shows that you value candidates’ time. It also goes a long way in ensuring a smooth recruitment process.
Plan your recruitment stages
Another important factor is planning ahead. Knowing what’s involved at each stage of the recruitment process helps. Deciding who will be involved at which stage and who is responsible for what is key. If you need to, you might consider partnering with a recruiter for some or all of the process. This can be particularly beneficial if your time is stretched by the additional demands of recruiting. Whatever approach you take, make sure you plan time for interviews and assessments well in advance. Try to have a few times when you know your interview panel is free. It’s easier than trying to coordinate multiple calendars and going back and forth with candidates to find an interview time. Having these key stages locked in early and engaging with the process throughout helps ensure a smoother recruitment experience for everyone.
Communicate your timeline
Once your recruitment planning is done, communicating your timeline with stakeholders is the next step. This includes anyone internally who is involved in the recruitment processes as well as candidates and external recruiters. Importantly with internal stakeholders, make sure everyone knows when their involvement is needed and when each stage should be completed to keep the process running smoothly.
Candidates, on the other hand, are typically interested in knowing how quickly to expect the recruitment to progress. Communicating your intended timeline for each stage shows consideration for candidates. It also provides an opportunity to find out whether there is any urgency. For example, if a preferred candidate is being offered a role elsewhere, that may impact on your timing or decision-making. Finally, if you’re partnering with a recruiter, keeping them abreast of your internal timelines and any delays is best. It will help them to smooth out any bumps in the process and give you a better recruitment experience.
Whether you handle recruitment in-house or partner with a recruiter, getting the process right is important. Prioritising recruitment, planning out each stage and communicating your timelines all contribute to ensuring a smooth recruitment process. So the next time you’re recruiting, keep these elements in mind and engage specialist help where you need it. That way you can look forward to a smooth process and a positive recruitment experience.
