Streamline your hiring process to attract the best.

Businesses in many countries are ramping up retention and hiring efforts as they continue their recovery from the economic impact of Covid-19.

While this is good news, the Great Resignation has certainly complicated such efforts.

The pandemic has made many individuals re-evaluate their career choices. Some are disillusioned with the way their companies and leaders are handling the crisis. As a result, they are looking for jobs in companies that are more aligned with their values. Others are in search of employers that support Work from Home arrangements beyond the pandemic. Then there are those for whom this challenging period has resulted in deep reflection, making them realise that they would prefer to do more meaningful and purposeful work instead of slugging it out in the corporate rat race.

Of course, we mustn’t discount pent-up job switches from last year when most were simply happy to hang on to their current jobs as others in badly-hit sectors were laid off amid shutdowns.

Since Covid-19, upskilling and reskilling have also been ramped up. With access to training subsidies and online learning courses, people have become more marketable, increasing their career options.

As such, companies looking to hire need to up their game to attract the talent they desire.

A long and tedious hiring process will repel candidates and those who have options are not likely to be patient.

Here are some steps companies should take today to increase their chances of attracting the best.

1. Write a Clear and Transparent Job Description and Speak Plainly During Interviews

Even as some job seekers look for more purposeful careers, others could simply want flexible work arrangements or job stability.

As such, you need to be transparent about what you’re offering.

This includes salary details. The best professionals tend to be selective when it comes to applying for jobs. After all, applications take time. Listing salary information makes the offer clear and allows them to better assess if it’s worth their time.

Aside from this, job seekers primarily want to know what they’ll be expected to do and whether they have what it takes to get the job.

While being transparent about salaries, benefits and responsibilities, remember to list additional items such as work arrangements (WFH, flexible work arrangements, etc.) that have become more relevant since the pandemic.

Transparency is reassuring, especially now as we come out of a period marked by acute uncertainty.

During the job interview, find out what the candidate is looking for in a job in order to determine how to communicate plainly. Some may not appreciate things such as a games room or free lunches as much as others. Focus on elements that the candidate actually cares about.

2. Limit the Number of Interviews Per Candidate

While it is understandable that, depending on the nature and seniority of the job, there are likely to be several rounds of interviews, anything more than four interviews can be reasonably perceived to be too much. This is enough to create a poor candidate experience.

Most would welcome a second interview as an indication of a company’s interest. The third interview is usually seen as a precursor to an offer. If you’re thinking of putting candidates through more, you had better have a very good reason.

Shifting bottom lines or unforeseen circumstances could merit more interviews. However, if valid reasons aren’t communicated, job seekers are likely to see it as a red flag.

Not being able to justify more interviews can also make the company’s leaders appear indecisive. Candidates could very well see this as a red flag as well.

The best candidates don’t stay in the job market for very long. They’ll soon lose interest and move on.

Amid the prolonged uncertainty wrought by the pandemic, companies have been more apprehensive about making hiring mistakes. Granted, these can be costly. But adding more rounds to the interview process is certainly not the answer.

When companies are overly cautious in the hopes of finding the perfect candidate, their complicated and drawn out processes could, in fact, prevent them from getting the talent they want.

3. Set Clear Expectations and Don’t Ghost Candidates

Set clear expectations of the hiring process. For instance, tell the candidate how many rounds of job interviews they can expect and the people they’ll meet during each round.

Most of all, keep candidates informed of their progress and next steps throughout the process. Don’t ghost candidates. All it does is tarnish your employer brand.

In a survey by CareerBuilder, 42 per cent of workers said they would never seek employment with a company again if they were displeased with the way it handled their applications and another 22 per cent said they would tell others not to work there.

Our recent dipstick survey yielded similar results.

Disgruntled candidates can also easily air their grievances on platforms such as Glassdoor, hurting employers’ chances of attracting top talent.

While employers take measures to protect themselves against unprofessional candidates, they mustn’t forget that they owe candidates professional courtesy as well.