When it comes to hiring for high-performance teams, time is of the essence with the pace of the hiring process to win the best candidates. Not every company can use Amtec for recruiting the best talent for every position. Applying these ten tips to hire the best for your team, faster, is one of the best ways to make a near-term positive impact within your company. The risks of pitfalls, that can delay progress through the hiring process, aren’t just near-term loss of time and money. The biggest risk can be the long-term impact of losing the best candidates to a competing employer. Here are 10 tips for being in the winning position of hiring from only the final top-notch candidates.

1. Organize Your Hiring Team

If your hiring process includes multiple team members for screening, scheduling, and interviewing then be sure to set the expectation for communication to flow quickly within the group and coordinate available interview time slots in advance to better convert screened candidates into scheduled appointments. Since interviewing a candidate is time-consuming, consider scheduling candidates in consecutive time slots on the same days. This helps to keep the hiring decision timeline in sync amongst candidates, so a hiring decision can be made without significant delays for the person interviewed first.  

2. Help Candidates to Self Screen

Lighten the load at the start of your hiring process by providing job seekers with a very detailed job post. Writing a great job post requires the inclusion of the five essential elements. It also needs to be a selling piece for your company since it delivers the first impression of what your company is about and what it would be like to be a part of the team. A well-composed job description helps job seekers to move on without applying if they can see for themselves that it’s not a match. Conversely, the best matching candidates will be more excited. You’re welcome to use Amtec’s free Job Posting Generator to create a job post ready to use on any job board.

3. Add Time-of-Day Flexibility

A survey conducted by the Harris Poll and Fortune.com shows that eight out of 10 workers say a flexible schedule for the interviews and the prospective first day of work is important when considering a new job.  Having the option of meeting on a Saturday, or in the evening increases your chances of interviewing a candidate already employed who is ready for a career advancement opportunity. Greater flexibility of appointment times also increases the speed at which you see candidates. Another form of flexibility is to consider traveling to them or meeting them halfway. Increase your opportunities for interviews and you will be further along in the hiring process, sooner. 

4. Get Back to Candidates Same Day

The best talent gets snapped up quickly. Most candidates apply to more than one job at a time, so getting back to them fast is a critical part of securing the most talented and best matching recruits for your company. It’s not uncommon for candidates to wait several days or more to receive a response to their application, or a follow-up email. A way to put your business ahead of competing employers is to respond the same day. The majority of candidates, who accept an offer, received a response from their new employer within two days. A faster response makes the candidate feel valued and more inclined to seriously consider joining your team as their new place of meaningful work.

5. Fast-track Top Candidates

Try to avoid long waits between interviews by accelerating the process of the candidates that you feel are the best fit. In a three-interview selection process, consider scheduling both the second and third interviews as part of the same communication. For the candidate, having their third interview pre-scheduled helps to remove the nervous time between qualifying and final selection. This is also the same period you are most vulnerable to losing your prized candidate to a different employer. All else being equal, candidates are most inclined to accept the offer where they feel most wanted. The worst-case scenario is the pre-scheduled third interview doesn’t happen. At best, you’ve eliminated scheduling and communication delays which gets the best talent into your company faster. 

6. Get to Know Your Candidates

Employers who are best at the employment process understand the importance of getting to know their candidates. It’s core to discovering which candidates are OK to let go and which to offer follow-up interviews. A big part of getting to know your candidates is also letting them get to know your company. No company is perfect. Candidates know this too. Be open about the issues that the company is facing, and how they are being addressed. Candidates and employers alike can share about creative solutions that happened at the ground level, which encourages problem-solving within the team. Examples of situations that are solved with compromise can also alleviate concerns. Dig in, person by person, to understand what’s driving their decision to change their job. 

7. Understand Their Goals

In this modern job market employees are increasingly willing to spend extra time and effort finding a job that fits them the best. Studies have shown that employees aren’t swayed by outlandish benefits or vacation days; they want an environment that creates and encourages growth and meaning. Understand their goals and you will unlock what opportunities at your company would match their desire for meaningful work. If those same opportunities match the job you’re offering then you may have a winner! Importantly, this process elevates the candidate’s interest in working for your company and accepting an offer. 

8. Address Business Vulnerability

A company’s ability to overcome adversity is a concern candidates have about companies of all sizes. Share about how the products or services your company delivers are meaningful to its customers and its partners to show why your company is going to continue to prosper.  It’s important to share with candidates about recent challenges the company has overcome on behalf of its workers. Share about any processes or methods that have improved working conditions, company culture, or the resilience of the company. 

9. Clarify Compensation

Candidates are often unsure whether the compensation offered is accurate for the labor market and for what they can contribute. A way to assure that the offered compensation is a good offer is to talk about it. Share about how it is competitive for your industry, and be clear in your communication that good work is rewarded. And, before being inquired upon, acknowledge that your company is addressing the rising cost of living, through employee benefits such as offsetting transportation costs through remote work flexibility, or annual reviews. Candidates lean greatly towards companies that communicate their understanding of income security.

10. Ask Deeper Questions

How do you create productive interviews that reveal what makes your candidates tick? Try Amtec’s Behavior Interview Questions Generator which will help you develop specific and insightful questions to ask your candidates. It’s easy to use. Take a few minutes to select up to ten competencies that are important for the job, and the generator will provide multiple open-ended questions related to each competency. It even includes a scorecard and examples of elements to look for in their answers. Behavioral interview questions can help you learn what you need to know about candidates so you can make better hiring decisions and ultimately build a higher-performing team.