Your Hiring Process Should Look Like This

You get one shot to interview a candidate and test their skills, and that is through the hiring process. Every company, both internally and externally, has different steps, processes, and elements that will test the skill set of talent. There is no right or wrong method, but certain steps will make or break the attraction of candidates. There are rights and wrongs in the hiring process; we will break it down for you. 

The don’ts

Unpaid tests

One of the fastest ways to lose the interest of a candidate is to require an unpaid test. The candidate is already taking much of their personal time to create a resume, portfolio, and cover letter and interview multiple times for the position. You are showing as a company that you do not value the time of the individuals applying, and it will show poorly on management processes within the company, deterring talent. 

If you require a skillset test for interviewees, you should pay them for their time or condense the test so it will take less time to complete. The only time it is not necessary to pay a candidate for a test a personality test. Always go above and beyond to compensate future employees for tests, but it is acceptable not to pay for personality tests. 

Extended time in between interviews

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in the hiring process is waiting too long to reach out to the candidates after the interview. We understand it takes time to assess the candidate’s skillset and personality match, but you will lose talent. 

If you wait three weeks, two weeks, or even one week to reach back out to a candidate, we can almost guarantee they will no longer be interested in the role because they will have received another offer. Candidates control the current job market, which means they can receive an offer after one week or less of interviewing. 

The do’s 

Keep it short and sweet

In the past, companies had control of the job market, but now that the candidates do, it’s no longer up to the clients how long they can take to guarantee a new hire. For both freelance, temp-to-hire, and direct hire roles, your interviews should happen as quickly as possible in between one another. 

We get you want to be thorough, but you no longer have the time to decide because a candidate will be gone from the market when you are ready to give them an offer. It has happened to us more times than not in the past year because companies have taken too long to make a choice. 

Your first offer should be your best offer

When you present the offer letter to your candidate, it should be the best possible offer you can give. The best offer should include salary, benefits, and PTO. Nearly every candidate on the market is interviewing elsewhere, and we can almost guarantee that they also received an additional offer letter. There is a shallow talent pool compared to the number of open jobs, and it affects everyone. 

If and when a candidate is deciding between offer letters, they will weigh the pros and cons. That will include the benefits, salary, and PTO of each offer, including things like company culture. One company will have an offer better than the other, so you want to make sure it is yours. You do not want a candidate coming back asking for more money or more PTO because if you grant a better offer, it shows that you were not giving them the best deal. 

Overall, it is crucial to make your hiring process as efficient as possible for both the company and those interviewing. The hiring process is a tell-tale sign for candidates to know how the company is running, and you want to make the best impression possible.