MightyRecruiterA recent study by Staffing.org revealed that nearly 50 percent of potential job applicants have not completed their application for a potential employer because the application process was too difficult, convoluted or frustrating. While employers want to ensure that they are getting the right candidate for the job, a hiring process that spends too much time trying to automate the process runs the risk of alienating the very people you most want working for you. If you are concerned about whether applying for your job is a hiring process or hard labor, here are some tips to simplify your application process.
Organize Your Recruiting Department
For any organization that is large enough, it is essential to have a designated person or department that handles staffing needs. One common mistake that many businesses make is letting individual departments handle their own hiring needs, which leads to job postings that are not standardized and best practices for applying that may vary depending on the preferences of individual bosses. If you can’t hire an in-house hiring manager, consider outsourcing your hiring needs to a recruitment agency to ensure maximum efficiency.
Connect with Schools
Local schools can be a great source of new and eager talent. Depending on your type of business, you may want to network with colleges or high schools. Many schools host regular job fairs, so be sure to contact the school’s career center or guidance councilor to find out what you need to do to host a booth. You can also connect with local colleges to find interns. Transitioning an intern to a full-time employee is one of the smoothest ways to make a new hire, so you would be smart to take advantage of skilled interns whenever you can.
Try Phone or Video Interviews
Coordinating in-person interviews is stressful for both hiring managers and applicants. A lot of things can go wrong on the day of the interview that can leave everyone feeling rushed and running late. When you have a lot of interviews to conduct or applicants coming from all over the area, consider video or phone interviews. They are often a lot less stressful for all involved, and they saves your applicants having to make a long trip to your office.
Know Where Your Job Postings Are
There are a lot of job boards and other resources for you to get news of job openings to potential new hires. At first glance, it may seem like taking advantage of as many of these resources as possible is the best way to reach the most people. However, if you use too many job boards, you run the risk of losing track of where all your postings are and whether anyone has shown interest in them. Instead of posting jobs in as many places as possible, choose no more than three or four locations to advertise job openings. Most serious applicants will check for postings in multiple places, so they are still likely to see your available positions.
Write Precise Postings
Create job postings that are clear, specific and to the point. Describe the job you are hiring for, and be explicit about the skills, work experience and abilities you expect applicants to have. This ensures that more applicants who are what you are looking for will apply, saving everyone from wasting time and effort. Additionally, make sure your posting includes instructions about how to apply for a job, including the name of the person resume and inquires should be submitted to and your preferred format for documents.
Make Use of Social Media
Social media is a great tool for keeping in touch with qualified professionals in your industry. Imagine that you have found the perfect applicant for your company bu you don’t have a position to offer him or her at the moment. Take the applicant’s contact information and keep in touch on a social media platform that works for you both. When a position comes open, you can then use social media to ensure that your preferred applicant sees the job posting.
Get Feedback from New Hires
Find out directly from your new hires whether the process was easy to navigate. Distribute a survey or conduct an informal interview with new hires asking them directly what worked and what didn’t about the hiring process. If you consistently here about the same issues, consider tweaking your hiring process to make it more user friendly. Be aware of the link between your hiring process and hard labor. For more information about simplifying and perfecting your hiring process, consult the resources at Mighty Recruiter.