If you want to hire top talent, you need to have an effective hiring process in place. In this article, we will teach you what makes an effective hiring process and how to implement a hiring process for your business.
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What Is A Hiring Process?
To bring a new person into your company, you need to undergo a hiring process. These are the steps you must take to get someone on board. The bare minimum is to find, offer, and onboard, but your process will be much smoother if you refine and communicate your steps to everyone involved.
Related: How To Hire Your First Employee
What Makes An Effective Hiring Process?
An effective hiring process can look different in different businesses, but they all have these three things in common.
Everyone knows what is happening and what the next steps are
A straightforward hiring process is an effective hiring process. Candidates and hiring managers alike should be able to say, “after this interview, we will X.” That X can vary from business to business or even job to job, but everyone knows what it is.
Job descriptions are clear
Qualified candidates can’t apply, and recruiters cannot screen adequately if the job description is unclear. Writing a good job description may be challenging, but it’s a critical part of an effective hiring process. Knowing what you need makes all the difference in attracting the most qualified people.
The recruiter or hiring manager communicates throughout the entire process
There should be clear conversations between the recruiter and hiring manager on progress and expectations. Candidates should know what is going on, and recruiters/hiring managers should never ghost a single candidate. A rejection email is necessary for everyone who applied.
Steps Of A Hiring Process
Here are the basic steps of a hiring process. You can add or delete steps to fit your company and the job. For instance, you may have a skills test for certain positions, or you may only have one interview for some entry-level positions.
Write a job description
This is a critical step that you should never skip. Job descriptions should contain the essential responsibilities and essential requirements for the job. They should not include a list of 40 different tasks. You’re looking for core functions, not a comprehensive task list. If possible, have the person who was last in the role help with the job description. That may mean that if someone resigns, writing a new job description is part of their work during their notice period.
Post the job description
Where you do this depends on circumstances. Sometimes it’s enough to post it on your company website. If you get lots of traffic, that can be enough. You may wish to post on free job boards, paid job boards, social media, or target specific communities such as professional organizations or universities.
Recruit candidates
If your job postings do not bring in sufficient qualified candidates, you’ll need to start recruiting candidates. This can be done in-house or by hiring an outside consultant (often called headhunters).
Screen candidates
Before you waste time interviewing, screen out the clearly unqualified candidates and select the ones that look the most promising. Notify the rejected candidates that you thank them for applying, but you will not consider them at this time.
Phone/video screen candidates
This is often a short (less than 15 minutes) screening interview conducted by the recruiter to ensure the candidate is prepared to move forward. If you haven’t included salary in the job description, the recruiter should tell the candidate the salary range so that the candidate can decide to continue or back out.
Formal interviews
These were all in person in the past, but now a video interview may do. You may want more people on the hiring committee than just the hiring manager depending on the job. Remember to be respectful of the candidate’s time.
Related: Best Interview Questions
Evaluate candidates
If multiple people participate in the hiring decision, you need to meet and look at everyone’s evaluations and decide together who the best candidates are. If necessary, conduct a second round of interviews, but it’s okay to hire after one round of interviews!
Make an offer
This involves a carefully calculated salary based on market rates, contingent on a background check.
Conduct a background check
You should outsource this to a professional background firm. A drug test may also apply here, depending on how your company operates and what laws apply. Background checks can include employment verification, education verification, criminal records, and so forth.
Notify other applicants that you filled the position
Many people skip this step because they already have their new hire. Don’t. It’s rude, and it will decrease your reputation.
Onboard the new hire
This is not just filling out new hire paperwork. You must ensure that the new employee receives the support and training they need to be successful.
Related: Effective Employee Retention Strategies
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a typical hiring process?
This varies from business to business, but the steps above are a standard hiring process. It also varies from level to level. An entry level-position may have one interview, while an executive may go through several interviews, do a presentation, and meet with the board of directors.
Who makes the final decision in the hiring process?
Usually, the hiring manager, in conjunction with their manager. Often, others in the department act as consultants in the process and give their input. Usually these people have veto power, but not the final decision power.
Can HR decide who to hire?
In most businesses, HR acts as an advisor and not the final decision-make. Recruiters do, however, eliminate people before the hiring manager even sees the resumes. For this reason, sometimes it makes sense to approach a hiring manager directly.
How is the hiring process different than the recruiting process?
The hiring process is specifically for hiring for an open position. The recruiting process is a consistent process or strategy in which companies search for top candidates for future openings or to add to the team.
The Bottom Line
Now that you’ve refined your hiring process, you are ready to hire your next employee. Consider posting your job opening on ZipRecruiter and start working to fill your positions.
