A good hiring process is one that helps you effectively identify the best candidate for the job, while also being fair, transparent, and efficient with the candidates. Thankfully, there are some notable characteristics you can emulate that will ensure your hiring process is a good one. A few of these characteristics that contribute to a good hiring process include:
Clearly Defined Job Requirements
It is important to ensure that there is a clear understanding of the role and its requirements. This helps you eliminate candidates who are not interested in the job from the beginning. It also cuts down on confusion or aggravation if later a job candidate discovers an aspect of the job they are not willing or qualified to handle. Being upfront and having the job clearly defined in all aspects from the beginning is the right way to begin any hiring process. If you aren’t sure exactly how to define a particular job, complete the following steps:
- Interview current employees to find out the true nuts and bolts of the job. Often, jobs expand outside the boundaries of their original definition, and you need to know if this has taken place.
- You need a clear, concise, accurate job description.
- Observe how tasks related to this position are performed.
- When asking employees about their duties, you can have them fill out worksheets or questionnaires to get an even better idea of their roles.
- Check your description with current employees. Once you have the description written out, run it by employees who do the job now. Make sure that they feel it's accurate and not in any way misleading to the actual role that will be performed.
Consistency, Transparency, and Fairness
It’s important to remain transparent and consistent when evaluating all potential candidates. This means that ALL candidates should be assessed using the same criteria. The entire hiring process should be free from bias and discrimination. It also should be free of favor, meaning that even if a particular candidate is already known by employees or has a reputation for being a good hire, they still must go through the same evaluation process. There are no shortcuts or passes if you want to make it a fair one.
Utilizing Resources Efficiently
A good hiring process is streamlined and efficient. This will effectively minimize the time and effort required from both your organization and the candidates you are considering. There is nothing more aggravating from a candidate’s point of view than to have this process drag out needlessly. If a candidate is a good fit for the job, they should be evaluated in a timely manner, and in a fair way, and then you should let them know as soon as possible if they have or have not been awarded the position.
Communication
Speaking of letting candidates know what is going on, clear and timely communication with candidates throughout the process helps build trust and respect and can reduce confusion and frustration. If you are sure that a particular candidate is not a good fit, go ahead and let them know quickly that they are not being considered. If they are in contention, be upfront that there are several candidates you are considering.
Be clear about when they can expect to know if they have been awarded the position and then stick to that. For example, if you say you will let them know something in a few days, then do so. Don’t drag out the process needlessly as this will only lead to frustration. In addition, you might end up losing candidates if you take entirely too long to make a decision. After all, it stands to reason that when someone is looking for a new position, they are often unable to wait indefinitely for you to make your choice.
Flexibility
Overall, your hiring process should be flexible enough to accommodate the unique needs of the organization and the role being filled, while still adhering to best practices and legal requirements for hiring. Being open to phone interviews, video interviews, or even group interviews can provide a measure of flexibility that opens the door for more candidates to show interest in the position. Be willing, when possible, to meet candidates where they are and to understand their time limitations as well. While you can eventually have them come in and do an in-person interview—and this is advisable— you can often narrow down your candidates with phone interviews beforehand.
Ongoing Evaluation and Improvement
Not only should you regularly look at your business goals and your employee’s satisfaction overall, but you should also be evaluating and improving your hiring process as well. You want to ensure that your hiring process overall remains effective and relevant. It should meet today’s candidates where they are and embrace the market trends while remaining true to your brand. Of course, you always have to make sure the process is fair and without bias but taking a good long look at your hiring process overall is a good idea. Your hiring process should reflect your brand and help you best identify what you are looking for in a quality candidate.
Let Us Help
A good hiring process can have a significant impact on the success of an organization by improving the quality of its workforce, enhancing its reputation, and reducing the risk of turnover and legal challenges. At TPC, where we are more than payroll, we are more than happy to assist you with your recruitment and hiring processes, helping you improve your workforce and boosting employee retention.
