How a Lengthy Hiring Process Can Hurt You Rather Than Help You

According to recent LinkedIn data, the demand for IT professionals such as Software Engineers, Product Designers, Solutions Engineers, and Automation Test Analysts is increasing while the talent pool is shrinking.

Organizations are competing for the same candidates to fill their technology roles. Candidates with the right technology skillset, and the right soft skills are in incredibly high demand. If your company doesn’t have a streamlined hiring process, you will find yourself losing to your competition time and time again.

Signs of a Hiring Process That is Too Lengthy

While slow hiring may seem like a good route to take in order to ensure that a potential prospect is truly a good fit for the role, it is also important to consider how it may impact your ability to hire talent before your competition does.. A few common signs that you may need to adjust your hiring process include:

1. Candidates are dropping out of the interview process or declining job offers. According to research conducted by HR thought leader Dr. John Sullivan, the top ten percent of candidates will have taken another role and be off the market within just ten days. Often, candidates who take themselves out of consideration, or decline an offer do so because they have received and accepted another job offer. Dr Sullivan included a quote from a candidate that demonstrates the mentality of many in a strong job market. Candidates expect hiring processes that reflect the current market.

“It’s not like I need their job. If it takes them a week to respond to a resume like mine for a job of this importance, they’re not the kind of company I want to work for. I move fast, and I can already see that my style wouldn’t fit their culture.”
—Wind River Associates

2. Your process requires more than two rounds of interviews. The most talented candidates are usually interviewing with multiple companies. They will turn down interviews if the time investment is too heavy. Companies that are agile and can move through their interview process quickly are most likely to get the best candidates on their teams.

3. You find yourself going back to the drawing board on open roles. Often, the most talented, lowest cost candidates are off the market the fastest. That leaves mediocre talent that costs more. If hiring leaders in your organization are having to start recruiting searches, a time intensive hiring process may be to blame.

How to Streamline the Hiring Process

Evaluate your recruitment strategies.

If you aren’t already working with a reputable staffing firm in your area, these companies are professionals at finding top-tier talent. At Q Consulting, we work with clients in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area when they have contract positions available in order to find them the best possible candidates to fill those roles. We work closely with our clients to help them tailor their hiring process. We have a front row view to how many candidates are lost to other offers, and the positive effect an efficient hiring process and recruitment strategy can have.

Take a look at your pre-screening procedures.

Evaluating candidates for your position can be a time-consuming and difficult task. This is another reason why working with a trustworthy IT Consulting firm is beneficial if you are hiring for project work. At Q, we get to know each potential candidate in order to determine whether or not they will be a good fit for a role and vice versa. By digging deep, we are also able to help prevent future issues down the road if a candidate ends up not being the right fit.

Be timely with your communication.

This is one of the easiest ways to streamline the hiring process — being communicative. Following up in a timely manner will help speed up the process and improve the chances of you landing a top candidate for an important role within your organization. Little details like expected date of decision, or what the expected hiring process is can help keep the best candidates engaged and interested in your roles!

Final Thoughts

The hiring process for a role is similar to finding a date to the prom — the longer you wait to make a move on someone, the more likely you are going to be left going with someone you didn’t really want to go with. An accelerated hiring process can be an incredible advantage in a strong job market. Having a well thought out strategy with open communication and the right tools in place will lead to more wins for your company.

To learn more about how to do this, be sure to get in touch with McKinsey Niehaus (Vice President of Business Development) or Andrew Payne (Director of Business Development) at Q Consulting in Minneapolis. We are a premier IT Consulting firm with over 40 years of combined experience in the industry and are here to help with all of your IT consultant hiring needs.