2023, Is it Time to Rethink Your Hiring Process?

The pressure is on for companies to hire the "perfect" candidates because the fear of making the wrong decision is proving to be too expensive. As a result, companies have collectively developed a flawed hiring process that may be causing more harm than good. We've noticed these three recurring issues across companies:

1. The current hiring process is too lengthy.Prospective hires must jump through multiple interview rounds, sometimes as many as 16, to be considered for the role.
2. Company politics get in the way. Companies have developed a consensus-oriented hiring process where multiple colleagues have a say in who gets hired, and sometimes, the right candidate is turned away simply because someone didn't want to step on their co-worker's toes. There is understandably a need to be considerate in the workplace, but where do you draw the line between being bureaucratic and bureaucrazy?
3. There's little leeway for hiring managers to make mistakes.When HR managers are chewed out too quickly for making a mistake, they become hesitant to act, which can result in letting the ideal candidate walk out the door.

An overly defensive hiring structure gives companies the illusion of saving money and time, but have you put this theory to the test? Google did, and the results showed that they were 86% confident "that four interviews were enough to make a reliable hiring decision." Furthermore, they determined that each additional interview only increased their accuracy by about one percent before deciding that this wasn't worth their time. So, is it time to rethink your hiring process? Let's take a look at how to approach this change.

5 Methods to Help You Streamline Your Hiring Process

Recognizing that your hiring process may need restructuring is not enough to evoke change. You'll need to put your thoughts into action, and here are some ways to go about it.

1. Decrease the number of interviewers. It's harder to arrive at a clear decision if there are too many opinions to consider. If you have more than four interviewers, it could very well be making the hiring process longer than necessary.
2. Choose one decision maker. A checks and balances system is undeniably necessary to reduce the chances of hiring the wrong candidate, but there should be only one person making the final decision. Step away from a consensus-oriented approach, and assign the role to the most qualified person, such as the HR manager. You may need to reinforce who is in charge a few times before your colleagues can adapt to this approach.
3. Switch to evaluating candidates with numerical ratings. Instead of letting your interviewers' feelings make hiring decisions, have them focus on the numbers. Doing so will make the final decision maker's job easier and allow him or her to come to an unbiased decision.
4. Make a mental note of which interviewer rejects the most candidates. Are their reasons for turning candidates down valid? Are they asking helpful interview questions to make fair decisions? Your best candidate is as good as the people hiring them, so make sure your hiring committee is properly staffed with qualified people. 
5. Reward the people who find the right candidates, instead of penalizing those who don,'t. At the end of the day, there is no perfect hiring process. People will make mistakes, while others will help you find the right candidates. Focusing on rewarding positive behaviors will boost employee morale, while the opposite will boost employee indecision.

Although streamlining your company's hiring process won't happen overnight, it won't ever happen if no change is applied. These five steps will push your company in the right direction and can give you a competitive advantage in your industry. If you're looking for more tips to help improve your hiring process, Amy Cole Connect is ready to help!

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If your company is facing recruitment challenges in 2023, use my CALENDAR to schedule a call about your hiring needs.