Time Kills Deals!

A concerning trend that we are seeing at the moment, is that employers are taking too long when it comes to their recruitment process.  Companies are losing out on the opportunity to employ great professionals due to simple, avoidable inefficiencies that hold up the process.

A few key steps to remember:

1. Exclusivity Use one agency that can manage the process. Employers create more work for themselves by going to several agencies and having to deal with all their questions and too many CVs. Exclusivity allows the consultant to do a thorough quality search ‘combing’ the entire talent landscape.  The process is professionally managed.
2. Clear and detailed job spec Attract the best talent by writing a winning job spec.  Make time for the appointed recruiter so that they are completely aligned with the requirements and responsibilities.
3. Red tape Don’t get tangled in red tape. Make sure you have authorisation before you start the process.
4. Line Manager Make your Line Manager available – 5-10 minutes is all that is required to make sure the recruiter is very clear in terms of expectations. It saves a huge amount of time going through unsuitable CVs.
5. Salary Your biggest obstacle that stands between the employer and the perfect hire is an outdated compensation package. Make sure the CTC range and incentives are clearly communicated and agreed upon, so that approval can happen quickly by HR.  Secondly, have your finger on the competitive compensation pulse! Top talent know their worth.
6. Interview process  Make the interview process easily accessible to anyone from anywhere.  Move fast – make sure the process is structured and communicated at the outset.  Two weeks should be maximum time spent on the process, so make sure the hiring team is available and committed in the next 2 weeks.
7. Hiring team Panel interviews are a good idea.  Candidates want to interact with current team members in the process.  Bringing employees into the mix  not only gives candidates a better look at the  team dynamics ,  company culture and employer branding efforts but it will also help the hiring team make a  better and quicker collaborative decision.  Be sure to give the candidate the chance to ask questions.   After all, top talent are interviewing you too.
8. Verification checks Be clear what checks need to be done before offer stage. A criminal check can delay a process by 48 hours. In this way you can manage the candidate’s expectations - anything longer and you will miss out. Fact!
9. Communication Stick to the process to manage expectations.  Give honest feedback within 12 hours of their interview.  Don’t let days pass!  Days add up and give your competitors breathing space to get in before you. Keep the candidates warm!  Delayed feedback allows the candidate to become disinterested and unimpressed with the professionalism and internal processes of the company.
10. HR Make sure a draft letter of appointment is ready and does not hold up the process.

The harsh facts:

• Top talent is not actively looking. When we find the 'unfindable' and pique their interest - act fast!
• There is a war for top talent – you snooze, you lose!
• Your loss, your competitors gain!
• A lost opportunity today is lost profits tomorrow!

It’s a fact – time kills deals!