Could your company complete the hiring process in a week? 24 hours? 1 Hour? What about 15 minutes? If your organization needed to hire quickly, could they do it?
It’s really eye-opening talking with CEO’s/Founders who are worried about being able to grow, complete projects, or even keep operations open due to a lack of talent. We also talk with HR and Talent Specialists who describe their wonderful application and hiring processes that take weeks to complete–and here, we can see the huge disconnect between the two parties.
One owner told us that if a candidate shows up for an interview and looks like they can stand on their feet, they start them on the job and say, “if you like it, come back tomorrow, if not pick up a cheque for the hours worked”. It takes 15 minutes and this is happening in thousands of small businesses and even in large companies that need talent today.
Tons of companies like this one are doing away with application forms, reference checking, multiple rounds of interviews, personality testing, and more. Whereas another company actually told us they would need all applicants to apply through their website, which included an application form with over 50 fields. Some things are important, but filling out forms to fill up a database does not increase the quality of hire.
From empty shelves to backed-up ports to closed coffee shops, we can see the results of slow hiring processes. To battle this we need to get lean in hiring, automate and eliminate any steps that do not significantly increase the chances of making a better hiring decision.
Reality check: competitors with speed are hiring the same talent when a manager gets a text and replies: “when can you start?”
How fast can you get at hire if you really have to? For argument’s sake, think of a coworker you worked with for years at your last company. How long would it take to hire someone you trust?
Kael Campbell is President and Lead Recruiter of Red Seal Recruiting Solutions, a company providing recruitment services in mining, equipment and plant maintenance, utilities, manufacturing, construction, and transportation. When he is not recruiting, Kael spends as much time as possible with family in the great outdoors and on the water. He volunteers his time as a Board Member of the Entrepreneurs Organization of Vancouver Island. We have a wide variety of services to help you find the best employees. See how we can help on our Recruiting Solutions page.