Hiring Goes Faster When You Remove the Barriers
Hiring can go faster when qualified candidates can find your job, understand why they should work for you, and apply without unnecessary frustration. If you’re struggling to fill open positions, the problem often isn’t a lack of applicants. It’s that your hiring process is creating barriers before the right people ever apply. Start by asking yourself these three questions.
1. Do Qualified Candidates Even Know Your Job Opportunity Exists?
Nobody can apply for a job posting they never see. It sounds logical, but if you’re not reaching the places where quality candidates look for jobs in your industry, they won’t even know the opportunity exists. If you’re still throwing a hiring ad in the newspaper and calling it good, well… it’s going to take some legwork and research to find the best places to list your job. It also isn’t enough to post a job once and forget about it. In fact, plan to revise the job title and description every couple of weeks to keep it fresh and relevant. Remember, it isn’t about you. It isn’t about where you’d like people to find your job posting, and it isn’t about how you’ve always done it.
2. Why Should Someone Apply to Work for You?
I hope your answer isn’t, “Because they want a job.” Today’s candidates have more choices than ever, which means your company and the position need to stand out. Treat your job posting like a marketing piece. Give candidates the details they’re looking for, explain what the role is really like, and help them picture themselves succeeding on your team. Just as importantly, communicate what your company stands for and the kind of culture employees can expect. Candidates research employers the same way customers research businesses. They read Google reviews, visit your website, and pay attention to the impression your company leaves online. Make sure those touchpoints reinforce why someone would want to work for you.
Hiring isn’t about posting the same outdated job description and hoping the right person finds it. It’s also no longer just an HR responsibility. Attracting great employees takes your entire team, especially your marketing team, working together to show candidates why your company is a place where they can build a rewarding career.
A strong workplace culture doesn’t just help you keep great employees. It also helps attract them in the first place. The strongest hiring cultures aren’t built after a position opens. They’re built long before you need to hire. For more on creating a workplace that naturally attracts the right people, read Build Your Company Culture to Attract the Right Candidates Before a Role Opens, written by Beth Gasser and published in BPN Magazine.
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3. Is Your Hiring Process Driving Applicants Away?
Even if you’ve addressed the previous steps, there are still plenty of application barriers that can drive qualified candidates away. The reality is that today’s job seekers won’t put up with frustrating hiring processes because they don’t have to. If your online application doesn’t work, requires them to stop in for a paper application, asks them to submit sensitive information through an insecure process, or makes them jump through unnecessary hoops just to express interest, many will simply move on to the next opportunity.
Today’s candidates expect to apply quickly and easily from anywhere, at any time, using the device of their choice. Streamlining your hiring process and bringing it up to today’s standards can make a significant difference in both the quantity and quality of applicants you receive.
Qualified Applicants Haven’t Disappeared
Hiring may be more competitive than ever, but that doesn’t mean qualified applicants have disappeared. More often, the difference comes down to how well you’re marketing the opportunity, communicating your company culture, and removing barriers from the application process. Make the necessary improvements, and you’ll be in a much better position to attract the people you’re looking for. After all, the best candidates have choices, so make it easy for them to choose you.
