How to Make Your Hiring Process a Lot Less Painful

For many American business owners, the process of hiring new staff members is a hassle that begins with posting job descriptions, watching a flurry of resumes and inquiries arrive, evaluating prospects, conducting interviews, administering tests, ordering expensive background checks, and finally hoping for the best as the best candidate is hired.

When an employer tells a job hunter “you’re hired”, the immense sense of relief for both parties is justified, but this is only the beginning. The next part of the process involves onboarding, which consists of taking various steps to bring the new hire into the company’s various systems.

Since the late 20th century, human resources professionals and business analysts have been researching the hiring process to make it more efficient and less painful for all parties involved. The most prominent issue found in the process is human bias, followed by the utilization of a poor structure. To improve the process, experts recommend the following.

Employers Should Have Clear and Realistic Expectations

Staffing agencies are often utilized for the wrong reasons. If an employer wants to hire very quickly, there is an expectation that the new hire will not be at the job for a long time; however, many business owners hope that the candidate they hire in a rush will be a miracle worker. Employers need to make up their minds about who they want to hire and why. Staffing agencies can help in an emergency, but employers who still need to find an adequate candidate should not stop their hiring processes.

Good Timing is Essential

Companies that hire only when the need arises tend to have a hard time putting together a good staff. Employers who want the best people working for them should always be on the lookout, not just when someone quits or retires. The practice of suddenly terminating an employee and immediately looking for a replacement is terrible for any business. Taking shortcuts in the hiring process often results in costly hiring mistakes.

Employers Should Involve the Right Staff Members

Asking managers and supervisors to come up with last-minute job descriptions to post on an online job board is not usually the most effective way to hire. For example, if a salesperson is needed, the employer should inquire with other members of the sales department about what they should be looking for in a new hire. The opinion needs to come not only from the sales manager, but also from salespeople, support personnel, and even existing clients if possible. Together with staff members, employers should create a hiring scorecard that can help to reduce bias. Employers should objectively consider important hiring aspects such as experience, education, training, and quantifiable personality traits as part of this process.

Use Employee Onboarding Software

Once the right candidate is selected, the hiring process does not come to an end. Depending on the industry, the jurisdiction and the compliance requirements, employers may be expected to create considerable new paperwork each time they hire a new worker. Trusting the human resources department to accomplish everything without the right tools could be a risk to you. With the right onboarding solutions employers can set up an efficient process of welcoming new hires while staying compliant and increasing productivity. Some of the ways for onboarding new employees allow new hires to assume responsibilities in terms of reporting to training, filling out payroll forms, proving completion of orientation, and more.

In the end, hiring the right candidates is a process that should not be taken lightly. To make the process more efficient, personal bias should be eliminated, sufficient time should be allocated, and the right people should be involved in the process.