What do you do if you're wasting time on unproductive recruiting activities?

In my experience, here are just some ways to identify unproductive activities: spending too much time on a generic job boards, attracting unqualified candidates, having a lengthy interview process that just slows things down. In my past internships, i have noticed a high volume of unqualified applications for a specific role but instead of thinking that there was something wrong in the recruitment process I tried to put myself in the shoes of the applicants and that made me understand that the job market was facing an all time low and there were many unemployed people at the time so they were just trying to get any opportunity possible to just be seen heard and considered.

Of course, to halt unproductive recruiting activities, the first step is to reflect on our actions and analyze whether the task at hand truly merits our efforts. To be more specific, there are instances where, in order to meet deadlines, we must temporarily set aside certain protocols that can be managed later. Internal processes and systems are designed to aid recruiters and provide a seamless experience for candidates. However, if they begin to hinder our work, it's imperative to recognize this and replace them with new methodologies.

Challenge yourself to continually improve your recruitment process. Examine your procedures closely to uncover areas of opportunity. Eliminate any inefficiencies, such as bottlenecks, redundant tasks, and low-yield activities, to elevate your recruiting game to the next level.

This we all know;time is precious; time is money& one need to always keep that in mind. Moving forward,i can say that recruiting and hiring work practices is never easy, nor is it fast. Hours spent on finding the right candidate when it turns out to be the wrong one are hours that equate to money lost. Above-all,nobody wants to bring unproductive employees into the workplace. I think that the solution lies in our approach to recruiting and the collective factors that can play a part in identifying the ideal candidates. First of all, we have to develop an effective recruitment strategy; utilize predictive analytics tools and implement modern recruitment software and solutions to boost the staffing process that leads to maximum productivity.

Assign tasks to team members who can handle them efficiently, freeing up your time for more critical recruiting activities. Allocate specific time blocks for each recruiting task to prevent overindulgence in unproductive activities. Identify and eliminate distractions in your workspace to maintain focus on essential recruiting tasks. Define clear objectives for each recruiting activity to ensure that your efforts are directed towards meaningful outcomes. Schedule regular reviews of your recruiting activities to identify areas of inefficiency and make necessary adjustments Gather feedback from team members or supervisors to identify areas where your recruiting efforts could be more effective and efficient

To optimize your recruitment efforts, it's essential to focus on high-impact activities that directly contribute to your hiring goals. By prioritizing tasks that are most likely to yield qualified candidates, you can achieve better results in less time. It's also helpful to streamline or eliminate activities that don't add significant value, freeing up more resources for the tasks that matter most.

Prioritise your recruiting task. Classify task into Value add/ Critical and non value add/ Non critical. Focus more on task which add value to the current process.

Use of technology improvise the overall timeline of hiring. It can reduce manual task and helps in automating repeatitive task

Learn your ATS and CRM functionality- how they work with and against eachother, what the integration and "software connections" look like. Does your ATS have a boolean search functionality to search for applicants that match specific criteria? Automate things and use your ATS system as much as possible. Try to not mess around with multiple tools outside the ATS unless you have to- it saves time and makes the process so much more seamless.

You are a talent advisor. What does this mean? Use your influencing skills to suggest the interview process that works for picking the RIGHT candidate and also supporting efficiency in the recruiting process. You have the ability to influence how many interviews are being asked for to come to a final decision, what salary negotiations look like, and how to navigate the interview process from an inclusion perspective.

Optimizing communication with candidates can improve your recruitment process. This can be achieved using templates for common communication tasks, such as interview scheduling or rejection emails. This not only saves time but also ensures a positive candidate experience. Another way to enhance your recruitment process is to provide recruiters with training and development opportunities. This will help them improve their skills and efficiency. It is important to share best practices, provide feedback, and encourage continuous improvement to optimize their performance.

Ensure your hiring process is standard and streamlined. Proper flow of steps helps in giving clear direction to all stakeholders and avoid delays and confusion.

In my experience I believe it is important to reassess the approach. Start by identifying which tasks are yielding low returns and consider delegating, automating, or eliminating them altogether. Focus on high-impact activities like refining job descriptions, networking with potential candidates, and optimizing recruitment processes for efficiency. One big no - is keeping the candidate waiting for days together. This speaks volumes and impacts the candidates decision.

Focus on targeted training sessions that address time management techniques and streamline processes to minimize efforts on unproductive recruiting activities. Encourage open communication to identify and address any bottlenecks or inefficiencies hindering productivity.

It's important to train , primarily the sourcing team on effective sourcing and screening. All hiring problems related to sourcing only.

There's always room for improvement, so take advantage of learning opportunities and explore new tools/methods that may be helpful in making your recruiting process more efficient. Keep what works and let go of what doesn't add value.

I believe in the power of quantifying productivity, time, cost, and ROI to ensure efficient resource utilization and avoid wastage. In a past experience, I was tasked with organizing an event to attract clients and generate leads, a common practice among multiple recruitment agencies. Instead of following the conventional approach, I reallocated resources to create attractive and useful souvenirs. These souvenirs were then distributed individually by my teammates, facilitating quality interactions with a high number of clients. As a result, we doubled our business leads, demonstrating the effectiveness of this strategic approach.

Utilize data to determine what is working/what's not. Are you getting a desirable response rate on LinkedIn Recruiter? Are you doing cold outreach campaigns to candidates in your ATS? Are you keeping shortlists of top candidates to continue keeping engaged? Are those candidates converting into interviews/offers? Really dive into each activity to understand the ROI on time spent and then strategize to spend more time on the highest return activities.

The secret is discerning between IRA and IPA Income Reducing activities vs Income producing activities Take a break. Change the way one is working I would invest in networking and revisit 1) Purpose 2) allot time. Learn to say no 3) Attitude. Invest in giving and making more people successful. They would then make u succesful too 4) Visibility begets credibility which eventually ensures profitability is not far off! 5) Follow up. follow up. Followup Your network will be your networth And then watch the magic happen:)!

When found caught up in unproductive recruiting activities, I reassess my approach: Evaluate my current methods to identify what isn't working to prioritize tasks that yield most promising results. This might involve refining JD's, targeting specific platforms for hiring or enhancing my networking efforts. Also seek feedback from peers/mentors to gain fresh perspectives & insights. Implementing time-management tips such as setting clear goals & deadlines helps stay focused & efficient. Explore innovative recruitment strategies or invest in training to enhance my skills so I redirect my efforts towards activities that yield better outcomes ensuring that my time/ energy are used effectively in recruiting process.