4 Simple Hacks to Reduce Recruitment Cycle

Tired of endless hiring cycles? Filling entry-level tech roles often gets pulled down in an endless cycle. This article offers tips on shortening the hiring process and hiring junior developers more quickly!

Your hiring cycle may end at any of the following stages if it is not well planned.?

sourcing, screening, assessing, interviewing, or onboarding.??

Identify which step is generating extra work and delays. Here are some common issues recruiters face:

• Getting a Bunch of Irrelevant Profiles results in time wastage
• Inefficient screening leads to poor-quality shortlisting
• Lengthy interviews lead to delayed onboarding
• Unclear expectations lead to loss of talents

The following hacks can help you troubleshoot the above issues:

1. Source pre-qualified developers:?

• Leverage Finishing Schools: Partner with institutions like Sharpener to access a pool of pre-trained and pre-qualified candidates. This reduces sourcing time and effort while ensuring a high calibre of applicants.
• Ditch the generic phone screen: Move beyond outdated methods like "tell me about yourself, Focus on actual abilities, not just skills in resume.?
• Streamlined hiring with skill assessments: By using skill assessments early in the process, you can significantly reduce time wasted and focus on interviewing truly qualified candidates. This creates a smoother flow throughout your entire hiring cycle, allowing you to fill those junior developer roles faster.

2. Don't let busy schedules derail your hiring.

• Outsource Interview Support: Limited interviewer availability can slow down the process. Consider partnering with interview-as-a-service providers to access qualified interviewers and keep the momentum going. This saves your team's time and keeps candidates engaged.

3. Fast-Track Onboarding and Prevent Drop-Off:

• Streamline Hiring Decisions: Analyze factors causing delays in hiring decisions and implement a process for faster approvals. This reduces the risk of candidates losing interest.
• Prepare for Onboarding: Anticipate onboarding needs by the final interview round. This demonstrates efficiency and reduces the chance of candidates accepting offers elsewhere during the delay.
• Adopt technology: Utilize automation tools for onboarding tasks like paperwork and scheduling. This streamlines the process and keeps candidates informed, reducing the risk of them dropping out.

4. Track your conversion rate.

• Monitor the number of applicants at each stage (applications, shortlisting, qualification).
• Calculate your conversion rate: (Number moving to next stage / Number entering stage) x 100%.

To summarise?

• Analyze where your conversion rate dips. This pinpoints the stage causing delays.
• Low shortlisting rate? You might be sourcing the wrong talent pool. Refine your sourcing strategy.
• High Drop-Off After Assessments? Are you attracting irrelevant candidates? Consider pre-qualified talent sources or adjust your skills assessment.
• Low interview-to-hire ratio? You have not attracted the right talent. Re-evaluate your assessment process or interview criteria and align all 3 in the initial stage.?
• Onboarding Delays? Analyze hiring decision timelines. Expedite approvals to avoid losing candidates.

?The ultimate court of appeal is observation and experiment,? not authority. by Thomas Huxley

• Don't be afraid to test new methods! Outsource interviews, utilize automation tools, and explore new technologies.
• Continuously monitor your data to see if these changes improve your conversion rate.

Data is your friend! By analyzing your reports and taking action, you can transform your hiring process. You'll attract the best talent faster and keep your pipeline flowing smoothly.

You can hire junior developers from Sharpener for free. Explore and become our hiring partners today.?

We aim to create better talent sources for tech recruiters.