5 recruitment flaws that are costing you talent
Trying to attract and successfully recruit the very best talent for your business is an ongoing challenge. It has always been so, but in a rapidly changing recruitment landscape it is probably now more challenging than it has ever been. However, if you feel that you are consistently falling short and missing out the top talent, it is time to reflect and consider what is going wrong. There are some common recruitment flaws that could well be at the root of the problem.
1. The problem is you, not them
Reflection calls for honesty and it is worth bearing in mind that every single time a talented individual slips through your fingers, and every single time a promising candidate pulls out of an application process, there is one constant and one common denominator - you. This indicates that somewhere along the line there is something wrong with what you are doing. It might be a harsh truth, but it is true. Something isn't quite right, isn't as streamlined as it should be or as efficient as it needs to be. Once you have accepted that things do need to change, you are at the start of an evaluative process that will drive improvement.
2. Communication breakdown
At the heart of most recruitment flaws is a lack of communication. Whether it's between hiring managers and HR, or between the organisation and prospective candidate, poor and ineffective communication can be costly. Keeping candidate data in a central location and making sure that information is kept up-to-date is paramount. Furthermore, if decision makers are essentially on different pages it is no surprise that mixed or wrong messages are given to candidates.
3. The need for speed
Whilst the recruitment process should never be rushed through at lightning speed, it is vital that the process is progressed in a timely fashion. Interviews are always stressful for candidates and they require plenty of time and effort. Therefore, if interviews are poorly organised it is a major turn-off for candidates. Recalling for various rounds of interviews and being repetitive will disengage candidates. An interview process needs to be thorough, of course, but it also needs to be efficient and productive.
4. Give feedback
The lack of appropriate and meaningful feedback is consistently cited by candidates as one of the most frustrating aspects of the recruitment process. Making candidates wait for feedback that is vague or impersonal is neither useful for the individual, nor helpful for the organisation's employer brand. The review process should also be done as efficiently as possible to reduce the overall cycle time.
5. Measure and adapt processes
Regardless of how successful a recruitment process is, at some point it will need tweaking and improving. With trackable metrics it should be possible to spot potential issues and problems quickly. Without metrics, this is virtually impossible to do. Measurement and analytics is what helps you keep processes lean and effective. All aspects of the recruitment process need to be measured, from the length of cycle times to the quality of the talent pipeline and all points in-between. A successful recruitment process is the sum of all parts, so all parts need to be considered.