We´re used to thinking of the hiring process as a conventionally slow and complex affair. Assessing the needs, creating a job ad, searching for candidates, doing pre-interviews, several interviews at different levels, closing a deal, onboarding— it can all take up a long time that could be otherwise devoted to the growth of your business.

According to an international study by Glassdoor, it takes companies an average of 23.7 days to hire a candidate. Even worse: in tech, a whopping 62 days. And, as we said, this is time and money lost: every day the empty position isn’t filled is a day your team’s morale and productivity drops.

It’s also a day you let the best talent in the industry get scooped up by your competition. 

Speeding up the hiring process isn’t just crucial to the good health of your team and profits. It’s also a must in a competitive job marketplace such as digital, tech, media, and marketing. The truth is, in these industries, top talent is in high demand— the ratio of jobs to great candidates favours the candidates’ choice. 

So no matter how great your position and company culture are, if you let the interview process drag on, you’ll lose your best options (highly qualified, proactive candidates who know their value) to your faster and more engaged competitors.

But how do you speed up the hiring process without making (potentially costly) hiring mistakes? Start by applying these 4 key steps to your interview and hiring approach:

1. Rely on your team.

Often, you’ll find that you’re delaying or postponing an interview because a high-priority issue popped up elsewhere and your attention is needed. It’s true that leaders are in high demand and might have trouble managing time— but if you’re not ready to interview top candidates, they’re going to go to someone else.

How to solve this? Simple: learn to rely on your team. Of course, you don’t need to leave the big hiring decisions to them, but it’s a good idea to let those around you take up responsibility for the interviewing process. Even if they are junior or have a different role in the company, they’ll be up to carrying out initial interviews and assessing general qualifications and culture fit. 

Being involved can boost morale on your team’s side as well as giving the candidate a chance to meet their potential coworkers early on. You can then follow up on the next interviewing stage.

2. Prioritise flexibility.

On the same note, it’s key to prioritise your candidates’ time and offer them a seamless interview experience. Considering your top options are most likely already employed, think about implementing pre-screening interviews using phone or online video platforms to accommodate their needs.

If you need to make interviews face-to-face, be flexible with scheduling. Does the candidate need to meet after office hours or during lunch? Can you meet them at a convenient halfway location? 

When you’re respectful of your interviewee’s time, not only can you shorten your process, but they will also value your job opening and employer brand more.

3. Offer speedy feedback.

Nothing is more frustrating for a job seeker than hearing nothing back after an interview. If a top candidate doesn’t get any answer from you, they will continue with their job search. And, quite likely, you’ll lose them to the competition. 

Now, it’s not necessary to make a snap decision without thinking. But, after the interview, you probably have an idea of how the candidate matches (or doesn’t) the position and team. Speed up communications and let them know their early outlook, even if you don’t give them details.

Also, always tell the interviewee in how many days they can expect to hear back from you— and, of course, follow through with your promise. This shows you value their time and are truly invested in their journey with you.

4. Don’t delay making a decision.

We know hiring managers are often worried about making a mistake that will cost big time and money. By all means, give your candidate options appropriate thought and don’t rush to hire someone on the same day you met them.

On the other hand, you should act quickly when you believe a candidate is the right fit (they don’t need to be 100% perfect— that’s what onboarding is for).

When you find top talent, you should respond proactively if you want to keep it in your team. If you don’t, they will get hired somewhere else fast. Then your candidate pool will be poorer and the open position could remain open longer, with all added team and monetary costs.

So don’t put off a good decision— say yes to exceptional talent!

Don’t know where to start? At Fulcrum, we’re ready to streamline your interview process to secure top hires. We provide a tailored approach to your company’s needs, offering support with planning, recruiting, and offering efficient interview tools. Talk to us— we’re happy to find the best talent for you.