As organizations continue to reevaluate hiring processes affected by the global health pandemic, conversations around high-volume hiring are happening everywhere, including this blog! We hope you enjoy these insights from our colleague, Shawn Stewart, who recently led a client through a significant hiring initiative resulting in nearly 500 hires in four months.

Host:  High-volume hiring is a hot topic in labor market news. Can we start by defining what we mean by high volume?

Shawn: Yes, this is a good place to start because high-volume hiring can mean different things to different people. For example, if you’re a small business, hiring 10 people may seem like high volume. Yet, compared to national companies that might hire 5,000 workers just to get through a holiday season, the equation changes. For most industries, recruiters consider high volume to be adding at least 50 to 100 people in a given year, typically during bursts of activity.

Host:  During the pandemic, employers were forced to try new approaches to hiring. As  circumstances begin to change, are businesses continuing to adjust their processes or is the temptation to ‘return to normal’ too great?

Shawn:  While most employers want to be open to change, I see many reverting to previous processes. Much like New Year’s resolutions, we may have the best intentions, but by the end of January, we’ve quit going to the gym and are back to eating what we want. Habits are hard to break!

Host:  In looking toward the future, what is the hardest high-volume hiring habit to break?

Shawn:  Before COVID, most hiring processes were static, organized around a series of have to’s , e.g., we have to have a resume, we have to have an application, we have to have a screening interview, we have to have 2-3 in-person interviews, and the list goes on. Questioning the familiar takes time, and time is in short supply.

Ironically though, if we don’t take time to re-evaluate our have to’s in light of today’s labor market, time-sensitive hiring goals cannot be met.

Host:  For high-volume hiring success in 2022, what is the biggest challenge to tackle?

Shawn:  Time-to-Hire. You’ve heard it said, time kills all deals. That adage is certainly true in recruiting. If your hiring process takes too long or is too complicated, you’ll likely lose your top candidates to a competitor who has a more efficient and engaging process.

From the employer’s perspective, we hear, “we need more people,” yet from the job seeker’s side, they’re saying, “we never hear back!” This is the Black Hole – asking for too much information, and then not providing timely and clear information about next steps.

For example, if you randomly polled 10 people and asked them to tell you about the last job they applied for, I bet their stories would be similar. They saw a job posting , uploaded their resume, completed an application, answered questions about availability, then clicked Submit. And they waited. And waited. And most never heard back.

Serious job seekers are out there. They’re just looking for an efficient way to put their best foot forward.

Host:  If I’m an employer and want to take a fresh approach to high-volume hiring, what wisdom can you offer to help me get started?

Shawn:  A great place to start is by completing your organization’s candidate screening process yourself! Then ask these key questions:

• What steps and components are included?
• Are the steps clear and easy to understand?
• Is information relevant and current?
• Are you collecting only the information you absolutely need?
• Is the process a good reflection of your company values and culture?
• How long does each step take and how much time elapses between steps?

Honest answers to these questions will pinpoint where to focus improvement efforts for the best results.

Looking for New Ways to Improve High-Volume Hiring this Year?

Often it’s simple changes that can make the biggest impact. Our team of HR Experts are available to listen to your needs and discuss practical strategies for streamlining high-volume hiring while improving hiring quality. Just contact us here or call 888.332.0648 to schedule a free 30-minute consultation. There’s never an obligation!

Click here to see how Employment Technologies helped a large state agency reduce their time-to-hire by 92% and cut their employee turnover by 70%!