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Why Your Recruitment Process Shouldn’t Feel Like an Obstacle Course

Why Your Recruitment Process Shouldn’t Feel Like an Obstacle Course
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by
Managing Director

Recruiting carefully is important. Nobody should appoint someone simply because they were the first reasonable candidate through the door, and for some senior or specialist positions several stages of assessment are entirely appropriate.

But there’s a point where thorough recruitment becomes unnecessarily complicated.

I’ve seen processes involving an initial telephone call, first interview, second interview, presentation, psychometric assessment and finally another meeting with someone senior who wasn’t available earlier. By the time the business is ready to make an offer, several weeks have passed and the candidate they liked most has accepted another job.

Every additional stage should have a purpose. If a second interview allows another key manager to meet the candidate or gives both sides an opportunity to explore the role in greater detail, that’s perfectly reasonable. If it’s happening simply because “we always do two interviews”, it may be worth asking whether it’s actually adding anything to the decision.

It’s also important to look at the process from the candidate’s perspective. Someone who’s already working may need to arrange time away from their current employer for every meeting. Asking them to do that repeatedly, particularly when communication between stages is slow, can gradually reduce their enthusiasm for an opportunity they were initially excited about.

None of this means lowering standards. In fact, a well-designed recruitment process can be both rigorous and efficient. Decide who needs to be involved before interviews begin, agree what you’re trying to establish at each stage and, wherever possible, set aside time so candidates aren’t waiting a fortnight while diaries are coordinated.

The recruitment process itself also tells candidates something about your organisation. A business that communicates clearly, respects people’s time and makes decisions efficiently creates a very different first impression from one where nobody seems quite sure what happens next.

At ASL Recruitment, we can help manage that process, but ultimately the strongest candidates will always have choices. Making a careful decision is sensible. Making them wait indefinitely while you make it isn’t.

Final Thought

Every stage of your recruitment process should help you make a better decision. If it doesn’t, ask whether you really need it.




Photo by chris robert on Unsplash

 
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