5 Time Wasters in Your Hiring Process

June 9, 2023 in HR Best Practices

 

Laurie Hyllberg

Laurie champions Kinsa Group’s position as the top food and beverage recruiting firm in the nation and its presence in the global FMCG marketplace. To her Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Business Management, and Marketing she adds over 20 years of executive search experience in the food and beverage industry at Kinsa. Building a network of executives and professionals through membership in the Women’s Foodservice Forum, Institute of Food Technologists, FaB Wisconsin, Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network, and maintaining professional expertise in recruiting as an Executive Board Member for the Recruiters Of Wisconsin association, Laurie is able to connect top talent in the food industry with food and beverage processors and foodservice providers growing their teams at the C-Suite, VP, Director, and Management level. Connect with Laurie today!

 

When it comes to hiring today, you need to move quickly. The best candidates often have the shortest shelf-life, meaning those top candidates aren’t likely to stick around for long before competitors snap them up. By the time your food and beverage company makes a job offer, the best candidate may no longer be available. There are several possible ways to improve and speed up your hiring process to secure your pick of the top talent for your open jobs. Try eliminating these five common time wasters from your hiring process. 

1. Poorly Written Job Postings 

The main purpose of a job posting is to attract applicants that meet the qualifications for a job. However, a poorly written and vague job description could attract an influx of resumes from unqualified applicants. While writing comprehensive job descriptions can be a bit time-consuming, the more time you invest in writing out clear, specific job descriptions, the more time you’ll save later on. For instance, the more detailed you are about the scope of the job, its responsibilities, and the skills and experience required, the less likely unqualified candidates are to apply.  In addition to agreeing on the job description, the hiring manager and human resources should clearly lay out the compensation target and acceptable range, the new employee’s work hours, and location (onsite, remote, or hybrid). Presenting these details accurately is key to communicating clear and specific job postings.

2. Third-Round Interviews and Beyond

Google is sitting on top of more data than any other company in history, and they analyze it extensively. Their conclusion is? Any more than 4 interviews not only doesn’t help predict job performance, it scares away the best candidates who have other options and they know it. Now if you are hiring for a leadership position, doing multiple interviews makes sense. However, putting candidates for entry- or mid-level positions through third- or fourth-round interviews is often just an excuse to delay hiring decisions… which can cost you in the long run. Instead, strategically ask the best possible interview questions to identify ideal candidates for positions in less than three interviews. Also, group or panel interviews can help you introduce the candidate to multiple employees at once without needing more than one interview time slot.

3. Brainteasers and Useless Interview Questions

In the past, it was trendy to ask brainteaser-type interview questions, however whether a candidate answers correctly or incorrectly, it shouldn’t be a deciding factor on whether or not to offer someone a position at your company. Answering a brainteaser might show that a candidate is clever or knows how to use a search engine. However, it’s not truly effective for determining whether an applicant can perform the job or meet the organization’s needs. It may also unnecessarily rule out diverse candidates. Instead of brainteasers, stick to questions that are relevant to the position, the candidate, and the company.

4. Not Disqualifying Underqualified Candidates Right Away 

In today’s tight market, candidates will inevitably apply to positions that they aren’t qualified for. Due to this influx of underqualified candidates, you do not need to entertain calls with all of them. Instead, be honest about where they stand. Even a quick automated email reply acknowledging their application and letting them know that if the role is a fit you will reach out to schedule an interview. If you know a candidate is not a good fit for a position, don’t put them through the interview process. Interviewing underqualified or ill-fitting candidates is a waste of the organization’s time and resources as well as the candidates’ time. Eliminating these applicants early in the process, allows the hiring team to focus their time and resources on finding the best-fitting candidates for open positions. All in all, don’t keep underqualified candidates in the hiring pool.

5. Lack of an Interview Plan with Due Dates 

Even food companies that are desperate to hire can lose candidates if the interview process is undetermined prior to launching your search. So that days won’t go by while you wait for feedback, the hiring manager and human resources should determine in advance who is going to review resumes, who will initially speak with the job candidates (within 24 hours of receipt of resume), and if interviews will occur by phone, video, or face-to-face and when.  Who needs to be involved in the decision-making process and are they in the office the weeks that interviews will likely occur? Having a plan that you can communicate with your team and to job candidates will help in setting expectations on timing and availability as well as the intended job start date.

Here’s what Kinsa recommends as a 50-days-to-hire plan (feel free to tweak it to fit a shorter timetable):

  • Week 1 and 2: initial job posting, recruiting, and assessment of job applicants by human resources
  • Week 2 and 3: screened resumes submitted to the hiring manager, phone interviews scheduled and conducted by hiring manager (recruiting adjustments made if needed and additional candidates sourced and resumes submitted to hiring manager)
  • Week 3 through 4: video or face-to-face interviews at your office with the decision-makers on the hiring team
  • Week 5: additional interviews of late candidates, behavioral assessments, references, and finalists selected
  • Week 6: final interviews scheduled (if needed)
  • Week 7: offer drafted and accepted (Note: candidates will likely need to then give 2 weeks notice to their employer)

 

Kinsa Group can provide you with excellent candidates and expert advice, but you still have to get candidates through your hiring process. Make sure your process ensures that the best talent wants to work for you! Contact us today to find out more about how we can help!

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