Excessive and drawn-out processes can have poor results in recruitment, with negative effects such as high costs and low morale.
Job hunting can sometimes feel like a full-time job in its own right. From CV amendments and scouring employment websites, to taking part in interviews and completing the often rigorous assessments, the process of finding and securing a job has become, in many ways, excessive.
Nowadays people are expected to put aside a significant amount of time to allow for multiple in-person and online interviews, as well as skills assessments that cover practical and technical ability, all across a period of weeks and in some cases months, which is simply too long.
Despite the fact that for most people, there is just never enough time in the day to take part in a recruitment process such as this, there is also an ethics issue, whereby only people in a privileged position who can afford to consistently take time off of work to job hunt, or who can leave their job entirely while they search for a new one, are considered for positions.
While organisations that have prolonged and excessive hiring practices are likely of the opinion that their way will ensure they employ the best of the best, research shows that often companies will experience the complete opposite to what they had hoped for. For example, businesses that deploy aggressive or wasteful recruitment practices often incur higher costs, lower retention and decreased company morale.
So, what are some of the signs that an organisation’s recruitment practices are excessive in nature?
Thank you, but no
The most obvious sign that an organisation’s hiring policies are being weakened by a prolonged recruitment window is when potential candidates, who had previously been enthusiastic about the opportunity, are declining to participate any further. If you notice after the first round or two of interviews or skills tests that interest is lessening and applicants are electing to drop out, then it is likely that the process is too demanding of people’s time.
While it is important that employers put a candidate’s skills to the test and confirm that they are suited to the position, by drawing out the process or expecting too much work from someone who isn’t even an employee, the organisation can give the applicant the impression that their time is neither respected nor valued.
Too much back and forth
Hiring somebody to join your team or organisation is a big deal. Not only do they need to be highly skilled in their field and ready to jump in and get going, but they also need to be a good fit with their new co-workers and the wider company values. Finding a professional who fits this criteria takes time, but not an excessive amount.
If you find that there is too much back and forth with other stakeholders and it is putting the entire recruitment process on hold, then this is undoubtedly a waste of everyone’s valuable time. While it is important that everyone from the interns all the way up to the owner feels that their opinion and ideas hold weight, there is such a thing as having too many cooks in the kitchen.
By taking input from too many sources, employers are greatly delaying the recruitment process, frustrating not only themselves, but the potential new hires.
Don’t live on repeat
During the various interviews and skills assessments, if you find candidates are beginning to repeat themselves over and over again, then it is likely that much of what you have asked for is overlapping and therefore of less value as a tool to determine the best person for the job.
Companies need to strike a balance between deriving a complete history of a person and asking only the bare minimum, meeting somewhere in the middle that allows for a speedy, yet transparent application process.
Really, if it takes you six rounds to fully grasp someone’s suitability for a role, then it is probable that either they aren’t the full package, or the organisation’s method of questioning is not efficient.
Hello, goodbye
If you find that, after a long and complicated hiring process, organisational retention is low and turnover is high, then this may be a sign that the recruitment stage was inefficient and actually mentally exhausted the new hire.
By failing to streamline the interview process and instead physically and mentally draining an applicant for several weeks or even months, by the time they are hired – despite being new to the job – they may experience burnout and mental fatigue.
By prioritising applicant wellbeing from the very beginning, employers can ensure that, when they do make a decision, the new employee is excited, prepared and ready to jump in, with a clear idea of what is expected of them.
Ultimately, long, drawn-out recruiting practices don’t really work for anyone, not the organisation who loses out on a talented and enthusiastic employee, or the professional looking for their chance to make an impact in their career. So, when it comes to the interview process, why not keep it simple?
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