How to alleviate the pressure of time-to-hire metrics

06 Dec, 2016

Time-to-hire has long been a big issue in the recruitment industry, and according to a 2015 report from Glassdoor, it's only increasing. On average, the interview process now takes close to 23 days, which is almost four days longer than it took in 2009. As a result, recruiters are facing growing duress to combat time-to-hire metrics and provide staffing solutions for their clients more quickly. So what can they do to help?

Quantity pressure in a game of quality

Often times a vacancy leaves a concerning gap in a business's workforce. It can disrupt the company's operations, limit its productivity and generally inhibit its performance, so it's no wonder that many employers want to fill positions as quickly as possible. However, rushing the recruitment process can do more harm than good, and presents a significant problem for recruiters.

Fast Company reports that companies can pay big for hiring the wrong employee, experiencing measurable losses due to a combination of factors including time and money lost to training, as well as a negative impact on the morale of the workforce. CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson says that the effects can stretch across the entire organisation. 

"When you add up missed sales opportunities, strained client and employee relations, potential legal issues and resources to hire and train candidates, the cost can be considerable. Employers are taking longer to extend offers post-recession as they assess whether a candidate really is the best fit for the job and their company culture," he said.

A bad hire can have significant consequences for an organisation.

Addressing time-to-hire challenges

Consequently, it's essential for recruiters to ensure they always facilitate the best hires possible in order to maintain their reputation and the confidence of their clients. But how can they manage the growing time-to-hire without cutting corners? The key could be to focus on what recruiters naturally do best – building relationships. While hiring great talent can be a lengthy process, you can make this easier by giving your clients a good experience and ensuring they get the best possible result. As talent management resource Fistful of Talent points out, relationships take time and energy, and it's important to use that time to really get to know candidates and ensure they're the best possible fit. 

By utilising a recruitment software solution, recruiters can minimise the time they spend on admin and dedicate more energy to the tasks only they can do – actual recruiting such as screening and interview candidates. To find out more about how Recruitment Systems can help you improve your time-to-hire without compromising good outcomes for your clients, get in touch with us today.