Take your time to hire – even if you’re in a hurry

Time To Hire: Why you should always take your time to hire the right person

Time To Hire:

We’ve always said that if you’re really focused you can go from job spec to starting day in a couple of months. But, if you rush the process too much you might miss out on the right candidate. And we’ve also said, many times, that getting the right person in the right job is the single most important thing in recruitment – even when you’re in a hurry.

Why Taking Your Time To Hire Is Necessary

Without meaning to sound too ‘preachy’ – it’s not all about you. The people you want to interview need to find time in their busy lives as well. And while there’s certainly an element of ‘if they’re serious, they’ll make time’, if your candidates are in senior positions, or travelling, that’s not always possible.

We also need to face the fact that in 2016, it’s no longer an employers’ market. The unemployment rate in the latter part of 2015 fell to 5.4%, the lowest since 2008. Candidates can afford to take their time and not accept the first job offer than comes along.

Recruitment from a candidate’s perspective.

Candidates need to take time off to attend an interview. If they have other commitments already on that day, then rearranging is not unreasonable.
During the interview, be clear about the process. Tell the candidate how long it will take and when they can expect to hear back from you. .
Keep your promises. If you’ve said you’d get back within a week, make sure you do. Otherwise the candidate will assume you’ve offered the position to someone else and might accept another job. (Incidentally, four days after an interview is considered plenty of time for you to respond).
Candidates need to work their notice. ‘Can you start next week?’ is not likely. Most people have to give a month’s notice of their resignation, senior managers often need to give 3 months.

It’s worth taking your time to hire

Ensure your process allows the candidate time to reschedule interviews if necessary. Remember, you are pitching your company to them just as much as they are to you. Being reasonable and understanding may just tip the balance in your favour if you find yourself with the perfect candidate who might just go elsewhere..

Make sure you hire right, every time.

At Gotcha, we help businesses find the right person for the job. However, not all businesses are ready to outsource their recruitment right now. To help those who want to do it themselves, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to recruitment. It walks you through the recruitment steps, tells you what NOT to do and what you MUST do.