Optimizing the Hiring Process Timeline to Get the Best Candidates

The best candidates only stay available for 10 days before getting hired.

Don’t let the perfect candidate become “the one that got away”. In recruitment, time is always of the essence. Any delay in your hiring process timeline could result in losing top talents and letting them slip into the hands of the competitors.

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If not going to the dark side (aka being employed by competitors), Robert Half's research stated that 57% of job seekers lose interest themselves if the recruitment process took too long. One week is acceptable, but beyond that would be considered otherwise.

Avoid this conundrum by establishing a reasonable schedule based on facts and reliable data.

What’s the average hiring process timeline? 

According to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), the average time-to-fill is 42 days. Other studies argue that it’s only 27 days. Regardless, it’s important that you keep it to a minimum if you want to reach the best candidates first.

However, it’s not one shoe fits all. Time-to-fill varies because different industries require different hiring approaches. Here are some factors to consider when fixing your timeline:

• Organization size
• Competitive market preposition
• Number of positions needed
• Job Level
• Involved party in the hiring process

Tips on establishing the hiring process timeline

1. Send offer letter a week after the interview

Spark Hire surveyed 500 talent acquisition professions in the US. 49% of the respondents said that 7 to 14 days from receiving a candidate’s job application to sending them an offer letter is the standard. Avoid going beyond that to retain the interest of your ideal applicant.

2. Optimize your time-to-fill within 30 days

70% of organizations worldwide take 1 to 4 months for their time-to-fill. Be one of the 30% of companies that can fill a position within 30 days to stand out in the market. Not only will you acquire the best candidates, but you will also increase your employer branding, too!

3. Speed Up the Process

The hiring process timeline varies from company to company, but it’s possible to speed up the entire length of the time-to-fill. Here are some strategies on how:

• Do pre-employment tests

Do the screening even before they show up for the interview. Give a pre-employment test to weed out the competition. It will help you lessen the time-to-fill and decision-making if you would only focus on the best of the best.

• Simplify the application process

As much as possible, make the application process simple. You can do so without compromising on details through Manatal. With its free career page creation, you can fully customize the job page to your liking-- giving both your company and the candidate the convenience of filling out forms with just a few clicks.

• Post job ads on various channels

Get a wider reach by tapping various channels. It’s possible to do this easily using Manatal because you can post your job ads automatically across multiple channels. It also saves you time as all incoming applications will be funneled into a centralized platform. No need to manually check different websites one by one!

• Structure Interviews

Prepare your interview ahead of time and tailor it based on the job industry. It will help you get to know the candidate’s knowledge and expertise better by structuring an assessment based on the specific job role. Be sure to take note using the Applicant Tracking System of Manatal, too. That way, you won’t forget any details as you go over the hiring decision.

• Leverage reports and analytics

Manatal provides in-depth reports and analytics that you can leverage to modify your hiring strategy. The software gives insight on various recruitment metrics like time-to-hire, time-to-fill, and many more. Study these data, so you can take necessary actions to optimize your hiring process timeline better.

It’s easy to spot a top-quality candidate from the get-go. Just be sure to arrange your hiring process timeline properly with the right strategy and tools using your recruitment software.

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