Hiring workers is one of the biggest issues many employers are facing today. Employers across all industries are having a difficult time finding and hiring workers at the same time they need to hire faster to keep pace in today’s competitive environment.

Not only are there more jobs than workers, but it is more difficult than ever to retain employees once they’re hired. A good percentage of employees are either quitting their jobs or actively searching for new positions, leading many to dub this period as the “Great Resignation.”

Quit rates are higher than ever with 3.6 million Americans resigning in May alone. Gallup recently found that 48% of America’s working population is actively job searching or watching for other opportunities. It’s more important than ever that employers make their hiring process not only stand out from the competition but get to the right prospect and complete the hiring process faster than their competition.

How Bad Hires Cost You

Disengaged employees are expensive. Research shows lost productivity from employees who are not engaged or are actively disengaged is equal to 18% of their annual salary. If a company has 10,000 employees earning an average salary $50,000, disengagement costs $60.3 million a year. Hiring the right employee from the start is essential to building a strong, engaged team.

How to Hire Faster and Better

There are two commonly overlooked tricks when it comes to hiring new employees: having a strong brand and simplify the application process.

Have a Strong Brand

Your brand makes the first impression and if it’s weak, it won’t attract top talent and you won’t be able to hire faster than you do now. An employer brand includes the market’s perception of your company–your reputation–and represents your promise to employees in exchange for their experience, talents, contacts or skills, according to LinkedIn.

Employer brand is often tied to company culture and having a positive brand is critical to attracting the right employees. Company culture is the environment in which your employees work and how the company operates. It includes your mission, goals, core values and policies. Younger employees are especially focused on a company’s purpose and its approach to environmental and social issues.

You want your brand to highlight a positive culture, demonstrating that your company is a great place to work.

Use your website to post information about your company’s vision, values and culture. Honestly highlight the great experiences of current employees. Include photos that represent a cross-section of your workforce.

Be aware of the messaging you may be sending inadvertently. Candidates can get turned off and feel like they might not belong if they only see one type of employee. This can send a message about who your ideal employee is, even if that’s not the reality.

It’s important to monitor what people are saying about your company on job board sites. Take note of negative comments and make adjustments where you can to earn more positive reviews.

 

Simplify the Application Process

It may seem obvious, to hire faster you need an easy application process. Simplifying the process increases the chances that candidates will actually complete it. That’s a big deal because some studies put the application abandonment rate at more than 90%. Lengthy applications that aren’t mobile-friendly or are still on paper are like roadblocks for candidates. And if you can’t get candidates to apply, you can’t hire new workers. Even worse, potential talent may end up being redirected to employers with a better platform or process.

Two quick steps to simplify and improve your application process:

  1. Make sure your recruiting platform is mobile-enabled
  2. Only ask relevant screening questions. You can ask probing questions in the interview.

It is estimated that there are 298 million mobile phone users in the US and many of them use their phones to apply for jobs. According to Glassdoor, 58% of its users look for jobs on their phones, with mid-career workers (35-44 years old) and blue-collar job seekers being the most likely to do so. Your applicant tracking system (ATS) must have mobile capabilities to reach these workers.

Keeping your application short and to the point, while still gleaning all the necessary information, will not only encourage candidates to complete the process but also eliminate those candidates who don’t meet minimum qualifications. This is especially helpful for organizations that must meet Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance (EEOC) and track each submitted application. An ATS can set parameters so if a candidate can’t meet minimum qualifications for the position, they can’t move forward in the process.

Technology separates a bad recruiting experience from a great one. The right ATS can make all the difference when you need to hire faster while avoiding mistakes. An ATS can:

  • Streamline the application process including offering mobile access.
  • Build and maintain a searchable applicant pool.
  • Distribute job openings to multiple channels to reach more people.
  • Automate communication with active and pool candidates using AI technology.

how to hire fasterFor more tips, download the eBook Don’t Lose Out on Top Talent: 5 Recruiting Missteps Companies Made When Looking to Hire.