Top Techniques to Source Better Candidates and Reduce Time to Hire | Guide 2023

Hiring new employees is one of the most important investments a company can make. Finding the right people that are a good culture fit and have the skills to excel in their roles is crucial for business success. However, the hiring process can be long and tedious for both recruiters and candidates. Sourcing quality applicants, screening resumes, conducting interviews, and making offers takes significant time and effort.

Fortunately, there are strategies recruiters can use to attract top talent faster and efficiently assess candidates to ensure they are the right fit. Here are some of the top techniques for sourcing better candidates and reducing time to hire:

Define the Ideal Candidate Profile

The first step is identifying the must-have skills, competencies, qualifications, and attributes for each open position. This creates a detailed candidate profile that recruiters can use as a benchmark to assess applicants. The profile should outline both hard skills from the job description as well as soft skills ideal for the company culture. Defining this upfront narrows the focus to finding candidates that closely match the profile.

List Target Companies and Tap Employee Referrals

Looking at competitors and industry leaders that likely have suitable talent is a productive way to source candidates. These target companies can be great places to post jobs and source applicant pools. Employee referrals are another efficient sourcing tactic, leveraging your own staff network’s connections to find qualified candidates that are already indirectly vetted. Referral bonuses can incentivize employees to suggest strong applicants.

Leverage Social Media and Forums

Social platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook are useful for sourcing candidates, allowing you to post openings and connect with relevant talent. Joining industry-specific forums and groups can expose you to qualified, engaged professionals in your field. You can participate in discussions and connect with group members to build relationships and tap new talent pools.

Partner with Schools and Alumni Networks

Building partnerships with schools, universities, trade programs, and alumni networks opens up pipelines for accessing emerging talent or experienced alumni. Attend career fairs, host student outreach events, or offer internships to connect with up-and-coming candidates. Alumni networks are great resources for finding experienced candidates who are already familiar with the industry or field.

Automate Early Screening with Questionnaires

Manually screening a flood of resumes is time consuming. Using questionnaires to automate initial screening helps narrow the field to the most qualified applicants. Online forms with key questions about skills, experience, availability, etc can be used to filter candidates that don’t meet must-have criteria. This makes the manual shortlisting process much easier.

Conduct Structured Interviews

Unstructured interviews are often ineffective for assessing candidates. Structured interviews using consistent questions and scoring for all applicants saves time and minimizes bias. Develop a rubric for scoring responses and evaluating cultural fit. Consistently applying a structured process makes it easier to compare candidates.

Standardize the Interview Process

Similarly, a standardized interview workflow ensures all candidates have a similar experience. Send interview invitations and schedules through automation software. Use consistent job interview templates and question banks for each role. Standardizing as many elements as possible reduces manual effort for recruiters.

Reduce Time-to-Hire with Tracking Software

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are invaluable for reducing hiring timelines. Centralized dashboards to track applicants through all stages, automate messaging, and manage documents cuts down on manual tasks. Integrations with job boards and background check providers also minimize touch points. Robust tracking software provides visibility into bottlenecks so recruiters can continue optimizing.

Prioritize User Experience

Every touchpoint for candidates should be a positive brand experience. Ensure your careers site provides a great mobile experience with quick and easy job search and application. Communication should be friendly and timely. Application, interview and offer processes should be seamless and organized. Top talent is attracted to organizations that value their time with an efficient, thoughtful process.

Highlight Company Culture

Today’s candidates, especially younger talent, prioritize company culture fit. Showcasing culture and values across platforms like your careers site and social media emphasizes the employee experience. Current employee testimonials and photos reinforce what your work environment is really like. Highlighting culture attracts candidates that see themselves thriving and aligns expectations.

Lean on Data-Driven Hiring Tools

Data-driven tools based on research and predictive analytics can streamline hiring and improve outcomes. AI-enabled skills testing assesses candidates objectively. Behavioral and personality assessments evaluate culture fit. Chatbot recruiting provides personalized, 24/7 candidate support. Built-in data and analytics enable you to continuously refine your hiring process.

Invest in the Candidate Experience

Reduce offer declinations by investing in the candidate experience all the way through onboarding. Speedy responses, regular updates, and transparency about timelines improves perception. Keeping candidates warm with relevant content builds rapport. Ensure the offer and negotiation process is smooth and personalized. A great onboarding experience starts the employee relationship strong.

Prioritizing efficient, candidate-focused hiring techniques allows companies to source, screen, and secure top talent faster. Leveraging employee networks, social platforms, automation, and data-driven tools minimizes the manual effort traditionally required. Standardizing and enhancing processes improves the experience for candidates, recruiters, and hiring managers alike. With these best practices, organizations can build effective teams and stay competitive.

Tips

Here are some additional tips for sourcing better candidates and reducing time to hire, along with 10 common FAQs:

• Use boolean search strings on resume databases to find candidates with an exact skillset or background. This allows you to filter potential candidates efficiently.
• Try more unique places to post jobs beyond the major boards, like niche sites for certain roles, Reddit, StackOverflow, university pages, etc.
• Contact candidates you previously interviewed but didn't hire. They may be a better fit for a new opening or refer someone new.
• Automate screening tasks like scheduling interviews and sending rejection emails to decrease recruiter workload.
• Gamify the process by rewarding employees for referrals that get hired. Offer gift cards or credits for company swag.
• Track and measure metrics like time-to-hire, cost per hire, source of hire, and offer acceptance rates. Identify ways to continuously improve.

FAQs

Q: What are the best job boards to post openings on? 

A: Some of the top job boards are Indeed, LinkedIn, Monster, Glassdoor, AngelList, and local or niche sites for your industry.

Q: How can I make sure candidates see my job postings? 

A: Optimize with relevant keywords that candidates are likely searching for. Share posts on social media. Ask current employees to share with their networks.

Q: What screening questions should I ask candidates? 

A: Ask about availability, salary requirements, legal authorization to work, key skills/experiences, and openness to travel or relocation if required.

Q: How can I stand out from other employers during the hiring process? 

A: Be responsive, provide regular updates, highlight culture and values, show you value their time, and personalize the experience.

Q: Should I use automated recruiting software? 

A: Yes, automating repetitive tasks like scheduling, screening, and messaging significantly reduces recruiter workload.

Q: What makes a strong interview structure?

A: Consistent questions, defined scoring rubrics, including skills assessments, asking about culture fit, and interviews with multiple team members.

Q: How long should it take to fill an open position? 

A: Industry benchmarks range from 36-45 days on average from start to offer acceptance. Set a target timeline for your organization.

Q: How can I get insight into why candidates reject job offers? 

A: Ask for feedback on the process and learn why they declined. Look for any consistent sticking points to improve.

Q: What makes job offers most appealing to candidates? 

A: Competitive pay and benefits, bonuses and perks, strong culture, development opportunities, and flexibility.

Q: How do I effectively evaluate candidates? 

A: Use a structured process, standardized rubric, and input from multiple interviewers to minimize bias.