There may be a tendency for your hiring managers, and even HR recruiting professionals, to take a more relaxed attitude toward the hiring process in view of the current state of the employment market and the fact that many people are out of work.
Thinking that they have more time to make decisions, employment recruiters and hiring managers may slow the timeline between initial screening, interviews, and finally, job offers for the perfect candidate. These practices, however, may backfire for them.
Job applicants who are currently employed may be more hesitant than ever to make a career or organizational change in this less stable international economy.
If HR professionals and hiring managers make promises regarding the length of the employment process, it is important to keep them if they wish to present a positive signal about how their organization values its human capital.
Practices to Follow
1. Create a timeline for the hiring process for each position, stick to it and communicate it to each job applicant.
2. If the process becomes slowed, communicate with all applicants to let them know why.
3. Provide salary range information and benefits information early in the hiring process so both parties know the bottom line up front.
4. Ask before you check references so as not to jeopardize someone’s current job.
5. Hire people only if you expect your organization’s employment situation to be stable in the near future.