Hiring Sucks! Here are 7 Ways to Make It Better for You and Candidates

Hiring sucks. From attracting to retaining, it can be a difficult process for you and your candidates.

Why? Everyone wants to win, and despite the overused phrase, there are very few actual “win-win” situations in business.

You want to get the best people to make an impact as quickly as possible. The best people want to get paid lots of money, love their job and never get stressed.

Ideal, but not easy.

Employers are hiring: The most recent data from the Bureau of Labor shows hiring is up while job openings remain the same.

But the struggle to hire is real: 75% of employers say they find it difficult to fill job vacancies, according to research from Manpower.

And job candidates are having difficulties, too: Nearly half in a ResumeGenius report say job searching has negatively affected their mental well-being.

If Hiring Sucks, Reputation is at Risk

What’s more, if you don’t orchestrate an impressive hiring process, you might lose out on ideal candidates: More than a quarter of job seekers declined a job offer because they had poor experiences in the recruiting process, according to a report from CareerPlug.

And when word gets out on something like that, employers will likely see an even smaller pool of future applicants.

But, “by treating all candidates fairly and professionally, hiring managers can help shape the way they think about the company, even if they were not a good fit for the role,” says Rebecca Ray, Executive Vice President, Human Capital at The Conference Board.

That’s a start. And here are seven more ways to make sure your hiring process doesn’t suck.

1. Ditch the Degrees

More than 70% of job candidates apply for jobs they’re interested in. Just about 55% apply for jobs they’re qualified for.

“This means that those who do not have the formal education required by many companies may not apply for a position, even if they gained the necessary skills and experience through other means,” says Robin Erickson, Vice President, Human Capital at The Conference Board. “To increase the pool of qualified candidates and find the best fit for a role … remove degree requirements from job descriptions when they are not necessary.”

Some experts suggest looking for candidates with about 75% of the skills, knowing they’ll be able to pick up the other skills.

2. Broaden the Range

Invite candidates to apply for one or many roles — even those you aren’t necessarily hiring for but don’t post ghost jobs. Then consider candidates for multiple roles when they have a lot of overlapping skills.

When you broaden the range, candidates and you will become more aligned for more, maybe better, possibilities.

3. Condense the Job

Rather than hire for full-time, long-term positions, offer more short-term paid projects, apprenticeships and internships.

This can help you reach a new candidate pool — people who aren’t immediately interested in long-term work. Then you and potential employees can figure out if it’s a good fit before committing to a full-time hire.

4. Open an Alumni Network

Call on former employees to speed up the hiring and onboarding process. Stay in touch with and reach out to alumni with valuable institutional knowledge to come back.

Or, if they aren’t interested in a return, ask them to recommend other people or hiring channels to recruit candidates.

5. Broaden Your Scope

Find new candidates in hidden populations.

• Retirees: Many retirees want to unretire. Post jobs at senior community and living centers and churches. Make it easier for them to apply, eliminating some of the online assessments and applications.
• Previously incarcerated workers. Many organizations make second-chance hiring easier to facilitate nowadays.
• Neurodiverse. The neurodiverse population in increasingly interested in work and gaining skills to contribute significantly to employers.

6. Get More Social

Keep a closer eye on social media platforms to find new talent. You want to watch out for layoff lists and posts about job upheavals.

Sure, that’s not pleasant news and may seem predatory, but it’s a quick way to find candidates who are likely eager and open to the hiring process.

7. Partner in Your Community

Get involved with educational and local institutions, such as community colleges, job centers and vocational schools.

Work with them to create or tailor curriculum, experiences and opportunities to build a talent pipeline that leads to your workplace. This way, you can streamline some of the process as you get familiar with candidates as they come through your programs. Same goes for them: They see and experience what it might be like working for you.