Is Your Technical Recruiting Process Costing You Great Candidates

There is a common saying in sales: time kills every deal, and it is surely true in recruitment as well. A slow, long-winded recruitment process may see some good candidates slip between your fingers. At Synergycom, a leading staffing agency in Chicago, we understand that every company is different; therefore, before designing the hiring process, we understand business requirements. We go into detail about each step, such as HR interviews, team discussions, and technical rounds, to create a smooth and efficient hiring process for our clients.

A slow and complex hiring process not only frustrates skilled candidates but also increases the cost of hiring. Even small inefficiencies can make a big difference. So, if you are interested in making your hiring process effective to attract top talent, this article is for you. In this article, we will explore the common pitfalls in technical recruiting and will see how to fix them.



Impact of a Lengthy Hiring Process
With technical candidates, the hiring process can make a lot of difference. A slight delay in hiring can result in lost talent and increased recruitment costs. It damages the employer's reputation and leads to poor candidate experience. Here is a detailed analysis of how slow hiring negatively impacts your business.
Losing Top Talent to Competitors
A lengthy hiring process can result in losing top talent to competitors due to sheer frustrations of the candidates. For example, leading recruiting agencies Chicago may be looking at the same candidate profiles. And the one which offers a speedy hiring process to the candidate with the best offer may be the one for them.
Higher Hiring Costs
Another disadvantage of a lengthy hiring process is the higher hiring costs because more hiring time means multiple interviews, causing a significant financial burden on the company.
Negative Productivity
The longer the hiring process, the longer the vacant position, as a result, lower the team efficiency, consequently leading to delays in deliverables and financial strain on the organization.
Poor Candidate Experience
Longer waiting periods between interviews and joining can frustrate the candidates and lead them to share negative reviews about the company on various online platforms.
Things to Consider in the Technical Hiring Process
1. Candidates Are Okay with Technical Tests… But Keep Them Short

Candidates always understand that they need to do well in an assessment or a test during the hiring process. But this process becomes frustrating when it stretches for long cumbersome hours with multiple tests one after another.

While the hiring managers may assume long assessments may help them decide whether the candidate is the best fit for the job. But who knows, the entire process is what discourages the candidates from applying for the job and they might not even want to work for you anymore.

Short, skill-oriented tests should be administered to prevent candidates from losing interest. A well-structured test, indeed, efficient in time management, will help you assess the skills and keep the candidates engaged.

2. Candidates Expect Multiple Interviews… But Not Too Many
All the candidates know that the hiring process consists of multiple levels of interviews. There will typically be rounds including the HR, managers, and the management. A few steps are fine, but when it becomes too drawn out a process, that may pose a problem. Usually, it is not the number of interviews that becomes a problem. Instead, it is the time consumed during each round that worries the candidate. When the hiring process lasts more than three weeks, candidates can lose interest in the job or accept offers from other fast-moving companies. Therefore, the pro tip is to focus on your interview process and make decisions faster.
3. Candidates Expect Salary Negotiation… But Be Fair
While most candidates are open to discussing their salary, a lower offer than the industry standard can hurt your company's overall appeal. Candidates expect to be compensated based on their skills and experience. IT staffing companies may have a harder time handling negotiations as most businesses pay as per industry standards and this may make the competition a close call.

If your offer comes in much lower than expected, candidates may feel undervalued. This may reduce their excitement about the position, consequently leading to the rejection of the offer.

Therefore, salary negotiations should be fair and respectful to ensure a positive experience for the candidate.
Ways to Improve Your Technical Hiring Process
Hiring top technical talent is more than just posting a job opening; it's a process that involves the candidate and the business. Just like companies have many options, so do the candidates. Go online and search for the ‘leading staffing company Chicago’ ‘IT staffing companies nearby’ or for any location and you may find hundreds of companies. So, candidates too have their options. Here are a few questions that you must ask yourself to improve your technical hiring process.
1. Is Your Hiring Process Fast Enough?

If you take too long to hire someone, then there is an excellent chance that you will lose the best candidates. Further, if candidates aren’t contacted for more than two weeks after applying, they might likely accept another offer. Therefore, it is crucial to speed up your operation to avoid delays.

2. Do You Share Your Company Culture?
Hiring is a two-way process as candidates must also know if the company fits into their dream job category. Therefore, as a business owner, you must showcase your company culture at each step. Team exercises with real job situations, role-playing the customer, and using some decision-making exercises can help you hire the best talent. However, it takes time to set up such processes. So, ensure you have policies in place for such activities.
3. Do You Communication Well?
Giving prompt feedback always has a positive impact on the candidates. Various surveys show that candidates who receive feedback are 52% more likely to re-engage with the company. To avoid rejected candidates forgetting you, provide them with neutral feedback regarding their strengths and weaknesses. This approach builds a positive image of the company and allows those candidates to apply for jobs again in the same organization.
4. Are You Offering Value?
People want something more than just a paycheck. They want to grow in their careers. Companies that offer learning opportunities keep employees almost twice as long as companies that don't. Demonstrate to candidates that you are investing in their growth by providing some sort of learning resources on cold calling techniques or on overcoming sales objections to the person you are hiring for a sales representative. Even if they don't get into the job, they will remember your value added to their learning.


Conclusion

At Synergycom, we know that the right person at the right place can make or break your organization. Therefore, your hiring process must be quick and efficient. If you are hiring for a technical post, then avoid long assessments as it may make the eligible candidate lose interest in the job. One important conclusion that you can draw from this blog is that in today’s competitive world, speed matters. Further, you must focus on making your entire hiring process simple and straightforward. If this seems overwhelming, you can consult a local staffing firm. For example, for business in Illinois, you can work with a staffing firm in Chicago. These professional service providers can simplify your hiring and make it more efficient without compromising the quality. Let Synergycom help you optimize the hiring process to enable good returns.