Unlocking Success: A hiring process with retention in mind
/A key component to a successful hire is a thoughtful Recruiting Strategy and Hiring Process. We find many of the small and medium-sized clients we speak with have not defined their hiring process. This lack of strategy hinders a growing business and often results in turnover and frustration. Industries studies on hiring cite new hire fail rates between 25 to 50% in the first year to 18 months. While there are many aspects to employee retention, the science of retaining employees is consistently linked to a combination of a strong hiring & onboarding process.
For more information on onboarding, see our blog: Onboarding Tips from Red Seat
In thinking about how your Hiring Process can lead to employee retention, here are three ideas to get you started &/or to improve on your current foundation:
1. If you don’t have an Employment Brand, this is a key pillar of both a Recruiting Strategy and Hiring process. An Employment Brand is how you communicate the particular reasons why your employees think your company is a great place to work. Used in recruitment, an Employment Brand drives your messaging to candidates and is the springboard to infusing your company’s WHY everywhere from your career page to driving social media posts about your employees. In hiring, an Employment Brand guides the narrative of an interview and drives home to candidates WHY each person the candidate interviews loves your company. An authentic employment brand communicated to team members and embedded in the hiring process is a powerful tool to attract (and retain) employees.
2. When hiring for a new or replacement position, always thoroughly review the role and the must-haves in a candidate. Engage key players on your team and discuss the open position. What is the job? What does success look like? If you have had someone in that role, what traits, or behaviors contributed or detracted from their success in the position? What are you looking for in a candidate to meld well with your company’s culture? Spending time upfront defining the position, skills, behaviors, and culture match will assist you and the hiring team in everything from writing an accurate and compelling help wanted ad, to developing and conducting insightful interviews.
3. Is your hiring process a Clown Show? Hints that your hiring process needs revision are lack of employment applications, candidates not responding to your outreach, interview no-shows, candidates dropping out after interviews, and rejected offers. The tightrope act in today’s tight hiring market is a hiring process that moves quickly and gathers the information you need to make an informed decision. How soon after applying are you contacting candidates? How soon are you getting candidates in for interviews? How many interviews are there before making an offer? Do candidates have written instructions on where to go for interviews and who they are meeting with? Are your interviewers trained on how to develop and conduct relevant interviews? Do you have a process for extending offers and communicating with new hires before they start? These details may seem mundane but each step in the hiring process affects a candidate’s interest in the position, the relevance of the information you gather, and ultimately your success in securing the top candidate you want to hire.
Investing time in creating a hiring process designed for retention is crucial for business. If you're ready to elevate your recruitment efforts and enjoy the benefits of a great strategy and process, we invite you to reach out to us. Whether you're seeking guidance in crafting a tailored hiring process, want to explore ways to enhance your recruitment strategy, or are interested in a partner to manage your hiring & recruitment needs efficiently, the team at Red Seat is here to help.
Let's collaborate to create a hiring strategy that drives exceptional results for your business. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can support your hiring goals.
Contact the team at Red Seat for expert assistance in recruiting and hiring the best-fit candidates for your business.
