5 Hiring Trends Your Organization Should Consider

In the modern war for talent, the best candidates are off the market in an average of 8 days. While industry type, brand reputation, job culture, and a variety of other factors go into determining which organizations are most successful in attracting highly-skilled job seekers, recruiters and hiring managers don’t have to leave anything up to chance.

Here are five hiring trends your organization should consider to make their hiring process more efficient and engaging, and more likely to attract top talent.

Make Job Descriptions More Specific

Job candidates appreciate vivid job descriptions that give a clear idea of their role in an organization. Telling a candidate for a content marketing role that they can expect to “coordinate with other team members on campaigns” may be accurate, but specifying they will “work with a personal mentor (the senior writer) to create a variety of copy across the marketing funnel for a holiday-themed campaign in Q4” is that much more specific and readily implies the opportunity for one-on-one growth. In addition, organizations should include some salient points on job perks and work culture in the posting.

Don’t Waste Time being Disorganized

Considering how quickly the hiring process occurs from the first touch points to the official offer, outdated and inefficient processes must be eliminated. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) can be quite expensive, but are generally worth it for large businesses and enterprises that are consistently looking for new employees. Smaller companies don’t necessarily need sophisticated software, but it could be helpful in running efficiently. Often, the hiring process is prolonged by miscommunication between the hiring team, which can include a variety of people across the organization. Simply knowing where each candidate is in the process can save a lot of time and frustration. Utilizing shared documents or spreadsheets to track the candidates will help everyone stay on the page.

Pay for the Job, not the Person

Underpaying or overpaying a candidate based on their qualifications can lead to challenges in regards to fair pay. Organizations should identify the exact job requirements, price the role according to what’s externally competitive and internally equitable, and make minor adjustments based on the candidate’s profile. Through this meticulous approach, organizations can avoid a pay compression scenario in which employees are earning disproportionately more or less than their co-workers in the same pay structure. It is ethical and strategically prudent for organizations to be laser-focused on equitable pay in the war for talent.

Consider Discussing Compensation Earlier in the Process

In most cases, salary isn’t discussed until the very end of the interview. But if an organization is consistent in paying for the role and not the person, it may be worth presenting a salary range or even asking a candidate what their expected salary range is early on in the process, such as in a phone screening. By doing this, organizations can firmly communicate their parameters early on in a way that is firm and respectful to the candidate’s time. There is already precedent for this in some professions, such as sales-based roles that have a hard salary with a bonus or commission opportunity plan. However, asking about a candidate’s current salary is a trend on its way out. And, it’s important to be aware of laws banning the salary question in some states and local municipalities, further prompting organizations to rely on internal and external metrics to ensure fair pay.

Multiple Interviews Must Go Away

When going through the hiring process for senior roles, it may be necessary to have candidates come in for second and third interviews or have more interaction with members of senior leadership. But, in general, follow-up interviews are unnecessarily time- and resource-consuming for job seekers and HR alike. By focusing so much on interviews, organizations may not be giving themselves a chance to showcase a good culture. At a baseline, giving a tour, discussing on-the-job perks, and plugging social opportunities will likely be a better use of your time.