How to Navigate the 7 Recruitment Stages

Research has found that the average recruiting timeline and process take about 23.7 days .

However, in a competitive market during the Great Resignation, many companies found that they needed to have a more efficient timeline to grab top talent before they were off the market. 

One way to do that is by analyzing all of the stages of recruitment and identifying where you can improve your recruitment and selection process. Keep reading to determine which stage you need to modify. 

1. Understanding Needs of Job

The first stage of a strong recruitment process is researching and understanding all the requirements and information needed for an open position. It would be best if you talked with the hiring managers and other HR team members to figure out the expectations and requirements of the position to convey them in the job description and interviews.

This stage is perhaps one of the most critical stages of the hiring process. If you don’t get the details or requirements right, you might not find the perfect candidate for the position. 

To make sure that you’re on the right track in this first stage, determine three main factors for the job:

• Experience
• Education
• Qualifications

When you identify those requirements, you can write the job description. You need to ensure that this is accurate so that you can attract the candidate that you need. 

You’ll include factors like: 

• Company name
• Type of job
• Job title
• Job duties
• Number of open positions
• Employment status (full-time vs. part-time)
• Specific skills required
• Experience
• Education
• Benefits
• Salary structure

The job description is the first thing an applicant will see, so have a polished version before you publish it. So you should write the job description carefully with all the accurate information. The other stages of the whole recruitment life cycle process will be fruitful because this will attract the right candidates for the position.

2. Start Searching for Candidates

Now that you have a plan and a strategy for recruiting for a job, you’ll need to start sourcing candidates.

You should already have a good sourcing strategy in place, and then you can follow the step of that strategy.

In general, many recruiters will start by posting an ad on a job board and wait for candidates to apply. However, you’ll also need to be creative and source candidates from other sources. 

Because on job boards, most qualified applicants are active job seekers. However, 70%  of global job candidates are passive. That’s when you should turn to sources like an AI tool that will search all kinds of profiles to find the ideal candidate for your new position. 

You may also want to turn to your talent pipeline, social media sites like LinkedIn or TikTok, and other networking events like job fairs.

3. Recruit Applicants

When you start searching for suitable candidates, you’ll also need to convince them that this is a job that they should apply to. One way to do that is by focusing on employer branding. 

92% of candidates  said they would consider taking a new position if the company had an excellent reputation. In addition to that, having good employer branding can reduce your cost per hire by 50% because it’s easier to convince potential candidates to work at your company. 

Candidates will also research your company before applying or interviewing. They’ll check review sites like Glassdoor to see what other employees have said about what it’s like to work at your company. So you should continuously be monitoring your employer branding and take action if it starts taking a negative turn. 

4. Screen Candidates

Once you finally have applicants interested in the position, you’ll need to start your screening process. This is the stage where you start narrowing down applicants.

Find a handful of applicants you think would be an excellent fit for this position and then ask them to do a quick fifteen or half-hour interview or phone call. 

A screening interview can make your interview process a bit lengthy, but it will help you figure out who is telling the truth on your resume. You can also use this time to talk to a candidate and learn about their soft skills and the story that their resume can’t tell.

Use this stage to send the most qualified applicants to talk to the hiring manager. 

5. Interview Process

Next, you can start focusing on your interview process. This typically begins after you have a screening phone call, and this stage needs to be done as quickly as possible. 

You’ll want to avoid taking too long in the interview process because most great candidates are only on the market for about ten days  before another company offers them a position.

You can eliminate time during this stage by using an automated system to schedule interviews. This will eliminate time spent asking when candidates are available for interviews. This way, the candidate will pick the time that works best for them.

You should try and offer some slots during lunchtime or outside of regular working hours. This availability will allow candidates who already have a job to interview, which means recruiting top talent. 

6. Hiring

After the interview process, you’ll be able to start making decisions about the final candidate for a job. You probably have an idea of which candidate would be a great fit, and now you need to talk with other departments and the hiring manager to come to a decision.

When you finally decide on a candidate, reach out to them and give them the official job offer. 

When you send your job offer, ensure that you include the working hours, benefits, salary, schedule, and onboarding paperwork. 

Many applicants might come back and try to negotiate with you, so you’ll need to figure out what you’re willing to negotiate and non-negotiable.

Once the applicant accepts the job offer and all of the terms, you’ll need to let the other candidates know that they didn’t cut. Some recruiters might be tempted not to let the candidates know, but you should send them a quick email and give them feedback on why they didn’t receive the job offer.

Doing this might seem like extra work, but if they were a great candidate, they could be a great addition to your talent pool. They may be a fit for a new position later on down the road, so try and foster that relationship. 

7. Onboarding

Onboarding is the last stage of this process, but some recruiters might be tempted to ignore this stage.

However, onboarding is essential to ensuring that this hired candidate has a successful career at the company. This will be the company’s first impression, and it can either assure them that this is an excellent place to work.

You can start by giving them a tour of the company, introducing them to their coworkers and other department managers, and ensuring that they have all the equipment and necessary access to systems they’ll need to do their job.

HR plays an essential role in creating the company’s culture, so this is why recruiters must sit down with the new hires, answer any questions, and relieve any concerns the new hire has.

If you don’t, the candidate may quit, and you’ll have to start this process all over again.

Augment Your Internal Recruitment Stages

These are the most crucial recruitment stages in every company’s process, but some recruiters still struggle with different stages.

Do you struggle with good sourcing candidates? Recruiter.com has an AI software tool that will find ideal candidates that you can reach out to for a job opening.

Do you struggle with having enough staffing to recruit great candidates? We have recruiters that you can hire on a monthly basis. 

Regardless of what help you need, we have you covered. Contact us today to figure out which solution will work best for your recruiting process.

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