2024-07-09
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Life at Cleo

Speeding Up the Hiring Process

Why it’s a win-win for everyone.

Making Hiring Speedy
IN THIS ARTICLE:

Forget Top Gun, the real need for speed is in effective hiring processes. These are crucial for both employees and employers, as a slow process can lead to a loss of great talent, increased costs, and a negative impression on potential new hires.

Here at Cleo, we ensure our processes are short, sweet, and impactful. The key to success in that is all in the preparation!

The foundation of a fast and effective hiring process is thorough preparation. By investing time upfront to define job roles, streamline workflows, and ensure the appropriate people are doing the assessments, you set the stage for a seamless hiring experience.

Kick off, iterate, and kick off again

At Cleo, we hold a kick-off meeting and then, a few days later, a calibration session. This ensures that not only do we have the right people assessing the right things, but we’re all on the same page about what we’re looking for. 

Efficient collaboration ensures that all stakeholders involved in the hiring process are aligned and have clear roles.

Part of that is working with both the hiring manager and the wider interviewing pool on creating a hiring timeline

Establishing a timeline with specific milestones and deadlines for each stage of the hiring process ensures that everyone involved is aware of the expectations and can plan their already busy days accordingly.

Data is king, or queen, or whatever it wants to be. What isn’t up for debate is that data is important, and your hiring processes aren’t exempt from this rule. 

One of our core values at Cleo is to iterate with data, and this applies to streamlining interview processes too. Regular checks of stats, such as pass-through rates or overly positive or negative scorecards from your interviews, may reveal weaknesses in your process.

 If ignored, this can lead to lack of signals at the final stage and potentially having to add additional steps or, even worse, restart your process. Use the data to your advantage; if something isn’t working, fix it fast.

Work with your hiring managers

With the necessary training on interviewing, an ironclad spec that you’ve worked on together, and a clear understanding of what is required from this hire ahead of time, well-prepared managers can make quicker, more informed decisions. 

There is nothing worse for a Talent Partner who has found the perfect candidate than to be met with, “They’re great, but can I see some comparisons just in case?” The same goes for interview questions and scoring rubrics. 

This preparation enables interviewers to conduct assessments efficiently and consistently Use a standardised set of questions for interviews to ensure consistency and fairness. This approach speeds up decision-making and makes it easier to compare candidates objectively.

So what are these “so-called” benefits?

Attracting Top Talent: High-quality candidates are hard to come by and in high demand. Here at Cleo, we do our absolute best to make interviewing as streamlined as possible, with only the necessary people involved at each stage. (Our record from screening to hire is 5 days!)

Reducing Cost: Have you ever sat down and worked out the cost of time spent interviewing that doesn’t result in a hire? It’s terrifying and consumes a huge portion of your team's time. With a more streamlined approach and the right people in the room looking for the right things the first time around, you save money too.

Boosting Productivity: Nothing disrupts a mid-morning focus session like an interview! With a streamlined process, fewer stages, and only the appropriate people in the room, you waste less time, minimise disruptions, and maintain momentum.

Enhancing Candidate Experience: A swift and efficient hiring process leaves a positive impression on candidates, reflecting well on the brand and increasing the likelihood of accepting offers. At Cleo, our average time to offer is less than 20 days!

So, there you have it. Speeding up the hiring process is not just about moving faster; it’s about being smarter. By focusing on preparation and streamlining each step, everyone can enjoy the benefits of attracting top talent, reducing costs, and enhancing overall productivity.

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