Recruiting red flags: An employer’s guide to hiring in today’s shifting labor market
In today’s labor market, leaders must carefully balance protecting their business in the near term and creating success in the long term.
Amid heightened economic uncertainty, many companies are tightening their belts, resorting to job cuts and hiring freezes to create stability.
In today’s labor market, leaders must carefully balance protecting their business in the near term and creating success in the long term. For most companies, the current focus is financial discipline, but it is important to remember that the recruitment market always rebounds. To win the “war for talent,” organizations should use this time to plan and retool their recruitment strategies.
Recruiters and hiring managers should reevaluate and streamline their hiring processes to boost the attraction and retention of top talent. Here are four recruiting red flags that every employer should consider when reviewing their hiring strategy.
Don’t jettison risk mitigation practices to fill an empty seat
When recruiting, desperate times shouldn’t call for desperate measures. The last thing an employer should do is consider loosening certain safety precautions throughout the hiring process, such as extensive candidate screening and reference checks, to cut costs and expedite onboarding.
Employers that jettison risk mitigation practices risk hiring the wrong person for the job and, in the most severe cases, create unsafe workplaces and jeopardize their brand. Instead of minimizing or eliminating employment screening, employers should focus on removing inefficiencies from the recruitment process to reduce time-to-hire.
Recruiters are increasingly inundated with job applications. While employers gradually gain control in this high-stake job market, speed and agility remain essential to maintain a competitive advantage. Job seekers want faster response times, so how can employers shorten hiring time without compromising quality? For one, choose a background screening provider that prioritizes speed without sacrificing accuracy and compliance. From there, prioritize building a talent pipeline of pre-screened candidates, leverage professional networks for talent sourcing and focus on simplifying candidate communications.
Transparency is key to a successful recruiting process
Candidate information and resumes are easily falsified, so the interview process should be about finding a genuine fit, not searching for the most impressive resume. In fact, research indicates that 55% of U.S. workers lied on their resumes at least once. In addition, Google searches on how to fake a resume were up 48% last year, and those specifically related to manufacturing a job reference were up 52%. Employers should be aware of the warning signs of fake claims and have screening safeguards to protect a company from the risk of bad hires.
Candidates must establish trustworthiness early in the interview process. Recruiters have a responsibility to lead with transparency. Lack of transparency can promote distrust among candidates and hiring managers, leading to higher candidate dropout, increased employee turnover and unfavorable brand perception. Without information about company culture, salary, and benefits, candidates may form false expectations for the role, leading to job dissatisfaction and lower performance long term.
Transparency through open and regular communication will help job seekers feel engaged and valued throughout the hiring journey, setting the company and new hire up for success.
The diversity hiring disconnect
Beyond transparency, today’s job seekers want a strong commitment to diversity from employers, with a Glassdoor study indicating that nearly a third of candidates would not apply to a company that lacks inclusivity.
To attract and retain a diverse talent pipeline, companies must evaluate job descriptions and desired professional qualifications for open positions to ensure unbiased language. It is also essential to consider the accessibility of the virtual hiring process and avoid any barriers, such as language discrimination, that might create candidate fallout.
Beyond attracting diverse talent, the responsibility is on the company to remove bias from the hiring process. This includes managing informal “research” conducted by hiring managers or recruiters browsing candidate social media profiles, where a full spectrum of demographic information may be on full display or easy to discern. Instead, the organization should have a policy regarding social media screening and its use in the hiring process. To ensure effectiveness, it’s best to leave the social media screening to a third-party service to guard against the potential for unconscious bias.
By developing strong policies and procedures in the hiring process, recruiters and hiring managers can ensure they tap into the power of a diverse workforce, resulting in greater productivity, innovation, and growth.
Assess your recruitment technology tools
Many of today’s job seekers lack the patience for lengthy, complicated job applications. In fact, 54% of young workers won’t even complete a job application if recruitment methods are outdated.
Thus, to be competitive, employers must simplify the hiring process – for recruiters and candidates alike. This includes using robust applicant tracking systems (ATS), offering mobile-friendly candidate management options, and intelligent automation to handle screening, data collection and interview logistics. Beyond providing a more positive candidate experience, recruitment automation like ATS software reduces the administrative burden placed on hiring teams, helping them to better manage and screen the influx of candidates entering the job market.
The hiring process should yield valuable insights with efficient turnaround time for both the applicant and employer, allowing both sides to find the best fit.
Address recruiting red flags to prepare for the great talent revolution
Ninety-six percent of U.S. employees are looking for a new job in 2023, with Gen Z and Millennials leading the “resignation revolution.” To successfully attract and retain the right talent, employers cannot afford to provide anything but a positive candidate experience.
History has shown us that downturns and challenging times create winners who capitalize on opportunities for growth and improvement. Address your recruiting red flags now to ensure you’re maximizing your talent investments, so your business can thrive in the future.
Dan Shoemaker, Chief Revenue Officer at Accurate Background