No talent acquisition (TA) professional sets out to make a subpar hire, especially when a poor hiring decision is costly. Yet, when sitting down with prospective hires, most recruiters resort to the traditional interview process, which consists mainly of behavioral questions. More often than not, this approach barely scratches the surface and fails to reveal useful information about a candidate’s competencies. 

Wouldn’t it be better to immerse job candidates in unconventional scenarios to gather key insights into their technical skills, interpersonal abilities, critical thinking, and tech savviness?  

In this article, you’ll discover the missteps in the traditional interview process and how to optimize your approach for better hires. You’ll hear from Geva Whyte, a Recruiting Coordinator with experience at Lyft, Stripe, and OpenAI, who will offer his perspectives on important factors most recruiters overlook.

Understanding the interview process

Before going into detail, you want to understand the process of screening candidates from a larger pool. Typically, it’s a multistep practice that entails: 

1. Intake call: The TA professionals and the hiring manager (or department lead) meet to establish the foundations for the recruiting process. The focus of the intake meeting is on the role requirements, responsibilities, must-have qualifications, salary expectations, and deadlines.
2. Sourcing: After clarifying the hiring needs, the recruitment team searches for candidates through job postings, career sites, social media, and networking.
3. Candidate screening: Then, the hiring team screens candidates to evaluate basic qualifications, skills, experience, and interest in the role.
4. Scheduling interviews: Once qualified candidates pass the initial screening, the TA pros schedule an interview. The team communicates expectations about the interview process, including whom the candidate will meet, what to prepare, and any technical assessments the candidate must complete.
5. Interview rounds: Interviewers then execute rounds of interviews to assess how candidates handle certain situations. They can administer tests to evaluate knowledge and skills and check whether the candidate fits well within the company culture, team dynamics, and work environment.
6. Post-interview debrief: After completing the interview, the TA team gathers feedback from all interviewers and scores them to make an objective evaluation. Based on the interview debrief, the recruitment team decides whether to proceed with the candidate, request an additional round of interviews, or disqualify them.

But the question that puts everything into perspective is: What are the common missteps in traditional interview methods?

Common issues and inefficiencies in traditional interview methods

At the core, your objective is to find talented people to drive impactful results, contribute to your culture, and stay with you long-term. However, the traditional approach might not always give you sufficient information about candidates’ competence, leading to poor hiring decisions, long time-to-hire, and negative candidate experience.

Common inefficiencies in traditional interview methods are:

Bias evaluation due to lack of a structured approach

One common flaw in traditional interviews is the lack of structure. Without consistent frameworks, questions may vary from candidate to candidate, making it difficult to compare prospective hires fairly. Your company can end up hiring based on gut feelings rather than objective criteria.

Limited feedback loop

Most traditional interviews offer minimal or no feedback after the interview, especially for rejected job seekers. This frustrates candidates, creates a poor perception of the organization, and discourages job seekers from reapplying in the future or recommending others.

“The talent pool isn’t as big or as deep as organizations like to believe – candidates talk to each other. Even if a candidate doesn’t make it to the offer stage, they’ll still mention a positive interviewing experience, which could lead to them referring other people they know,” says Geva Whyte, the former recruiting coordinator at Lyft, Stripe, and OpenAI.

Cultural fit overemphasis

Some interview processes overemphasize cultural fit without considering how candidates from diverse backgrounds might add value. With such an approach, a company risks having a homogenous team that stifles innovation by excluding diverse perspectives that may challenge existing norms.

Over-reliance on the interview alone

Many recruiters rely on the interview as the primary tool for evaluating candidates rather than using a combination of assessments, tests, and other methods.

Identifying hiring needs

A good hiring-needs analysis differentiates between a great hire and a mis-hire. It clarifies:

• The hard skills and abilities your organization needs for a role
• Soft skills that influence how a candidate interacts and performs in a team setting
• How a candidate adds to your company culture

“Stripe got a lot of things right. One of the things Stripe did exceptionally well was hiring incredibly brilliant people who were equally humble, caring, and empathetic.

During my tenure there, I hardly encountered anyone with an ego, and I received some of the most significant career growth and development,” explains Geva Whyte.

Identifying and anticipating your recruitment needs reduces the risk of mis-hires because it allows you to plan your talent acquisition strategy and hire based on clear criteria. It also identifies skill gaps within your organization that could limit your opportunities to grow and stay competitive.

Knowing your hiring needs also increases your company’s hiring efficiency. It makes it easier for recruiters to source quality candidates quickly because they know which skill set and qualities to look for in prospective hires. 

However, identifying hiring needs is tough. It’s easy to get tangled up in the traditional approach instead of focusing on what matters most for your company. 

To help you assess your staffing requirements, consider the tips below.

Best Practice	Why it’s helpful
1. Execute a skill gap analysis to identify areas where your organization needs to acquire new skills.	You’ll get a clear picture of the skills you need to hire for and clarify your hiring goals.
2. Build an ideal candidate profile (ICP).	You’ll set clear requirements for candidates based on the needs of the open role.
3. Create a skill-based job description.	It encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.
4. Consider personality and culture.	You’ll decrease the risk of hiring someone who’ll negativley impact your company’s culture.

Creating a structured interview process

Depending on the company size, you may not have a structured approach to interviews. Instead, the TA team might be crafting makeshift processes for every interview. 

Adopting a structured process can help your company:

Weed out bias with a fairer standard evaluation process

With structured frameworks, each candidate answers the same set of questions in the same order, making it easier to assess and compare job prospects fairly.

Make better hires

A key part of structured interviews is evaluating candidates’ skills against the set job requirements. This forces your interviewers to review candidates based on the job description, which might result in better hires.

Reduces time-to-hire

Unstructured interviews usually run in several rounds to reveal everything you need to know about a candidate. In contrast, structured interviews focus on a specific topic, allowing you to learn more about a candidate during one interview than you would with an unstructured approach. This results in quicker interviews and faster hiring.

But how do you standardize interviews? Here are five best practices:

1. Use a set of core questions. You can categorize them as skill-based, behavioral, and situational questions.
2. Develop an interview guide. It should outline the core questions the interviewer will ask during each round and provide a time frame for each section of the interview.
3. Define consistent evaluation criteria to avoid bias. You can standardize scoring rubric, weigh key skills, or use a checklist of key competencies.
4. Train interviewers to use structured methods. It will ensure consistency, fairness, and a more objective comparison.
5. Utilize technology for consistency. You can automate scheduling, pre-screening, assessment, and feedback-gathering.

With a standard approach, you can make more objective, data-driven hiring decisions, deliver a positive candidate experience, and secure top talent.

Using technology to improve the interview process

About 99% of TA teams utilize technology to streamline their interview processes, automate tedious manual tasks, and improve the candidate experience. Platforms like GoodTime have made it possible to automate most of the interview tasks, freeing you up to focus on genuine human connection.

You can use technology to:

Automate scheduling

A platform like GoodTime can integrate with calendars like Google Calendar and Outlook, allowing candidates to choose available time slots based on their schedules. Automating interview scheduling eliminates the back-and-forth emails or calls that often delay the hiring process. Plus, it’ll handle time zone conversions if you have candidates in different regions so that interviews are set at appropriate times for all parties.

Conduct AI-driven assessments

Around 62% of TA pros are optimistic about AI’s impact on recruitment. With an AI-powered tool, you can automate résumé pre-screening and initial assessments of answers to preliminary questions. This allows you to filter unqualified candidates early and reduce how long candidates wait for feedback. 

Automate interview workflow

Platforms like GoodTime can automate 90% of your interview workflow — from scheduling to feedback collection. TA pros can receive reminders, access structured interview guides, and complete evaluations in a streamlined manner. You can build custom workflows for different roles so that interviews are tailored but still automated for efficiency.

Enhancing candidate experience

According to Forbes, job seekers with poor candidate experience may decline job offers, withdraw their applications, or discourage others from applying. In other words, poor experiences negatively impact your talent acquisition ability, brand reputation as an employer, and overall business growth.

To enhance candidates’ experience, you can:

Craft sharp and thorough job descriptions

A job description is what sets up a good candidate’s experience. So, instead of only listing responsibilities and requirements, make sure your job description has the following:

• The skills the job prospect needs to succeed at the role and how you’ll evaluate them
• The impact you expect from the role
• What success will look like in the first six months
• Your company’s values

Convey your organizational culture and why candidates would want to work with you. You can tell a story while using inclusive language to give the candidate an idea of what to expect on a day-to-day basis within the role.

Simplify the application process

A potential hire might abandon their job application if it’s lengthy and time-consuming. While candidates are looking for a better workplace, they are less tolerant of a cumbersome hiring process — often giving up on complex procedures for a more straightforward job opening. To reduce the drop-off rates, simplify the process by shortening the application form, reducing the number of interview rounds, and providing clear timelines upfront.

Offer continuous status update

Keep your candidates informed throughout the interview process to maintain interest in the role. Otherwise, qualified talents may assume they’re no longer being considered and pursue other opportunities. Even if you don’t hire the candidate, offer an update to give a positive impression of your brand.

Help the candidate prepare for the interview

You can help prospective hires prepare by sharing what the interview will look like, explaining the assessment, and telling them who’ll be there. Providing such information can reduce anxiety and build confidence. 

Training interviewers

Getting your interview process right depends on equipping your interviewers with the right training and knowledge to offer a consistent and fair process. With the right training, your interviewers can deliver faster time-to-hire, enhance candidate acceptance rate, improve hire quality, and reduce bias. 

You can promote ongoing interviewer training and development by:

• Offering regular workshops to refresh interviewers’ skills and keep them updated on best practices
• Running ongoing training on recognizing and reducing unconscious bias in the interview process
• Reminding interviewers to use consistent, structured evaluation and standardized scoring systems
• Implementing a peer review system where interviewers can sit in each other’s interviews and provide constructive feedback

As a TA leader, training your interviewers will lighten your workload and help you focus on attracting talent in a competitive, candidate-driven market.

Continuous improvement

The key to successful interviews is continuous process improvement based on the feedback you collect from candidates and stakeholder input. Such a proactive approach ensures that your interview process remains efficient, fair, and effective while adapting to evolving business needs and market conditions.

To continuously improve your interview process, consider monitoring and analyzing the following key recruitment metrics:

• Time-to-hire: This helps identify bottlenecks that slow your process.
• Interview-to-hire ratio: It checks the efficiency of your pre-screening and assessment criteria.
• Candidates drop-off rate: It aids in establishing whether the process is too lengthy, unclear, or unwelcoming.
• Offer acceptance rate: This examines if there are issues with the interview experience, company perceptions, or compensation offered.
• Diversity hiring: The metric helps determine if there is bias in the hiring or interview process.

Optimize your interviewing process to recruit the right person

With employers fighting for the top talents to fill their open positions, your interview process should be flawless to help attract quality candidates and identify the best fit for your team.

One way to optimize your interview process and secure better hires is by using technology. You can automate mundane tasks, streamline processes, and free time for more meaningful human interactions.

Ready to hire better candidates with an optimized interview process? See how GoodTime’s interview scheduling software can help you improve candidate experience, win over top talent, and hire faster.

When it comes to hiring, even the most successful companies can get tripped up by the complexities of recruitment. Without a clear strategy, the process can feel like a maze of job ads, interviews, and unanswered emails. This is where a well-defined recruitment plan comes into play.

A recruitment plan acts as a roadmap, ensuring your hiring efforts are organized, targeted, and aligned with your company’s broader goals. Whether you’re a global enterprise navigating large-scale growth or a mid-sized business trying to make strategic hires, a recruitment plan helps streamline the process, saving you time and resources while enhancing the candidate experience.

The real beauty of a recruitment plan lies in its ability to be tailored. From defining hiring needs and timelines to budgeting and branding, the plan provides structure without stifling flexibility. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps of creating an effective recruitment plan—and provide you with a template you can customize to fit your organization’s needs.

Let’s dive in and take the guesswork out of your next hiring cycle.

What is a recruitment plan?

A recruitment plan is a comprehensive strategy designed to manage the entire hiring process from start to finish. It outlines your organization’s hiring needs, timelines, budget, and the specific steps required to attract, interview, and onboard the right talent. Think of it as a blueprint that keeps your team organized and focused, ensuring you make the best hiring decisions without wasting time or resources.

At its core, a recruitment plan brings consistency and clarity to hiring. By documenting everything—from candidate sourcing strategies to interview processes—you create a repeatable framework that can be applied to any future hiring needs. This prevents common pitfalls like rushed decisions, unqualified hires, or overextending the recruitment budget.

The value of a recruitment plan becomes even more apparent as your company grows. Larger organizations, especially those with global operations, face unique challenges like high-volume hiring or navigating international talent pools. A structured recruitment plan keeps things running smoothly, ensuring every step aligns with both immediate and long-term business goals. For mid-sized businesses, it’s a game-changer, helping maximize resources and ensuring each hire brings real value to the team.

Whether you’re looking to fill one position or a hundred, having a recruitment plan allows you to maintain control and flexibility in an ever-changing hiring environment.

The importance of a recruitment plan for enterprises and mid-sized organizations

Whether you’re leading a global enterprise or running a mid-sized business, a recruitment plan is essential for navigating the complexities of hiring. Without a well-structured plan, the process can quickly become inefficient, leading to poor hiring decisions, extended timelines, and strained resources.

For enterprises, recruitment plans are crucial for maintaining consistency across large, often dispersed teams. With multiple departments and global offices, enterprises frequently deal with high-volume hiring, and a lack of coordination can result in bottlenecks, delays, and mismatched candidates. A recruitment plan not only provides a unified strategy but also ensures that each department follows the same protocols, maintaining quality across all hires.

On the other hand, mid-sized organizations might not deal with the same scale of hiring, but they face their own unique challenges. With leaner teams and often limited budgets, these companies need to be more strategic about how they allocate resources. A recruitment plan helps ensure that every hire is well-thought-out, aligned with business goals, and justified in terms of cost and value. It allows mid-sized businesses to stay competitive without overspending or rushing into poor hiring decisions.

Whether managing a handful of new hires or hundreds, having a recruitment plan in place empowers organizations to hire faster, smarter, and more efficiently. It creates a roadmap that enables both enterprises and mid-sized businesses to scale their teams in a way that’s sustainable and aligned with long-term growth.

Steps to create a recruitment plan

Creating an effective recruitment plan involves a series of deliberate actions that guide the hiring process from start to finish. Below, we outline the key steps to help you build a plan that ensures a smooth, structured, and successful hiring cycle.

Step 1: Assess hiring needs and define goals

The first step in creating a recruitment plan is to identify your organization’s hiring needs. Start by analyzing your current workforce and forecasting future requirements. Ask yourself:

• Which roles are critical for business growth?
• Are there any upcoming projects or expansions that will require additional staffing?
• Are you aiming to reduce turnover, increase diversity, or shorten time-to-hire?

Clearly defining your hiring goals helps ensure that recruitment efforts are aligned with the broader objectives of the company. This step also lays the foundation for setting benchmarks that will guide the rest of the recruitment process.

Step 2: Create a detailed budget

A solid recruitment plan must include a clear budget. This helps ensure that your resources are allocated efficiently across the different stages of the hiring process. Your recruitment budget should account for:

• Job board postings and advertising costs.
• Sourcing tools like Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) or LinkedIn Recruiter.
• External recruiter or agency fees.
• Employer branding efforts, including any marketing or social media costs.

Allocating a budget early on prevents overspending and helps you identify the most cost-effective channels to attract top talent.

Step 3: Select your recruitment channels

Not all recruitment channels are created equal, and selecting the right ones is crucial to finding the best candidates. Depending on the role and your organization’s needs, you may choose from a mix of internal and external channels:

• Internal channels: Employee referrals, internal mobility, and succession planning.
• External channels: Job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn, niche job sites, recruitment agencies, or social media platforms.

For high-volume hiring, enterprises may focus on internal mobility or large-scale external job postings, while mid-sized companies may rely more heavily on external networks and specialized recruitment firms.

Step 4: Build a strong employer brand

Your employer brand plays a significant role in attracting the right talent. Candidates want to work for companies whose values resonate with their own, and a strong employer brand helps you stand out in a competitive hiring market. Ensure that your branding is consistent across all platforms—your careers page, job descriptions, social media, and even employee testimonials.

Employer branding efforts should emphasize what makes your organization unique: your culture, benefits, growth opportunities, and mission. This not only attracts high-quality candidates but also ensures they align with your company’s values and work style.

Step 5: Define your selection and interview process

Once candidates are sourced, a structured interview process is key to maintaining consistency and fairness. Develop a clear outline of each interview stage, from initial screening to final offers. This might include:

• Pre-screening questions to quickly narrow down applicants.
• Specific interview rounds focused on technical skills, culture fit, or leadership potential.
• Involvement of different team members, such as HR, hiring managers, and potential team leads.

Consistency in the interview process ensures that every candidate is evaluated on the same criteria, leading to more informed hiring decisions.

Step 6: Implement and track metrics

Tracking recruitment metrics is vital to understanding the success of your plan and identifying areas for improvement. Important metrics to monitor include:

• Time-to-hire and time-to-fill: The total time taken to fill a role, from job posting to acceptance.
• Cost-per-hire: The total recruitment costs divided by the number of hires.
• Quality of hire: A measure of how well new employees meet performance expectations.
• Offer acceptance rate: The percentage of candidates who accept job offers versus those who decline.

By monitoring these metrics, you can adjust your recruitment plan to improve efficiency, cut costs, and ensure a high standard of hiring.

Use this recruitment plan template

To make your recruitment process more streamlined and organized, here’s a customizable recruitment plan template. This template covers every crucial stage, from defining your hiring goals to tracking the effectiveness of your efforts. Feel free to adapt it based on your organization’s needs, whether you’re hiring for a single role or conducting a large-scale recruitment drive.

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Recruitment Plan Template

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Section 1: Hiring needs and objectives

• What roles need to be filled?
  • List the specific positions to be filled (e.g., Software Engineer, Marketing Director, etc.).
  • Number of hires needed for each role.
• What are your hiring goals?
  • Are you expanding a department, replacing a role, or scaling up for growth?
  • Focus on goals such as improving diversity in hiring, reducing time-to-hire, or hiring for critical skills.
• What are the key qualifications for these roles?
  • Essential skills, education, and experience for each position.
  • Any additional traits or cultural fit requirements.

Section 2: Recruitment timeline

• What is your ideal hiring timeline?
  • Recruitment start date:
  • Target hire date:
  • Key milestones (e.g., job posted, initial interviews, final interviews):
• How long will each stage take?
  • Sourcing window: _______ days.
  • Interview process: _______ days.
  • Offer and negotiation window: _______ days.

Section 3: Budget allocation

• Recruitment advertising budget:
  • Cost for job boards (LinkedIn, Indeed, etc.).
  • Cost for recruitment marketing/ads.
• Tools budget:
  • Cost for recruitment software (ATS, sourcing tools).
  • External recruiter or agency fees.
• Other expenses:
  • Career fairs or recruitment events.
  • Employer branding (social media, employee testimonials, etc.).

Section 4: Sourcing strategy

• Internal recruitment channels:
  • Employee referral programs.
  • Promotions or internal mobility.
• External recruitment channels:
  • Job boards (e.g., LinkedIn, Indeed).
  • Niche industry-specific job boards.
  • Recruitment agencies.
  • Social media platforms.
• Specialized/niche sources:
  • Diversity hiring platforms, alumni networks, or specific industry associations.

Section 5: Interview and selection process

• Who is involved in the interview process?
  • HR team members.
  • Department heads or team leads.
  • Other stakeholders (technical experts, leadership, etc.).
• What is your interview structure?
  • Number of interview rounds (e.g., screening call, technical interview, cultural fit).
  • Key questions or assessments for each stage.
  • Any technical or behavioral tests required.
• How will candidate feedback be collected?
  • Candidate surveys or feedback requests.
  • Hiring manager evaluations for each interview stage.

Section 6: Candidate experience and employer branding

• How will you communicate your employer brand?
  • Messaging to be included in job descriptions and interview processes.
  • Employee testimonials or case studies to share during recruitment.
• What steps will you take to improve the candidate experience?
  • Regular communication touchpoints during the interview process.
  • Timely feedback to candidates at each stage.
  • Setting clear expectations and timelines for candidates.

Section 7: Metrics and tracking

• What metrics will you track to measure success?
  • Time-to-hire: Average time from job posting to offer acceptance.
  • Cost-per-hire: Total costs involved divided by the number of hires.
  • Offer acceptance rate: Percentage of offers accepted vs. declined.
  • Candidate satisfaction: Feedback on the recruitment experience.
  • Quality of hire: Measure of how well new employees perform based on initial goals and expectations.

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By filling out this template, you’ll be able to maintain control over every stage of your hiring process, ensuring that nothing is left to chance. Tailor it to fit your organization’s unique hiring needs and watch how it simplifies even the most complex recruitment campaigns.

Tailoring your recruitment plan for enterprises vs. mid-sized companies

While the core structure of a recruitment plan remains consistent, the approach can vary significantly between global enterprises and mid-sized companies. Each faces unique hiring challenges, and adapting the plan to suit your organization’s size and needs is crucial for success.

For global enterprises: Scaling and managing complexity

Enterprise recruitment often deals with large-scale efforts that span multiple regions, departments, and job functions. Here are key ways to tailor the recruitment plan to meet those needs:

• High-volume hiring: Enterprises may need to fill dozens or even hundreds of positions at a time. To manage this, leverage bulk recruitment strategies, such as internal talent pools, high-volume job boards, and recruitment automation tools. Having a dedicated hiring team or external agencies to handle high-volume roles can ease the burden on in-house recruiters.
• Geographical diversity: Recruiting for multiple locations requires different approaches based on local job markets, legal requirements, and cultural considerations. Enterprises should customize job ads and sourcing strategies for each region, taking into account factors like language, local salary norms, and compliance.
• Employer branding across regions: With such a large reach, it’s important to maintain a consistent employer brand while allowing for regional adaptations. The key is to balance your global brand identity with the local values and norms of each hiring market. Tailoring your employer brand messaging for specific markets ensures that it resonates with local talent.
• Data-driven decisions: With access to more resources, enterprises should regularly track recruitment metrics (time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, diversity ratios) and adjust strategies based on real-time data from different regions or departments. This helps pinpoint bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the hiring process.

For mid-sized businesses: Maximizing efficiency with limited resources

While mid-sized businesses might not face the same scale of recruitment as larger enterprises, their hiring challenges are often rooted in resource constraints. Here’s how to adapt the recruitment plan for more focused, cost-effective hiring:

• Prioritize quality over quantity: Mid-sized companies typically have fewer roles to fill but must ensure that each hire is impactful. Focus recruitment efforts on finding high-quality candidates who can add real value. This means targeting niche job boards, professional associations, or specialized recruitment agencies that cater to your industry.
• Leverage employee referrals: A cost-effective strategy for smaller companies is building a robust employee referral program. Employees can help source candidates who are already familiar with the company’s culture and values, speeding up the hiring process while saving on advertising costs.
• Streamline the interview process: With smaller teams, the interview process should be efficient and focused. Instead of long multi-round interviews, mid-sized companies can create a condensed but thorough process that assesses key skills and cultural fit without dragging on. Ensuring quick decision-making can prevent losing top talent to competitors.
• Employer branding on a budget: Mid-sized businesses might not have the resources for large-scale branding efforts, but they can still build a strong presence by using social media recruiting, employee testimonials, and engagement in local or industry-specific communities. Highlight the unique benefits of working for a smaller, more agile company, such as growth opportunities and a tight-knit culture.

Tailoring your recruitment plan ensures that your organization’s unique needs are met, whether you’re scaling globally or hiring strategically for a mid-sized business. By customizing your approach, you’ll not only attract better candidates but also create a smoother, more efficient hiring process.

Tools to support your recruitment plan

1. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a vital tool for managing your recruitment process efficiently. It handles everything from job postings to candidate tracking and interview management, all in one place. For companies that want to streamline the entire recruitment lifecycle — including interview scheduling — choosing an ATS that integrates with GoodTime adds another layer of efficiency. GoodTime’s integration with leading ATS platforms allows seamless scheduling and automation, reducing the administrative burden on your team.

ATS options that integrate with GoodTime include:

• Workday: A strong enterprise solution, Workday integrates with GoodTime to streamline hiring processes for large organizations, providing both applicant tracking and scheduling automation.
• iCIMS: A comprehensive ATS, iCIMS supports high-volume hiring and integrates well with GoodTime to automate and manage complex interview scheduling.
• SmartRecruiters: Known for its ease of use, SmartRecruiters combines recruitment marketing, sourcing, and applicant tracking with smooth GoodTime integration for interview scheduling.
• Greenhouse: Known for its scalability and robust reporting, Greenhouse is ideal for enterprises. It provides strong integration with GoodTime, making interview scheduling smoother and more automated.
• Lever: Lever is great for mid-sized companies that prioritize candidate relationship management and collaborative hiring. The GoodTime integration simplifies interview coordination and scheduling.
• Jobvite: A popular platform for mid-sized and enterprise companies, Jobvite integrates with GoodTime to help automate the interview process, reduce scheduling conflicts, and improve time-to-hire.
• SAP SuccessFactors: Known for its enterprise-level HR capabilities, SuccessFactors integrates with GoodTime to offer seamless interview scheduling, helping large organizations manage recruitment across global teams.

With the right ATS and GoodTime integration, you can automate tedious scheduling tasks, manage candidates more efficiently, and improve the overall recruitment experience.

Bringing it all together: Build your recruitment plan today

Creating a structured recruitment plan is essential for organizations looking to streamline their hiring processes, save time, and improve the quality of hires. Whether you’re managing the complexity of a global enterprise or navigating the more focused needs of a mid-sized company, a well-thought-out recruitment plan ensures that every stage of the hiring process is aligned with your goals.

By breaking down each phase—assessing hiring needs, budgeting, sourcing candidates, and measuring success—you’ll gain more control and visibility over your recruitment efforts. The customizable template provided in this guide allows you to tailor your approach, ensuring that no detail is overlooked. Additionally, the right tools, such as an ATS integrated with GoodTime, can further simplify and optimize your workflow, freeing your team to focus on building strong relationships with candidates.

With a solid plan in place, you can confidently tackle your next hiring cycle, knowing that you’re equipped to make strategic, data-driven decisions that benefit both your organization and the candidates you bring on board. Start building your recruitment plan today, and see the positive impact it will have on your hiring process and overall business growth.

Ever feel as if finding the perfect candidate is like searching for a needle in a haystack? You’re not alone. As some project the global talent shortage to reach 85 million unfilled jobs by 2030, organizations across industries are feeling the pressure to adapt their hiring strategies​. Candidate sourcing, once considered a straightforward process, has evolved into a sophisticated practice with a proactive approach that is essential for attracting top-tier talent.

This guide will take you through the latest strategies, tips, and tools to ensure that your candidate sourcing efforts are not just effective but also future-proof. We’ll cover everything from the basics to advanced techniques, all aimed at helping you build a talent pipeline that can withstand the challenges of today’s dynamic job market.

Ready to turn candidate sourcing from a daunting task into a streamlined process? Let’s get started.

Understanding candidate sourcing

Candidate sourcing is the backbone of an effective talent acquisition strategy. Think of sourcing as the groundwork for the entire recruitment process. If you execute it effectively, you’ll know exactly where to find the perfect candidate, even before a position opens up.

But to really get a handle on candidate sourcing, we first need to clarify what it means. Candidate sourcing is the proactive approach to identifying, attracting, and engaging potential candidates, particularly those who aren’t actively job hunting. It’s about simultaneously casting a wide net and targeting specific talent pools to find hidden gems — individuals with the skills and experience your organization needs, even if they aren’t actively seeking new opportunities. By focusing on sourcing, companies can ensure they always have a pool of qualified candidates ready to step in when needed.

Difference between sourcing and recruiting

Sourcing and recruiting are closely linked, but they play distinct roles in the hiring process. Sourcing is about finding and engaging potential candidates and building a pipeline of talent for current and future roles. Recruiting, on the other hand, is about guiding those candidates through the hiring process, from interviews to onboarding. Think of sourcing as the first chapter in the hiring story, with recruiting taking over to ensure a successful conclusion.

So where does a sourcing specialist’s role end and a recruiter’s begin? The line can be blurry, but generally speaking, sourcing is focused on the front end of the process — building relationships with candidates and identifying potential matches for open roles.

Sourcing specialists are the talent scouts of recruitment. Using a mix of tools like social media, job boards, and networking events, they keep the talent pipeline full so the organization isn’t left scrambling to find the right person for the job.

Effective sourcing strategies

To source candidates effectively, you need a mix of online and offline strategies, each tailored to find the best talent where they are. The idea is to have a diverse sourcing approach that can reach both active and passive candidates in a variety of places.

Online strategies

Online strategies make up a large portion of effective sourcing techniques. Here are some of the most effective ways to source candidates online:

• Job boards: Posting job listings on popular sites like LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and Monster is still a tried and true method for sourcing candidates. While there can be relatively high costs associated with posting on these sites, it can be worth the investment to reach a large audience.
• Social media: By actively participating in industry group discussions and niche specialty forums, you can identify and engage with potential candidates who might not be on traditional job boards.
• Resume databases: Websites like CareerBuilder and ZipRecruiter have large resume databases that you can search through to find qualified candidates. This is especially useful for niche or hard-to-fill roles that require highly specific skills or experience. You can also maximize the potential of your existing candidate databases by regularly re-engaging with candidates. Segment your database into targeted talent pools according to candidates’ skills, prior engagements, and career developments. Then, deploy automated (yet tailored) email campaigns sharing updates on relevant job opportunities to keep them engaged.
• Company website: Your company’s career page on its website is a great place to showcase your employer brand and attract candidates who are already interested in your company. Enhance your page by integrating interactive features such as social media feeds that provide a real-time glimpse into your workplace culture. When coupled with employee testimonials and a detailed breakdown of benefits and perks, this approach can help humanize your brand and build trust with potential candidates. Regularly analyze user engagement metrics to monitor how candidates interact with your page and fine-tune the content to highlight the aspects that resonate most.

Lean into Boolean search techniques while utilizing job boards and resume databases. By combining keywords with Boolean operators (like AND, OR, and NOT), you can filter out irrelevant results and zero in on candidates who perfectly match your criteria.

For example, you can use the “AND” operator to find candidates who have experience in both marketing and project management, or the “NOT” operator to exclude certain keywords from your search results. Boolean search is particularly useful for finding candidates with specific skill sets, especially in technical and niche fields.

Offline strategies

Online sourcing methods have evolved to dominate the recruitment world in recent years, but offline strategies remain a valuable and increasingly unique way to find top talent. The following are some key offline strategies that still hold immense value in the sourcing process:

• Referrals: Your employees already know your company culture and are well-situated to recommend potential candidates who are a good match. Additionally, referred candidates tend to have higher retention rates than those sourced through other methods. With talent retention being cited as the top hiring challenge by industry leaders in the GoodTime 2024 Hiring Insights Report, the ability to hold onto top talent has become just as important as finding them in the first place.
• Career events: Attending career fairs and other industry events are a great way to meet potential candidates face-to-face and gauge their fit. These events let you showcase your company culture, answer questions about job openings, and build relationships with potential hires.
• Hosting open houses: Similar to career events, hosting open houses at your company headquarters or a local office can give candidates the opportunity to see your workplace, meet current employees, and learn more about your company firsthand. This could be a general open house or a targeted event like an open hackathon for engineering candidates.

Building a talent pipeline

Building a talent pipeline is about future-proofing your recruitment strategy and keeping it as fluid as possible. Unlike a talent pool, which is a static collection of resumes, a talent pipeline is an active, ongoing process of engaging potential candidates for future roles.

Here’s how you can build and maintain an effective talent pipeline:

1. Identify critical roles within your organization that’ll likely require new hires in the near future. These could be positions with high turnover or roles crucial to your company’s strategic goals.
2. Actively source candidates for these roles using diverse methods, including digital platforms, employee referrals, and in-person events.
3. Nurture relationships with these candidates through consistent and meaningful communication. Keep them updated on company news and invite them to events.
4. Keep the pipeline fresh by regularly reviewing and updating your candidate list, removing those who are no longer interested or available, and adding new talent.

Maintaining a robust talent pipeline comes with many benefits, including:

• Reduced time-to-hire: By having a pre-vetted pool of potential candidates, you’ll significantly reduce the time it takes to fill roles.
• Cost savings: Talent pipelines tend to be more cost-effective than traditional methods of recruitment.
• Improved quality of hires: By engaging with potential candidates over an extended period, you gain a better understanding of their skills, experience, and cultural fit.
• Diverse talent pool: Developing a robust talent pipeline can strengthen your diversity and inclusion in recruitment, as you reach a more diverse group of individuals who may not have applied through traditional channels.

While it might be possible to do this manually, integrated technology stacks can vastly streamline the process. Solutions like GoodTime are purpose-built to help you enhance your talent pipeline process. They use AI to intelligently balance your recruiting coordinator workloads, maximize your interviewer pool, and gain detailed insight into interview metrics for a reduced time-to-hire.

Engaging passive candidates

Passive candidates, often described as the “hidden talent pool,” are professionals who aren’t actively seeking new jobs but are open to the right opportunity if it aligns with their career aspirations. This group, which makes up about 70% of the global workforce, is composed of individuals who are typically employed, satisfied in their current roles, and not actively browsing job boards or responding to standard recruitment efforts. However, they represent some of the most skilled and experienced talent available, making them a critical target in any well-rounded talent sourcing strategy.

To engage these hidden gems, personalize your communication. Move beyond generic job descriptions and craft messages that speak directly to their experiences and goals. You’ll want to research their current role, the projects they’ve been involved in, and their career trajectory. Weaving tailored storytelling into your messages can go a long way in helping to make sure your outreach resonates with their professional journey.

For example, when targeting a professional known for their success in sustainability initiatives, highlight the ways in which your organization is committed to environmental stewardship and how they might lead significant projects in this area. This narrative approach makes your proposition more compelling by framing it within the broader context of their long-term aspirations and potential contributions.

Networking is another powerful strategy for engaging passive candidates. By immersing yourself in the same professional circles — whether through LinkedIn, industry conferences, or specialized forums — you can establish yourself as a knowledgeable and trustworthy contact. Regularly sharing relevant industry insights, commenting on their posts, and engaging in thoughtful discussions help build a relationship over time. This organic connection makes it easier to approach them when a suitable role becomes available and helps to avoid the typical “cold call” scenario.

Ultimately, engaging passive candidates requires a more personalized and long-term approach. It’s about cultivating a relationship, earning trust, and ensuring that when they’re ready to make a move, your organization is top of mind.

Leveraging technology in sourcing

The integration of technology into candidate sourcing has made it easier than ever to find and engage with top talent. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) have become a cornerstone of modern recruitment, streamlining the entire sourcing process from resume collection to candidate management. 

Tools like LinkedIn, Indeed, and GitHub are also indispensable tools for modern sourcing strategies, offering extensive databases of professionals across a range of industries. LinkedIn, with its professional network of over 1 billion members and powerful search functionalities, is especially valuable for connecting with passive candidates, while GitHub helps recruiters observe a candidate’s technical skills and contributions.

The latest transformation in candidate sourcing is driven by AI and automation. When integrated with an ATS, these technologies automate time-consuming tasks such as resume screening, candidate matching, and initial outreach, allowing recruiters to focus on building relationships and making strategic decisions. Innovative solutions likeGoodTime are leading this charge, offering features such as automated interview scheduling, recruiting analytics to track candidate engagement, AI-powered interviewer recommendations, and the ability to seamlessly integrate with numerous ATS systems.

As Jeremy Lyons, a recruiting operations consultant, predicts, “I see AI finally achieving what has long been talked about when it comes to candidate sourcing: providing a complete picture of the candidate. Unlike mono-sourcing from a single platform or using Boolean search strings where the user has to pull everything into one, you’ll be able to connect multiple platforms into one source, and the tool will compile everything into one profile for the candidate.”

Social sourcing

Social sourcing, or social recruiting, refers to the practice of using social media to discover and engage potential candidates. This approach has become increasingly important given the high engagement and vast reach that social media offers. 

LinkedIn remains the most utilized platform for social sourcing, with 87% of hiring teams relying on it for job postings and candidate outreach due to its professional focus and extensive network. But it doesn’t stop there. Facebook, with its billions of users, facilitates targeted job postings and ads that reach a broad audience, while Twitter offers real-time engagement with candidates through hashtags and direct interactions.

As social media continues to evolve, the importance of social sourcing in recruitment is only growing. Social sourcing not only helps in reaching wide audiences but also aids in building a company’s employer brand, showcasing its culture, and engaging potential candidates through various content formats like videos, posts, and employee testimonials.

For instance, Northrop Grumman focused on changing perceptions of the aerospace and defense industry through their humorous “Overheard at Northrop Grumman” campaign. Launched in November 2021, the campaign aimed to challenge the stereotype that the aerospace and defense industry is rigid and uninspired. Through a series of over 35 comedic vignettes, the campaign provided a behind-the-scenes look at life at Northrop Grumman, humanizing the company and making it more approachable. With millions of impressions and high engagement rates, the campaign was a success not only in improving recruitment efforts but also in building an attractive employer brand.

Measuring and improving sourcing effectiveness

You can’t improve what you can’t measure. Just as this applies to manufacturing costs or marketing ROI, it also rings true for social sourcing efforts. Without tracking and analyzing the right recruitment metrics, you’re really just guessing at what works and what doesn’t. With metrics in hand, you can make informed decisions about where to allocate resources and how to improve your sourcing strategy.

Here are a few key metrics to track:

• Time-to-fill: This metric can help you identify bottlenecks in your recruitment process and determine areas for improvement. Alternative metrics to track include time-to-acceptance or time-to-interview.
• Sourcing channel conversion rate: Understanding which platforms yield the most successful hires will help you allocate resources more strategically. You can even leverage historical recruitment data to forecast which sourcing channels are most effective for specific job roles. For instance, if historical trends reveal that candidates for leadership positions are best sourced through industry networking events, prioritize those channels accordingly. 
• Candidate quality: This can be measured through metrics such as applicant-to-interview ratio, offer acceptance rate, or even employee retention rates for candidates sourced through different channels. 
• Cost-per-hire: This can include expenses such as job postings, recruitment software, and employee referral bonuses. One Society for Human Resource Management report found the average cost-per-hire for executives to be $28,329 and $4,683 for non-executive positions. Optimizing these costs through strategic initiatives like talent pipelines ensures that every dollar spent on hiring delivers maximum value.

Regularly reviewing these metrics lets you spot trends and areas for improvement. For example, if a particular sourcing channel consistently underperforms, it might be time to shift resources to more effective methods. It’s also important to gather feedback from hiring managers and candidates to gain a deeper understanding of the sourcing process and potential areas for improvement.

This is where platforms like GoodTime really shine. With the ability to see the most important sourcing and interview metrics in just one glance, your recruiters can save countless hours of manual tracking and analysis. In addition, AI-enhanced interview scheduling and automated feedback collection can help speed up and improve the hiring process, letting your talent operations team focus on what they do best — evaluating and securing the best people.

Challenges in candidate sourcing

While big data and technology have certainly revolutionized candidate sourcing, there are still a number of challenges that companies face in this process. Some common challenges include:

• Competition for top talent: With the rise of remote work and a global job market, competition for top talent has become fierce. Companies often find themselves competing with not just local businesses, but also international organizations.
• Skill shortages: Whether it’s because 90% of organizations will be impacted by an IT skills shortage over the next few years or because 2.1 million manufacturing jobs will go unfilled by 2030 due to a lack of technical knowledge, finding qualified candidates will continue to be a challenge for many companies. This is where having a diverse sourcing strategy can come in handy, as it allows you to tap into different talent pools. Consider advanced strategies such as partnering with educational institutions to develop apprenticeship programs, sponsoring certification programs relevant to your industry, or focusing on internal talent development through upskilling initiatives.
• Time constraints: With companies looking to fill roles quickly and efficiently, there is often pressure to speed up the sourcing process, which can sometimes result in overlooking qualified candidates or rushing through interviews.

The vast amount of data available now can also act as a double-edged sword. As Lyons points out, “With more information available, will it introduce new biases or highlight older ones? There will likely be biases that the recruiters will need to make sure they are aware of when sharing candidates with hiring managers (such as job hoppers, for example).” Recruiters should be vigilant about making sure that their sourcing practices do not unfairly disadvantage certain candidates. This can be managed by implementing standardized assessment criteria and making use of technology that anonymizes candidate data during the initial stages.

Another challenge is the need to focus on skills rather than just past experiences. Although a shift is occurring toward including those with less traditional backgrounds in the workforce, many ATS and hiring processes still filter out qualified candidates based on past job titles or specific degrees. Lyons emphasizes the importance of “understanding and presenting skills over just experiences” as a way to keep qualified candidates from going overlooked. One way to address this is by integrating skills-based assessments and interviews earlier in the sourcing process.

On the technological front, AI recruitment tools offer both opportunities and challenges. While AI can streamline sourcing and create more consistent practices, there is also a risk that poorly designed AI systems could reinforce existing prejudices. The solution lies in selecting AI tools that are designed with the right principles in mind, regularly monitoring and auditing them for any potential biases.

Strategic sourcing for long-term success

Developing a world-class recruitment funnel demands a strategic approach to candidate sourcing that goes beyond traditional methods. As competition for top talent intensifies, organizations must embrace both trusted and innovative strategies to identify and engage the best candidates. 

Ultimately, your candidate sourcing needs to move beyond just filling open positions. It should focus on building a pipeline of qualified and diverse candidates, constantly nurturing relationships to bring in a steady supply of top talent for your organization’s future needs. With the right mix of AI technology, data-driven insights, and personalized outreach, you’ll be well on your way to building a sustainable recruitment process that keeps your organization ahead of the competition.

The real cost of recruiting new talent is often overlooked, yet it silently shapes a company’s bottom line. Every step in the hiring process has a price tag that can add up pretty quickly behind the scenes. 

The average cost of obtaining a new worker in the United States ranges from nearly $4,700 for a typical role to over $28,000 for an executive position—and if you employ the wrong person, the costs can double as you will have to repeat the recruitment process. Wouldn’t it be great if you could lower these figures as much as possible and invest the saved money in other critical business operations? 

Below, you’ll discover the meaning of cost per hire (CPH), how to calculate it, and why you should track it. With insights from recruitment experts like Dallas Frazer, former Recruitment Operations Lead at Shopify and now Customer Success Coach at GoodTime, this post equips you with actionable tips for reducing CPH in your organization.

What is cost per hire? 

Cost per hire is a recruitment metric that measures expenses related to advertising a job, finding the right candidate for the role, and onboarding that person in your company. In other words, it’s the total amount you spend to fill a vacant position. You want your cost per hire to be as low as possible without sacrificing recruitment efficiency.

By showing the average amount your company invests in obtaining a new employee, CPH informs budgeting decisions related to recruitment. Tracking this metric can help you identify and eliminate inefficiencies in the hiring process. 

Average cost per hire

According to SHRM’s Talent Access Report, the average cost per hire is approximately $4,700. However, it is important to note that this benchmark can vary significantly based on industry, company size, and the type of role being filled.

Organizations must factor in various elements, such as recruitment expenses, employee onboarding, and any costs related to the time taken to fill the position. Managing this cost efficiently is a key goal for HR teams aiming to maintain high-quality hires while optimizing budget use.

The cost per hire formula

Internal costs: 

All expenses related to the in-house staff and the capital invested in the recruitment department. Examples include: 

• Cost of sourcing staff
• Cost of recruiting and onboarding staff
• Recruiter salaries
• Referral bonuses
• In-house overhead expenses for government compliance
• Training material costs
• Interview expenses
• Systems like applicant tracking software

External costs: 

What amount did you pay other companies to help you find and evaluate job candidates? Third-party costs in the recruitment process may include:  

• Job ads costs
• Eligibility and background check expenses
• Recruitment process outsourcing fees
• Employee relocation expenses
• Recruitment consulting services
• Technology costs
• Drug-testing charges

Total number of hires: 

This is the number of recruited employees in a given period, typically a year. 

How to calculate cost per hire

You can calculate CPH per department or for every role in your organization in five simple steps.

Step 1: Determine the time frame for your calculation

For what period do you want to calculate the cost per hire? Depending on your organization’s hiring patterns, it could be quarterly, semiannually, yearly, or any other specific time frame. 

Step 2: Work out your in-house recruitment expenses

A company can incur multiple internal costs when filling an open role. Examples include employee referral bonuses, training material costs, and fees for conducting candidate background checks. 

When calculating CPH, account for all relevant internal costs specific to your company. Each organization may have a unique recruitment process and spend money differently on hiring.

Step 3: Calculate your external recruitment costs

How much do you spend on third-party services like job advertisement, outsourced recruitment, and employee screening? Also, factor in the cost of recruitment technology. The goal is to track down all external expenses you incur in the hiring process. 

Step 4: Check the total number of hires

Identify the number of full-time and part-time employees you recruited within the period you determined in step one. Your total number of hires may include:

• Workers under fixed-term contracts
• New hires from mergers or acquisitions
• Temporary employees hired to fill short-term needs
• Outsourced staff

Remember to factor in employees you hired during the specified time frame, even if they no longer work for your organization. 

Step 5: Use the cost per hire formula

Determine the total hiring costs by adding all internal and external recruitment expenses for a particular period. Next, divide the results by the total number of new employees in that same time frame to get your cost per hire.

An example of how to calculate cost per hire: 

In one year, Company Z hired five new employees. For all the new hires, they spent $4000 on online job advertising, $7500 on recruitment agency fees, and $1,500 on background checks. Internally, the overall hiring expenses included $1,000 in training materials and $1,500 in interview expenses. Here’s how to determine Company Z’s CPH: 

• Total internal expenses: 1,000 + 1,500 = 2,500
• Total external costs: 4,000 + 7,500 + 1,500 = 13,000
• Total number of new hires: five employees

Company Z’s cost per hire:  [2,500 + 13,000] ÷ 5 = $3,100

Why track cost per hire?

Tracking cost per hire helps you keep tabs on how much you spend to land a new employee. With this number at your fingertips, you know the resources you’ll need in the next hiring period, enabling you to budget appropriately. 

Besides improving resource allocation in talent operations, monitoring CPH helps you manage recruitment expenses. When you break down the cost per hire, you see which aspects of the hiring process are the most expensive. For example, if recruitment agency fees or job ad costs are disproportionately high, you might explore more cost-effective alternatives to reduce CPH.

In addition, comparing your cost per hire against competitors can reveal whether you’re overspending or under-investing in talent acquisition. A significantly higher CPH than the industry average often indicates an overly expensive or lengthy recruitment process, necessitating improvements. As a result, this metric helps you make hiring efforts more efficient and effective.

Strategies to reduce cost per hire

With the average U.S. employer spending thousands of dollars to hire a new employee, companies want to decrease recruitment expenses as much as possible and invest the saved money elsewhere. Here’s how to do so without compromising the quality of the recruitment process.

Use automation technology in talent acquisition

Manually handling repetitive tasks is inefficient and puts extra pressure on talent acquisition professionals, especially in light of recent massive layoffs that significantly trimmed headcount in recruitment departments. 

Mike Joyner—the founding partner of Growth by Design Talent and former recruitment leader at companies like Apple, Facebook, and Pinterest— agrees. “In the last year [2023], we’ve seen companies reducing their recruiting coordination teams and, in some cases, eliminating the team entirely. This has put more of the administrative burden on full-cycle recruiters that now really need automation in order to do their job.” 

He says recruiters will accomplish less if they take on tedious, manual tasks, such as scheduling interviews and initial reach-outs, that unnecessarily burn time. Mike emphasizes that automating these activities frees up time for hiring teams to concentrate on higher-value work that promotes recruiting more employees while reducing time-to-hire. 

Robust talent acquisition technologies like GoodTime, for example, use the power of AI to automate interview scheduling and management. 

Automation fastens the recruitment process. GoodTime’s Hiring Insights Report found that with manual processes, the time between scheduling a job interview and when the interview takes place is about 180 hours. With automation, the figure comes down to 146 hours. The faster the recruitment process, the lower the cost per hire will likely be.  

Determine and minimize your time investment per hire

How much time do you spend on recruiting and hiring a single employee? This includes everything from job posting to onboarding. 

Dallas Frazer, former Recruitment Operations Lead at Shopify and now Customer Success Coach at GoodTime, believes, “If you can understand your time investment per hire, you’re off to a great start. That time equates to money. Having a clear understanding of it often reveals immediate opportunities to improve your time-to-hire and, therefore, your cost per hire.” In other words, reducing this time directly minimizes the amount you spend on a new hire. 

Shortening job interviews and using applicant tracking software to analyze resumes automatically can streamline the hiring process and reduce the time invested per hire. 

Ask current employees for referrals

Recruiting workers this way is cheaper and faster. According to research, about 70% of employers and recruiters say referrals shorten the recruiting process. More than half agree this hiring method is less expensive. 

Additionally, referral hires tend to be more satisfied with their jobs and stay longer with their employers. Since retaining an employee is cheaper than recruiting a new one, hiring through referrals can help reduce the cost of hiring. [Editors note: Original source SHRM is gated after one view, so I left the Forbes article link for easier viewing.]

To maximize the effectiveness of your referral program, introduce compelling incentives like cash bonuses. The goal is to persuade existing workers to recommend people who qualify for open positions. Also, make sure your organization can afford the bonuses. 

Leverage online job boards

Job boards like Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and Indeed allow you to post jobs for free. While the free versions of these boards have a limited reach, you can still tap into a pool of candidates without paying a dime if you optimize your job descriptions with the right keywords. This can help you save money on job ad expenses and, as a result, reduce the cost per hire in your organization. 

If you want to boost your job post’s visibility and reach a wider audience, most online job boards have premium plans for sponsoring job ads. The good news is that advertising a vacant position on online job boards is generally less expensive than marketing in newspapers and television. Spending less on job advertising can decrease your cost per hire. 

Increase employee retention

Retaining existing workers is one of the best ways to decrease your cost per hire. It’s cheaper to keep an employee than hire a new one.

Frazer says, “Cost per hire is always so much greater than the cost of retention, and when you examine your recruiting processes, it becomes clear why. Think about hiring roles with specialized skill sets, like backend engineers, for example. The people who are going to assess these candidates’ technical skills are going to be other backend engineers. Those people’s time is expensive, so the time — and thus money — spent in a hiring process can escalate pretty quickly.”

The longer current employees stay with your company, the less need for recruitment, which lowers the amount you spend on hiring. Ways to reduce employee turnover include: 

• Offer competitive salaries
• Provide benefits the modern employee prioritizes, like wellness initiatives
• Avail opportunities for personalized career development
• Offer flexible work options if possible
• Live up to your company’s purpose, mission, and vision to prove to employees that there’s more to your organization than the bottom line. 

Hire the right employees

If you’ve ever hired a worker only to realize that person wasn’t the right fit, you’re not alone. 

According to research by Career Builder, three out of four employers have recruited the wrong person for a role at least once. The repercussions of this costly mistake are significant: work quality suffers, productivity drops, and you waste a lot of money and time hiring and training. A bad hire costs nearly $17,000 on average. 

The problem comes when you have to go back to the hiring process and spend more trying to find the right fit. These double expenses can skyrocket your cost per hire. 

Recruiting the right employee can prevent this problem and reduce your CPH. Here’s what you can do to hire the perfect fit candidate: 

• Conduct thorough background checks before hiring anybody.
• Know your company culture and then only hire people that fit in or enrich that culture.
• Hold in-depth screening interviews to spot unfit candidates as early as possible.
• Create detailed, accurate job descriptions to attract suitable job applicants for a position.

How companies are reducing their cost of hire in the real world

Case study 1: 

Nokia was struggling with high recruitment costs. But then they had a brilliant idea. They switched their main job advertising platform to an online job board (Indeed.com), and the strategy paid off. After just 10 months, the leader in mobile communications slashed its cost per hire by a whopping 74%.

Posting on an online job board made it easier for Nokia to target the exact kind of people it sought while managing its recruitment budget more efficiently. The company’s talent acquisition manager said advertising on an online job board delivered the results they needed for less than what they spent on other candidate sourcing platforms. 

Case study 2: 

As people worldwide heavily relied on video communication tools during the pandemic, Zoom had to rapidly increase its employee count to keep up with the sudden demand spikes. The company’s recruiter went from managing 2,000 interviews per quarter to 11,000. The increased scheduling volume resulted in major backlogs that made the hiring process lengthy and unmanageable. 

Zoom made scheduling job interviews easier and faster by using GoodTime Hire, an AI-powered interview scheduling software. The technology accelerated the hiring process, reducing the time it takes to fill an open role. The less time invested per hire, the lower the CPH.  

Optimize your hiring process with technology

With employers spending thousands of dollars to fill an open position, they also prioritize cutting recruitment expenses. When you determine your cost per hire and implement strategies to reduce it, you optimize your hiring process and reduce your spending on recruitment.

Technology is one of the best ways to streamline employee recruitment and make it cost-effective. From automating mundane tasks and supercharging processes, talent acquisition solutions transform how you recruit and onboard employees. 

Ready to unlock the full potential of your hiring process? See how GoodTime’s interview scheduling software can help you recruit new talent faster, improve candidate experience, and decrease your cost per hire.

The last year and a half has been quite the rollercoaster for talent acquisition teams around the world. Widespread layoffs, hiring freezes, limited resources, shifting remote work paradigms, and economic uncertainty have all contributed to an exceptionally challenging hiring environment. When combined with a globalized market and a rapidly growing demand for tech workers with specialized skill sets, it’s no surprise that many businesses are having a hard time finding the right talent. We found that 41% of talent acquisition leaders reported a more competitive hiring landscape and nearly a quarter stated that they struggled to find qualified candidates.

As the job market continues to tighten, with projections showing a significant talent shortage by 2030, a well-crafted talent acquisition strategy is a necessity. Below, we’ll cover everything from employer branding and talent pipeline development to leveraging the latest recruitment technology in order to help you build a winning talent acquisition strategy.

Understanding talent acquisition

Ever wonder why some companies always seem to have the right people at the right time? The secret is knowing the difference between talent acquisition and recruitment. While they might sound like buzzwords, they actually serve unique purposes in building a successful team.

Think of recruitment as a quick fix — it’s about filling immediate job openings fast when you need someone ASAP. It’s a speedy process focused on checking boxes and getting someone onboard quickly. Recruitment is great for urgent needs but not ideal if you’re looking at the bigger picture.

Talent acquisition is where strategy meets foresight. It’s not just about meeting today’s needs but looking ahead to tomorrow’s challenges. Charles Mah, Chief Customer & Operations Officer at GoodTime, emphasizes that “taking a ‘success’ mindset means adopting a business-first approach to talent acquisition and elevating the value talent acquisition offers.” 

By strategically building a talent pipeline and keeping in touch with potential candidates, companies can align hiring processes with broader business goals. This proactive approach means that when a key role opens up, you’re not just searching — you’re choosing from a curated list of top-tier talent already connected with your brand.

This is particularly important for industries and roles that require highly specialized skills, where the right talent might not be readily available when a position opens up. As Mah puts it, “Talent Acquisition is akin to customer success. It’s about ensuring the business grows by hiring the right talent and providing the best experience to retain every candidate they engage with because they are likely future hires or customers.”

Key benefits of a strategic approach

Implementing a strategic talent acquisition strategy offers numerous benefits that go beyond simply filling open positions. Some key advantages include:

• Increased retention: By finding and hiring candidates who are a good fit for your organization’s culture and values, there is a higher chance of retaining them long-term. This reduces turnover costs and improves overall employee satisfaction.
• Better quality hires: Strategic talent acquisition involves thorough screening and evaluation processes to find the most qualified candidates. This results in better quality hires who can bring more relevant skills and experience to your company.
• Reduced costs and time-to-hire: While building a talent pipeline requires upfront investment, it leads to significant cost savings over time. With a pre-vetted pool of candidates, the recruitment process becomes faster and less resource-intensive, reducing the need for expensive external recruitment services or prolonged vacancies.
• Improved employer branding: The focus on building relationships and engaging with potential candidates can greatly improve an organization’s employer brand. By showcasing a commitment to employee growth and development, as well as offering competitive compensation and benefits packages, your organization will attract top talent who are looking for more than just a job.
• Adaptability to changing needs: A strategic talent acquisition strategy allows companies to anticipate future needs and proactively develop their workforce accordingly. This can provide a unique competitive advantage, as companies with a strong talent pipeline can quickly adapt to changing market conditions and business needs.

Steps to develop a talent acquisition strategy

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to developing a talent acquisition strategy. However, there are certain key steps that can help guide the creation of an effective and adaptable plan. Whether you’re just beginning to build a talent pipeline or looking to refine an established process, consider these foundational elements.

Workforce planning and forecasting

Workforce planning and forecasting are the bedrock of any successful talent acquisition strategy. This process involves assessing your current workforce, identifying skills gaps, analyzing market trends, and predicting future staffing needs based on business objectives.

You want to look ahead and ask, “What skills will we need in six months, a year, or even five years?” By taking this proactive approach, you can avoid the pitfalls of reactive hiring and make sure that your organization has the right talent in place to drive future growth.

Workforce planning should be an inherently collaborative process that gathers input from a wide variety of stakeholders, including department heads, HR, executive leadership, boots-on-the-ground employees, and even industry experts. Together, you’ll consider the external trends, internal talent capabilities, and organizational growth projections to create a clear roadmap for your talent acquisition strategy.

Additional factors to consider include:

• Projected employee turnover rates
• Anticipated growth or decline in certain areas of the business
• Upcoming retirement or promotion of key employees
• Changes in technology and skills required for future job roles
• Diversity and inclusion goals
• Budget constraints and cost-saving measures

Crafting effective job descriptions

Even as talent operations move into an era of automation and data-driven decision-making, the humble job description remains just as important as ever. After all, it’s often the first impression a candidate has of your organization and can play a major role in attracting top talent.

Truly effective job descriptions go beyond mere lists of qualifications and responsibilities. They tell a story about the role and your company — one that resonates with the right candidates and clearly communicates the value they’ll bring to your team.

Try to write a job description that is concise yet comprehensive, detailing the key responsibilities and required qualifications while also highlighting the unique aspects of the role and your organization. By emphasizing opportunities for growth, company culture, and the impact of the role, you’ll attract candidates who are not only qualified but also motivated to contribute to your organization’s success.

Remember to also use inclusive language and avoid any unconscious biases that may turn off potential candidates. The last thing you want is to limit your talent pool by unintentionally excluding qualified individuals.

Finally, don’t be afraid to get creative. Past research from CareerBuilder has shown that job postings with video get 12% more views and 34% higher application rates than those without. Including visuals and multimedia can bring your job description to life while helping you to stand out in a sea of generic postings.

Building talent pipelines

Most talent acquisition activities circle back to one thing: building robust talent pipelines. While the term talent pool refers to a static list of potential candidates, talent pipelines are dynamic, ongoing processes that involve nurturing and engaging with potential candidates until they are ready to fill a role. This includes not only active job seekers but also passive candidates who may not be currently searching for a new position but could be open to the right opportunity.

To source candidates effectively, go beyond job boards and tap into social media networks, industry conferences, and partnerships with universities and professional organizations. By diversifying your candidate sourcing channels, you’ll widen your reach and connect with a broader range of potential candidates. Internal promotions and employee referrals are also valuable sources of talent, as they can bring in candidates who are already familiar with your organization’s values and culture.

Once you’ve identified potential candidates, focus on building relationships and maintaining communication through various touchpoints. This could include sending out regular newsletters or updates, hosting open houses, inviting potential candidates to networking events, or even personalized check-ins. The goal is to keep these individuals engaged and interested in your organization so that when a suitable opportunity arises, they will be more likely to apply.

Incorporating feedback from both candidates and hiring managers can also help improve your talent pipeline by pinpointing areas in need of adjustment. Gather feedback from hiring managers on the quality of candidates as well as any common pain points in the recruitment funnel. Similarly, ask candidates for their thoughts on the application process, interview experience, and overall impression of your organization.

GoodTime’s Candidate Pulse feature can be invaluable here, as it captures candid, role-specific feedback from your candidates via highly configurable surveys throughout the interview process.

Enhancing employer branding

Another important aspect of talent acquisition is the cultivation of a positive employer brand. Candidates are looking for more than just a paycheck. They want to work for organizations that align with their values, offer opportunities for growth and development, and have a positive reputation in the industry. Think of employer branding as both a reflection of your company’s core ethos and a promise to future employees about what they can expect.

To build a compelling brand, start with a clear understanding of what makes your organization unique. This includes your company culture, the opportunities for growth you offer, and your commitment to diversity and inclusion in hiring. Use these elements to craft a brand narrative that will resonate with your target candidates.

Leverage multiple channels to communicate your brand, including social media, employee advocacy programs, and industry events. Engaging content like behind-the-scenes videos, day-in-the-life stories, and employee testimonials can bring your brand to life.

Remember, consistency is key — ensure that your messaging aligns across all touchpoints, from job descriptions to onboarding materials. Candidates are savvy and can easily see through superficial attempts at branding. Instead, focus on highlighting your company’s true strengths and highlighting real employee experiences.

Streamlining the selection process

An effective selection process is essential for maintaining momentum in talent acquisition. A lengthy or disorganized hiring strategy can turn off candidates and lead to losing out on qualified applicants.

Start by simplifying your job application process — make it easy for candidates to apply by minimizing the steps required and avoiding lengthy, repetitive forms. Standardize your screening process by establishing clear criteria for each role and using consistent evaluation methods (i.e., skills assessments, structured interviews, and diverse interview panels).

Next, establish clear timelines and communicate regularly with candidates to keep them engaged and informed about their status in the process. This shows respect for their time and increases the likelihood of a positive candidate experience.

Proper utilization of your technology stack will also go a long way in maintaining a smooth and efficient process. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) can help you efficiently screen resumes, track candidate progress, and identify top talent, while automated interview scheduling platforms, like GoodTime, can help streamline the scheduling process and eliminate back-and-forth communication. Ideally, these tools should eliminate tedious manual and administrative tasks, giving your talent operations team more time to focus on building relationships with candidates and making informed hiring decisions.

Best practices for hiring and onboarding

So you’ve successfully attracted a pool of qualified candidates and have chosen the top candidate for the job. Congratulations! But the hiring process is not over yet. Now it’s time to focus on onboarding your new hire and setting them up for success in their new role.

Effective onboarding should focus on integrating new hires into the company culture and setting them up for long-term success. Begin with a well-organized orientation program that familiarizes new employees with company values, expectations, and resources. Pair them with mentors or buddies who can guide them through the initial stages and answer any questions they may have.

Regular follow-ups during the onboarding period are crucial. These check-ins provide an opportunity to address any issues, clarify expectations, provide feedback, and offer additional support where needed. Additionally, you may want to consider extending the onboarding process beyond the initial few weeks to include continuous learning and development opportunities. This long-term approach will not only boost employee satisfaction and retention but also foster a culture of continuous growth and improvement within the organization.

Best practices in talent acquisition

As mentioned above, talent acquisition is not a singular event. It is a continuous business activity that requires constant attention and improvement. The following are some best practices to keep in mind when it comes to refining and optimizing your talent acquisition process.

Leveraging technology and data

99% of talent acquisition leaders surveyed in our 2024 Hiring Insights Report said their teams used some form of automation or AI in the past 12 months. Here are some of the top tasks these teams cited using the tools for:

• Application/resume review and screening
• Creating interview questions
• Writing job descriptions
• Interview scheduling
• Drafting candidate communications

What’s the through line here? Time. Efficiency. Productivity.

Technology is being used to save time on tedious and repetitive tasks, freeing up recruiters’ schedules for more impactful activities like building relationships with candidates and personalizing the candidate experience.

Mah points out that “Talent Acquisition can manage supply and demand through AI, Analytics, and AI-driven customer practices for its candidates.” However, he also cautions that simply “digitalizing or going semi-manual doesn’t cut it because it’s masking a significant operational problem when budgets and resources are being questioned.” By strategically applying technology, talent acquisition teams can elevate their processes, driving better outcomes across the board. 

Take, for instance, AI recruitment tools like GoodTime, which automates up to 90% of interview management tasks. These tools don’t just save time, they enhance the entire interview process with intelligent interviewer selection, real-time feedback collection, engagement tracking, and advanced metric reporting.

Plus, by focusing on key recruitment metrics such as time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, sourcing channel conversion rate, and candidate satisfaction, your talent acquisition team can zero in on exactly what’s working and what’s not, making data-driven decisions to continuously improve your hiring processes.

Ensuring a positive candidate experience

A positive candidate experience is a core component of any successful talent acquisition strategy. Every step of the recruitment process should be designed with the candidate in mind, making sure that they feel respected, informed, and valued from start to finish.

One of the key ways to achieve this is through effective communication. Geva Whyte, a recruiting coordinator previously with OpenAI and Google Fiber, highlights the importance of this, noting that “style, tone, consistency, and frequency” of communication are vital in shaping a candidate’s experience.

He goes on to state, “Communication gives candidates an idea of the kind of culture they will be stepping into. In your communication with the candidates, are you coming off friendly and inviting? Stiff and robotic? Are you sending follow-up emails? Are you using the default boilerplate ATS rejection email if things don’t work out? One of the biggest and easiest pain points to solve is recruiters ghosting on candidates.”

The last thing you want is former applicants spreading negative experiences on social media and job review sites, tarnishing your employer brand and potentially turning off other potential candidates. In fact, even applicants who didn’t receive offers but had positive experiences can be advocates for your company.

Putting a final point of emphasis on the subject, Whyte advises, “The talent pool isn’t as big or as deep as organizations like to believe — candidates talk to each other. Even if a candidate doesn’t make it to the offer stage, they will still mention a positive interviewing experience which could lead to them referring people they know.”

Retention strategies for high-performing staff

With the amount of blood, sweat, and capital that goes into recruiting top talent, retaining them once they’re on board is just as important, if not more so. This sentiment was echoed in our 2024 Insights Report, in which TA leaders pointed to retention as their top expected hiring challenge over the next 12 months.

Here are some strategies to ensure your top talent stays engaged, motivated, and loyal:

1. Offer competitive compensation and benefits: Money isn’t everything, but it certainly plays a major part in an employee’s decision to stay or leave a company. Regularly review and adjust compensation packages to ensure they are competitive with industry standards. Consider performance-based bonuses, equity options, and other financial incentives that directly tie to the employee’s contributions.
2. Tailored development plans: High performers are driven by growth. Develop personalized career progression plans that align with their strengths and aspirations. Provide opportunities for continuous learning, advanced training, targeted mentorship, and leadership development to keep them challenged and engaged.
3. Encourage work-life balance: Your best workers often push themselves hard. Encourage a healthy work-life balance by offering flexible working arrangements, paid time off, and wellness programs. This not only improves their quality of life but also boosts productivity and loyalty.
4. Recognize and reward achievement: Recognition is a powerful motivator. Regularly acknowledge the hard work and achievements of your high performers, both publicly and privately. This could be through formal recognition programs, such as Employee of the Month, or more personalized gestures like a gift or one-on-one recognition with top leadership.
5. Foster a positive work environment: A supportive and inclusive work environment is key to employee satisfaction. Ensure that your organizational culture promotes teamwork, open communication, and respect. Address any issues of workplace toxicity immediately and create a safe space where employees feel valued and heard.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become increasingly important in today’s workplace. Companies that prioritize DEI not only create a more equitable and fair workplace for employees, but also tend to benefit from boosted creativity, improved innovation, and even increased profitability.

Some ways to incorporate DEI initiatives into your organization include:

• Diversifying hiring practices and actively seeking out a diverse pool of candidates
• Providing training on unconscious bias and promoting inclusive behavior
• Implementing diversity-focused mentorship or sponsorship programs
• Creating employee resource groups for underrepresented communities
• Regularly reviewing policies and processes to ensure they are equitable for all employees.

The commitment to building an inclusive environment can go a long way in strengthening your employer brand, marking your organization as a desirable and socially responsible place to work. Consider highlighting your diversity and inclusion hiring strategy in your company’s marketing materials and job postings to further amplify your commitment.

Real-world examples

Many leading companies have successfully implemented the strategies discussed, setting strong examples in the industry. For instance, Google’s approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion has been widely recognized. The company regularly publishes its annual diversity report, highlighting both progress and areas for improvement while actively working to create a more inclusive culture through targeted initiatives like unconscious bias training and employee resource groups.

By highlighting things like diversity statistics, employee testimonials, and initiatives like their “Next Billion Users” program aimed at connecting more people from underrepresented communities to the internet, Google is able to attract a segment of top talent that wants to feel a part of something bigger than just a 9-5 job.

When it comes to leveraging technology in talent acquisition, Netflix stands out. The company utilizes advanced AI-driven tools to streamline the selection process, ensuring that hiring decisions are data-driven and efficient. This approach not only speeds up the hiring process but also enhances the candidate experience by reducing biases and increasing transparency.

Looking ahead: Building a future-ready workforce

In a season where talent is scarce, and competition is fierce, a well-rounded talent acquisition strategy is your secret weapon. The entire journey, from crafting effective job descriptions to streamlining the selection process and ensuring a positive candidate experience, is about building a future-ready workforce that can drive your organization toward success.

Remember, this process is iterative. What works today may need refining tomorrow. As Whyte points out, “Having a dynamic recruiting process can allow organizations to adapt to market fluctuations,” ensuring that you can continue to attract and retain top talent even in a rapidly changing environment. The most successful companies are those that are willing to adapt, innovate, and put people at the heart of their strategy. 

By embracing these practices, you’re not just hiring talent — you’re securing the future of your organization.

The hiring process can make or break a successful company. Even if you have a fully staffed talent acquisition department equipped with advanced tools, the end-to-end process is often lengthy and complex. 

You need to balance business needs with the candidate experience, speed with quality, and efficient technology with a human touch. None of that comes easily — especially with multiple stakeholders involved. 

There’s a good chance you’re adding unnecessary steps when looking for the right candidate. What if, instead, you could feel confident you were leveraging only the most crucial hiring process steps? 

The good news is, you can. By streamlining your recruiting and interview processes, you can remain thorough and provide a positive experience for candidates. Keep reading to learn what hiring process steps to keep, which to skip, and how to cultivate a top-notch process.

Challenges of a lengthy hiring process

A lengthy hiring process can result in a poor experience for the candidate and the potential to lose top talent.  In fact, according to a LinkedIn report, 65% of candidates report losing interest in a job due to a poor interview experience. 

Poor candidate experience

Regardless of whether a candidate is ultimately hired, their experience matters. Think of the golden rule — treat people how you’d hope to be treated. 

Keep in mind that even when someone is no longer a job candidate, they might still be a consumer of your company’s product or service. It’s human nature to share poor experiences. Recent research reveals that 80% of candidates will spread the word about a poor interview experience, and a third of those will go out of their way to do so proactively. You may risk a hit to your reputation if candidates feel they’ve been treated unfairly. 

Longer time to hire

Time to hire isn’t just an important recruiting metric. The more time you spend assessing and interviewing candidates, the longer your role remains open, extending the timeline to having a productive employee on staff. Plus, the longer a role remains vacant, the more work falls onto the remaining team members, which can negatively impact morale. 

If you’re struggling with a long hiring process, you’re not alone. Last year, 44% of talent acquisition teams reported hiring took longer than the previous year. Just 10% of companies were able to hire faster than in the past. 

Losing top talent

Overlong hiring processes also lead to a risk of losing top candidates. The most qualified talent tends to be in demand, and if they’re weighing several offers and still only halfway through your process, chances are they’re not going to wait around. 

This not only puts you at risk of losing a top-performing hire, but it also provides an advantage to the competing company that lands the candidate. If top candidates are snatched up by other organizations, you may find yourself faced with the decision to either settle for a less qualified candidate or hold the role open even longer. Both of these have a negative impact on your team and goals. 

8 essential steps to streamline your hiring process

Every company has its own unique way of hiring, but for a smooth hiring process, there are eight steps we recommend across the board. 

1. Nail down your requirements 

First things first: decide exactly what your business needs and how your future hire can fulfill those needs. Ask questions like these:

• What role will they play within the team? 
• What duties will they have?
• What background and skills do they need to be successful? 

For example, if you’re hiring for a senior backend software developer, you’re likely targeting someone with 7-10 years of experience in a backend-focused coding language who has led important projects and mentored other developers. 

2. Hold an intake session

Before putting together a job posting, hold an intake meeting for the hiring managers and members of the recruitment team. This puts everybody on the same page regarding the expectations of the role. 

Hiring managers should share their interview plan, including the required steps and responsible party. Recruiters can use this time to share insight into the talent landscape, such as the availability of professionals, top companies from which to recruit, and the best places to source candidates. 

If the team anticipates a high volume of applicants, it can use the intake session to develop a rubric to help the recruiter determine who moves forward. 

While the intake meeting is a great way to kick off a search, recruiters and hiring managers should remain in close communication throughout the hiring process, either with regular meetings or daily updates.

3. Craft and publish a job posting

Once you’re clear on what you’re looking for in an ideal candidate, it’s time to draft a job posting and share it with the world. If your company has a specific template to structure job postings, start with that.

Use the information you discussed in the intake meeting to create a job posting that highlights why the right candidate should be interested. Show them what’s in it for them. Don’t oversell or exaggerate the positives, but make sure you explain what’s exciting and unique about the position. 

It’s equally important to describe the requirements you’re seeking. Often, this list includes:

• Years of experience
• Any degrees or certifications
• Particular skills or traits

Try to build a list of only objective qualities. You don’t want unnecessary biases to seep in. 

Once ready, post the job on your company’s career site and other relevant sites like LinkedIn and niche job boards within your industry. You can also share the posting internally and ask members of the team to send it to promising candidates in their networks. 

4. Generate and screen candidates

Once the job posting is live and the applications start pouring in, the talent acquisition team can begin reviewing and filtering resumes.

If there’s a high volume of candidates, you may be able to leverage AI tools to help filter through the resumes. To increase the likelihood of finding the best candidate, the recruiter may also source passive candidates who are not actively on the job hunt but could be a good fit. 

To preserve hiring managers’ time and ensure only the best candidates move forward, recruiters should conduct an initial candidate screening conversation. This meeting, which can be done via phone or video, will give you a better idea of the candidate’s experience and their interest in the company and role, along with logistical details like compensation and location expectations. 

5. Assess candidates’ skills

Depending on the position, many companies use skills assessments to get a deeper view into the candidate’s ability to perform the role, ensuring your final decision is based on more than just interviews. Per a LinkedIn report, 73% of recruiters listed skills-based hiring as a major priority.

These assessments can be explicitly skills-based, such as a coding assessment for a developer or a writing test for a communications professional. Avoid personality-based assessments, like the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator or DISC Assessment, as these are subjective.

Set a deadline for the candidate’s assessment. Give them a few business days to a week, depending on the project. Remember that waiting for an assessment can slow down the hiring process. 

If the candidate doesn’t complete the assessment, whether due to time constraints or on principle, the recruiter should still attempt to get feedback from them. It may provide valuable insight into areas of improvement in the assessment process.

6. Interview the best candidates

The amount and length of interviews will vary based on the company and position. It’s not unheard of for large companies, especially in tech, to have five-hour interview days. 

Before conducting interviews, the hiring team should have a detailed understanding of what to assess and how to do it. Prepare for success by: 

• Holding a pre-interview strategy session to ensure clarity across the team
• Making sure each interviewer is knowledgeable about the position 
• Assigning dedicated focus areas for each interviewer to avoid overlap and being unprepared

Like the job description, the interview questions should be free of bias and subjectivity. Each question should dig into the candidate’s ability to perform the job, not their personal traits.

7. Meet for debriefs

After each interviewer has completed their interviews and entered feedback into the system of record (this is frequently the ATS), the team should come together for a formal interview debrief. 

Usually led by the recruiter, the debrief allows the panel to discuss their impressions of the candidate. Ideally, everyone should have read the others’ feedback before the meeting, so this time can be used to dive into deeper questions or concerns. 

The goal of the debrief is to leave with a decision, whether that is to decline the candidate, make an offer, or move on to another interview.

8. Make your final selection and offer

After a candidate has completed the process and you’ve made your decision, the final hurdle is the offer process. 

This varies by company, of course, but this should include:

• Identifying the correct level for the candidate (such as senior or principal)
• Finalizing the salary and any other perks and monetary offerings (such as bonuses or equity)
• Gathering any required approvals
• Crafting an offer letter
• Presenting the offer to the candidate 

After the candidate receives the offer, they may negotiate for more money, increased vacation time, a signing bonus, or something else. The recruiter and hiring manager should partner with relevant HR stakeholders to determine any changes to the offer. 

Strategies for an efficient hiring process

A quick, efficient hiring process does not have to compromise on quality. It’s often necessary to cut or alter parts of the process to ensure a better experience. 

According to Monika Warchol, Talent Acquisition Operations Manager at Xcel Energy: “It’s about determining what the core problem is and then finding the shortest distance between the problem and the answer,” she says. “Sometimes it’s cutting a step out of a process, or even cutting a team out of a process, or a combination of things.”

Hiring process steps to skip

There are a few steps you can remove from your hiring process altogether, including cover letters, executive sign-off, and reference checks. 

Forgo cover letters

A recent GoodTime poll found that 64% of talent acquisition professionals feel cover letters are unnecessary. While some recruiters will read them, most don’t feel it’s a valuable use of time. 

To save recruiting time, simply eliminate the cover letter requirement. The bonus is that it saves the candidate time, too, and gives them more opportunity to tailor their resume to your job. If you really want to avoid dealing with cover letters entirely, you can set your system to only allow for resume uploads. 

Skip top leadership sign-offs 

Some companies have a requirement for top executives to sign off on every hire. This often holds up the process due to executives’ busy schedules. Plus, their lack of insight into the interview process often means they have to do extra research to understand the reason for the hire. 

There are also cases where the compensation or HR team must sign off on every offer, even if it’s fully in-budget and within the salary range.

While you may have the option to automate the approval process via your applicant tracking or HR system, an even better approach is to put trust in the hiring managers for a majority of roles. This means avoiding executive approval — perhaps getting final approval from the skip-level manager or department head — and removing the need for HR approval unless there is an exception.

Remove the reference check 

A reference check has long been seen as a way to gather data about how well an employee performs. 

Reference checks may not be as helpful as they appear, however. For one thing, they can hold up the hiring process, especially if a reference is hard to reach. Also, most candidates will only list people who will speak positively about them, so you’re unlikely to get truly unbiased and objective information from any reference calls. 

Instead, resolve to cultivate a stronger assessment process, such as leveraging behavioral interviewing to understand how a candidate has performed in the past. 

Steps to improve

Per Valeria Stanga, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner with HelloFresh, there’s always an opportunity to improve your recruitment process. “Every day, you can re-evaluate your ways of working, you can re-evaluate the tools that you’re using, and you can look for new ways to work smarter instead of harder. There’s always something that you can do in a more efficient way,” she shared.

There are several ways to elevate aspects of the hiring process, including more targeted assessments, consolidated interviews, and the use of recruitment automation tools. 

Focus your assessments

While an assessment can give you a view into a candidate’s ability to do the job, it’s important to use an assessment that is focused and not too long.

• Lengthy assessments hold up the interview process. They also impact a candidate’s experience. A better option is to leverage specific project assessments that align with the competencies established in the intake meeting. 
• Avoid testing too many skills. Instead, include a brief project that directly shows how a candidate’s skills match those needed for the role. A more focused assessment should take less time for the candidate to complete and less time for your team to review.
• Remove personality tests from your process. These are subjective and not scientifically based. Instead, gain insight into an employee’s collaboration and communication skills through the interview process. 

Consolidate interviews

There are several ways to consolidate the number of interviewers and interview rounds, such as:

• Designate a core interview panel that can assess different competencies. Then, assign specific focus areas to each interviewer. This gives you adequate coverage while avoiding overlapping questions or assessments. 
• Implement a structured interview process with standard questions. This leads to a fair and objective process while reducing the need for additional interviews. Provide interview training to ensure your hiring teams are equipped to ask both behavioral and role-specific questions.
• Leverage software and AI for recruiting. Set up automatic screening questions as part of the application. Candidates can provide initial answers to basic questions, letting you easily filter and focus your interviews on only the top candidates. 

Simplify scheduling

Scheduling often holds up the interview process due to back-and-forth messaging about availability and other details. Using a solution like GoodTime Hire can streamline the scheduling process. 

GoodTime offers automated interview scheduling that integrates with your company’s calendar system to match interviewers’ availability with candidates’ availability. There is no back-and-forth required, even when you need to schedule a full interview panel. 

Alternatively, you can leverage candidate self-scheduling. This feature allows candidates to select their own interview date and time from a predefined list. This can be especially helpful for single conversations like a recruiter pre-screening. 

GoodTime can also help choose the right interviewers based on factors like availability, areas of expertise, and diversity. 

Start streamlining your hiring process today

A streamlined hiring process reduces time to hire while improving your reputation as an employer of choice. This is even more important in a competitive talent market. It can be the difference between hiring your top candidate and letting an open role languish. 

The goal of improving your hiring process shouldn’t simply be efficiency. Instead, strive to find the right balance between speed and thoroughness. This will help you find the right candidate quickly while providing an excellent experience to everyone who engages in your process. 

By understanding the critical steps and leveraging technology, you can design a hiring process that entices top candidates and supports your strategic goals. Of course, updating your hiring process isn’t just a one-time project. Continually analyze data — like time-to-fill and offer acceptance rate — and gather feedback from key stakeholders to implement necessary improvements over time. 

Learn how GoodTime’s AI-powered interview scheduling software can help you improve your hiring process.