Time to hire is a metric that anyone in recruiting or Human Resources is very familiar. The new job is approved and all of a sudden the clock is ticking. There will always be an extenuating circumstance that impact the overall time it takes to hire a new employee, but if done right there are some keys that you can follow to ensure this new employee search minimizes the time and impact on the organization.

When beginning a new search, it is always important to engage the key stakeholders. All too often we receive a new requisition and start the search only to find out what we thought we were looking for and what the hiring manager is looking for are two completely different things. A great way to ensure that everyone is on the same page is to have a quick conversation or phone call to discuss the position. Think of it as a level setting exercise. In this initial call here are some keys to iron out:

• What does an “A” player look like to the hiring manager

• What are the minimum requirements for a candidate to be considered
  Timeframe this individual needs to be placed. After they verbalize the desired timeframe make sure to set the expectation; not all jobs are filled in the same amount of time. Some positions can be filled in days while specialized jobs may take much longer. Make sure that the hiring manager understands a realistic timeframe to place a candidate

• Compensation parameters (make sure to understand total compensation, bonus, commission, company stock plan participation)

• Do some research in advance and ensure the compensation parameters are in-line with the competition

• Ask about the competition, are their past employers you should be looking for on a resume

• Get an idea of their availability for interviews, if possible get access to their calendar

Once you have accomplished the kick-off call and are aligned with the key stakeholders its now time to get the sourcing/recruiting process started. Once you have completed the initial meeting with the hiring manager sit down and evaluate what it is going to take to place that candidate. Be honest when looking at the requirements for the position and know your bandwidth. Understand that time is money, for every internal hour spent there is a cost associated. I was recently consulting with a tech company that was using division leaders to handle recruiting. The company tasked director and executive level staff making $75+ an hour with recruiting. In speaking with the managers responsible with filling the position(s) they were spinning their wheels trying to find candidates. Once I did the math on the time commitment and the cost to the company they quickly established that they needed to outsource. In the same context if it is a highly specialized position and you merely are spread too thin, then you need to look at hiring an outside recruiter to place the candidate. Alternatively, if you have a position that receives many applications and you will not have time to work through all of the requisitions you may consider outsourcing the sourcing process to a third-party. Regardless of the scenario understand your ability to devote the time and necessary resources to get the position filled. If the time commitment it is going to take to fill the position and the time/resources you have available do not align then ask for help!

If you are going to move forward and manage the position internally, then check out our blog post on sourcing talent for some great ideas on how to navigate the sourcing process effectively.