How staffing firms increase hiring speed: What to know

January 27, 2023

How staffing firms can increase hiring speed

Many organizations rely on staffing firms to streamline their hiring processes, as these firms can go a long way in improving recruitment and retention. If you want to ensure your staffing firm meets this expectation, you can depend on proven strategies ranging from continuous recruitment to the creation of effective job descriptions. Learn more about how your staffing firm can increase hiring speed for your clients and explore strategies that can help you improve the efficiency of your recruiting practices.

Why increasing hiring speed is important

A speedy hiring process is important because it ensures your clients' organizations have the employees they need to meet their goals. Companies must be able to hire new employees to manage expanding operations while maintaining the quality of their products and services. Additionally, you'll be able to quickly replace employees when they leave a client's organization involuntarily or in pursuit of new opportunities.

Aside from ensuring your clients' companies remain staffed, a speedy hiring process allows you to recruit top talent. It's common for candidates to apply to multiple companies during their job search in order to maximize their chances of landing desirable positions. If you want to attract qualified candidates before other companies snatch them up, you can stay competitive by quickly extending job offers. Fast hiring decisions are a simple yet effective way to help your clients stand out from competitors and recruit top talent.

What slows down hiring speed?

Here are some factors that can slow down hiring speeds:

Poor job descriptions
Lack of recruiting resources
Excessive rounds of interviews
Poor organization
Failure to target qualified candidates whose goals align with those of a client's organization

How staffing firms increase hiring speed

Here are some tactics you can use to help your staffing firm increase hiring speed:

Invest in recruiting resources

The sole goal of a staffing firm is to recruit talented candidates for organizations, so they need to have the appropriate team members and tools readily available. For instance, you might train your staff to complete tasks like reviewing resumes and conducting interviews. You can also ensure these professionals are familiar with what type of talent clients need to fulfill their hiring goals. Additionally, staffing firms can use tools like applicant tracking systems (ATS) and network with related organizations.

Write effective job descriptions

A good job description caters to search engines to ensure qualified candidates can find your postings. You might use keywords regarding the role's title and primary duties. Effective job descriptions not only target talented professionals but also deter unqualified candidates from applying. Listing the role's responsibilities and necessary qualifications helps attract only those actually interested in the role, which can save your staffing firm time when weeding through candidates.

Run targeted ads

While many companies post open roles for free on talent networking sites, staffing firms often run targeted ads. This strategy involves a greater monetary investment, but it can increase your chances of hiring qualified candidates, which ultimately helps you save during the hiring process. Targeted ads reach talented professionals who meet the listed qualifications and encourage them to apply.

These ads also tend to be more visible in search results, which can help your clients stand out from competitors. When creating targeted ads, be sure to optimize the job description as you would with any other posting. You can use relevant keywords and speak directly to the candidate to illustrate why they would be a valuable member of your client's team.

Optimize the application process

Staffing firms tend to increase hiring speed by optimizing the application process. Your firm can implement this practice by evaluating the details you're currently collecting from candidates. An application that requests excessive information may turn away candidates who are busy with their intensive job searches. At the same time, you want to ensure you collect enough information to filter your candidate pool effectively. Consult with your clients to determine what details are necessary to collect early on and what information you can wait to discuss during interviews.

Check references early

A candidate might seem desirable on paper and in interviews, but staffing firms often verify their credibility by checking references, and it's better to do this sooner rather than later. For instance, imagine that a candidate makes it all the way to the last round of interviews. You call their former employers, only to discover that the candidate was consistently late and lied about the extent of their experience. This information leads you to choose another candidate, but being aware of it earlier would've saved you from taking the time to interview the unqualified candidate.

Communicate with candidates

Yet another way staffing firms increase hiring speed is through prompt communication with candidates. The positive feedback loop can start with updates regarding the hiring process. When candidates receive timely updates, they understand that you're respecting their time, and they may remain interested in your open position.

Consistent communication also helps ensure that candidates get back to you as quickly as possible. For instance, you might need to request documentation from them before proceeding with the hiring process. Reliable communication channels include phone calls and emails, though you might also consider using text messages and social media. Try to use the channels your candidates prefer to streamline communication.

Use an ATS

Depending on how large a client's organization is, you may receive dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of applications for a single open position. You can use an ATS to automate the screening process and track all of the potential candidates. This technology saves you the trouble of sorting through resumes and tags what it deems to be the most qualified ones. Other ATS capabilities include:

Creating effective job descriptions via keyword-rich templates
Maximizing job listing visibility on networking sites
Facilitating collaboration across hiring teams
Tracking a candidate's journey through the hiring process

"An application that requests excessive information may turn away candidates who are busy with their intensive job searches. At the same time, you want to ensure you collect enough information to filter your candidate pool effectively."

Limit stakeholder input

While your first instinct might be to gather input from everyone in your firm and the client's organization regarding the hiring process, consider limiting stakeholder input. Involving fewer people in the decision-making process can lead to quicker and more straightforward decisions. You'll also cut down on the number of interview rounds, thus respecting the candidates' time and saving on internal resources. As long as you and your client agree on recruiting goals, they should be able to trust you to make sound decisions.

Practice continuous recruitment

Instead of waiting for positions in your clients' organizations to open, a staffing firm can practice continuous recruitment. This strategy involves constantly looking for top talent to ensure you always have access to qualified candidates. The networking that stems from continuous recruitment allows you to build relationships with professionals and contact them when positions become available.

Streamline your onboarding process

While staffing firms are all about recruiting new employees, they also prioritize retainment. Retention ensures that your efforts last beyond the initial hiring stages. You can optimize retention rates by streamlining your onboarding process. Try to give new employees the resources they need to succeed in their roles with your clients. Other tips for streamlining the onboarding process include:

Completing paperwork as efficiently as possible
Communicating the organization's culture and goals
Asking for and incorporating feedback

As you can see, a speedy hiring process can have tremendous benefits. By implementing strategies like communicating with employees, using automation, and checking references early on in the hiring process, your staffing firm can attract qualified candidates more effectively. These tips should help you get the employees you need to fill empty positions and retain top talent for your clients.