Five or six years ago, candidates were lining up outside the door. Now, demand in the current IT market is ferocious and top talent is being chased by multiple companies at once, each looking to snag them before competitors can act. This drastic reversal has impacted the entire hiring cycle and not surprisingly, the interview process for new employees has witnessed substantial changes.
How have interview processes changed most? Three main trends, depending on the action you take, can affect your interview process in this competitive tech market.
As the demand for IT professionals soars, it is not unreasonable to assume the average length of the hiring process would decrease. In fact, we are experiencing the exact opposite. The average length of time it takes to hire has gone up to 23 days, according to a Glassdoor study. What is causing this counterintuitive response? The reason may be twofold.
What is the greatest way to avoid falling into this trap? Always keep a sense of urgency while hiring. Companies that remain conscious of their timelines are less likely to miss out on perfect employees who are a fit for both tech skills and culture.
When candidates were plentiful, complicated interview processes were less damaging. Even if there was some fall-off, the selection was so ample it rarely mattered. Now, anything but streamlined interviews can be an act of self-destruction.
What can be eliminated from interview schedules? Primarily, any forms or tests that can be completed before or after an interview. They take up time, distract hiring managers, and occupy office space as the candidate fills them out. Internal application forms and personality tests can be included in the application materials or set up through online portals. Others can be completely eliminated.
Additionally, if a specific form can wait until the candidate has accepted a job, then leave it. Though it may add more work to the administrative side later on, a streamlined interview ensures the opportunity to onboard the candidate in the first place.
Time is less dispensable these days. Along with all the other measures to cut down on elongated interviews, some companies have turned to technology to condense down the length of their interview process. One way we see that reflected in the market is through the growing prominence of video interviews.
Approximately 63 percent of companies are using video conferencing to interview candidates to speed up the hiring process. Video conferencing tools are replacing preliminary in-person interviews and phone interviews because they blend the best of both options.
One of the only caveats is that some of the usual visual cues that exist in a face-to-face interview are lost. “Eye contact” is less frequent as candidates are naturally inclined to look at your eyes on the screen instead of directly into their web camera. Additionally, it becomes harder to read a person’s body language when you can only see a portion of them. That is why successful companies only use video interviews to augment, not completely replace, face-to-face interviews. Candidates are easier to read when they are present person-to-person.
What is another way companies have sped up the interview process? They are reaching out to IT staffing companies. Since technical recruiters have experience screening out poorly matched candidates, they can eliminate unnecessary interviews and still garner positive results. Plus, good technical recruiters will check in with their clients to determine a candidate’s status and keep the interview process for new employees on track.
Platform Staffing can provide that level of speed and quality to your business. We have over 25 years of experience in the IT staffing industry and can deliver results to your business in even the most competitive of hiring climates. Contact us today to begin your next candidate search.
