The single biggest mistake organizations make in acquiring talent is believing that the burden of proof is on the candidate; that the right candidate for the job will surface no matter how they go about screening the candidate pool. What they don’t understand is that the process through which the candidates are screened and evaluated is crucial to finding and hiring the right person for the job. It’s the organization’s responsibility to ensure that its talent acquisition process is as effective as possible. Although every organization has such a process in place, not all of them are effective. Thus, it’s important for any organization to spend some time evaluating and fine-tuning its process for acquiring talent
For example, many organizations stumble right out of the gate by writing job postings that are either frustratingly vague or overloaded with dense jargon and internal minutia. This can lead to either qualified candidates being confused by the job posting and passing it up, or the organization being swamped by applicants who are barely qualified for the job’s actual requirements. Employers also don’t often take advantage of automation during the screening process, giving their hiring professionals more of the burden of sifting through the applications and weeding out the candidates who are obviously unqualified. A few basic questions on the online application form can do the job of separating those unqualified candidates for them, allowing hiring professionals to concentrate on the real candidates.
The accompanying guide lists some of the most basic ways organizations can overhaul their talent acquisition processes to ensure they will always hire the best possible person for the job. From the initial job posting to the final interview, there are numerous points throughout the process where organizations may need some streamlining. Hiring someone for your organization is more than just filling an open desk — it’s a fundamental change that impacts your entire organization from top to bottom. Ultimately, your talent acquisition process should reflect the importance of that task.
Guest blogger Ron Emery is CEO + Founder of icrunchdata, the premier content platform for jobs and news in data science, analytics and technology. He’s the visionary business leader for brand and product development, including online operations and digital media strategy.