Real Estate Employers: Is A Slow Hiring Process Costing You The Best Candidates?

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You know when that thing you’ve been telling your clients for years turns out to be not just your advice, but a widely shared experience, now backed up by data?

 

That happened to us today.

For years, we’ve been warning clients to move quickly when hiring. A newly released survey has backed up our oft-repeated assertion by demonstrating that stretching out the hiring process can indeed cause employers to lose out on the best candidates. The survey, conducted by Robert Half (NYSE:RHI) and reported by Staffing Industry Analysts, asked workers how they responded to hiring processes that go on for weeks, or months.

From the Staffing Industry Analysts article:

When faced with a lengthy hiring process, 39% of survey respondents said they lose interest and pursue other roles, while 18% decide to stay put in their current job. Nearly one-third, 32%, said a protracted hiring process makes them question the organization’s ability to make other decisions.

 

So what’s lengthy?  That will vary with the position and the level of screening / number of interviews you need to conduct for a highly responsible executive vs. a title assistant, mortgage processor or escrow assistant. Here’s our advice: eliminate delays. Plan for the end of the hiring process on the day you post the position – target new hire start date and all. Then eliminate delays during the process. Screen resumes quickly, call and interview candidates promptly and always leave no more than a few days between steps, such as first and second interview, or second interview and offer. In today’s title, escrow and mortgage hiring market, talented candidates find work quickly.

Acting quickly when hiring will help you avoid losing the best candidates to other jobs, and from our experience, will impress the right candidates, as well. If urgency, decisiveness and service are important parts of your company culture, demonstrate that “get things done” culture in your hiring process. You’ll be surprised how often the “get things done” candidates will recognize your company as a place they’d fit right in.