In construction’s competitive job market, you need a hiring process that is fast, meaningful, and efficient. This is the only way you’re going to come out on top when there’s a labor shortage. The best talent will go with the company that makes them feel valued and wanted. These tips will help you improve your hiring process in 2019.

Speed Things Up

The hiring process shouldn’t take more than 3 weeks from start to finish. Many companies spend weeks and weeks interviewing candidates because of disorganization, indecision, and other factors. When the process takes too long, candidates lose interest or move on to another opportunity, and you lose out on talent. You have to think about each step of your hiring process and eliminate any steps that aren’t necessary. You’re likely making candidates jump through hoops that they don’t need to.

Every Interview Needs to Have a Purpose

Make sure that every scheduled interview has a clear focus and purpose. If you are doing a follow-up interview, you don’t want to repeat the same questions you asked in the original interview. Give each meeting a designated agenda. For example, your candidate may have one meeting with HR and another meeting with the hiring manager to discuss experience and cultural fit. The goal is to learn new and valuable information, so meetings can’t be redundant. Plus, you risk annoying the candidates if you ask them questions or give them information that have already been discussed.

Treat Candidates with Respect

One of the most important facets of the hiring process is the way you treat the candidates. You want them to feel like you value their time and talent. For this reason, you have to be flexible about interview times and sensitive to time changes. If you want to hire someone who is currently employed, then you need to be considerate of their time restraints. Although you want these candidates to come work for your company, you don’t want to do anything that could negatively impact their current job. You also want to listen to them and treat interviews as conversations. You don’t want the candidate to feel like they’re jumping through hoops or that you don’t care about what they have to say.

Be Transparent

The most effective hiring practices include a high level of transparency. The candidates need to know what to expect throughout every step of the process. For example, the candidates need to know exactly who they’re meeting with and what the interview will be like. Is it going to be a one-on-one interview, or will they be meeting with a committee? The candidate needs to be informed so they can prepare for the interview successfully. The candidate should know where they stand within 24 hours after being interviewed. They should know if they are moving forward in the process or if you are not interested.

It’s never been harder to find great talent in the construction industry. You need to be strategic if you want to win over candidates. One thing you should focus on is making your hiring process as efficient and engaging as possible. You want candidates to feel excited about working for your company.

 

How can we help you?

Searching for an opportunity in the construction industry? Contact The Birmingham Group today to discuss your career path or browse our open positions.

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