Employers have found themselves in a candidate’s market: In many sectors, job applicants are holding the power, with job vacancies abounding and demand for talent higher than ever. That reality is challenging hiring leaders to optimize the recruiting, hiring and onboarding processes so they can offer a fast, efficient experience where no candidate will fall through the cracks.

Before the current market exploded for candidates, far too many employers let the hiring experience be a lengthy one, with rounds upon rounds of interviews, followed by in-depth vetting and screening, and just as much tedious onboarding paperwork. When candidates have the options they do today, that inefficiency just won’t work. Instead, employers need to act fast and smart to get the best and brightest in their doors.

Optimize your hiring strategy with these tips:

• Consolidate: Instead of requiring applicants to be interviewed separately by hiring managers, HR and executives, bring all of those stakeholders together for one joint session. That can significantly cut down on the time lag associated with scheduling multiple interviews and let your candidates know that you value their time and are eager to provide a seamless candidate experience.
• Go virtual: While there may be some instances in which candidates need to take part in the hiring or onboarding process in person, be realistic about what requires face-to-face interaction and what doesn’t. For instance, finding time for a candidate to come into an office and fill out paperwork can delay the process and, especially given the ongoing pandemic, may best serve candidates’ needs when done virtually.
• Automate where you can: Similarly, tap into technology to help speed up the process and free up your HR team’s time and attention for other tasks. HR professionals are too often sidelined by processes and paperwork associated with hiring and onboarding. When technology can instead automate those time-consuming tasks, HR can focus efforts on attracting the best talent to the organization—and let the tech do the work of getting them settled.

At Integrity Staffing Solutions, we recently rolled out the Opportunity Engine application, which allows clients and their new hires to conduct the entire onboarding process through the app. The solution matches candidates with open roles, facilitates applications and, once an offer is made, manages the entire onboarding process from start to finish. OpEn allows employees to submit all of their new hire paperwork right in the app, allowing for easy verification and document processing on the part of employers. Instead of having to solicit, schedule and track the submission of onboarding materials, HR professionals can navigate around the red tape and significantly reduce time to fill.

We were already in a fast-paced, digitally connected world before the pandemic—and the global crisis has only served to accelerate that need for speed and efficiency. Today’s candidates expect a fast-moving hiring process—without it, you could stand to lose leading talent.