For most companies, high volume hiring is a rare event that occurs during a time of unparalleled expansion. Opening a new facility or record company expansion may necessitate staffing hundreds or thousands of open positions in a short time period. Human resource departments accustomed to hiring a few employees as needed can find the process overwhelming or impossible to achieve at scale without making sacrifices in either applicant quantity or quality. Achieving company expansion goals within the prescribed timeline requires proactive and innovative action to streamline the process of identifying and hiring talented candidates.
Identifying, vetting, and managing this process is where volume recruiters excel. While in-house human resource recruiters may oversee a high-volume event once or twice in their career, volume hiring firms specialize in this type of talent acquisition. They have first-hand experience employing practices that successfully attract the right talent and the ability to meet hiring goals within the prescribed time frame. They also have the processes, skills, and staff available to help with the onboarding process – ensuring the success and retention of new employees.
Plan Ahead
With all the moving parts that must come together simultaneously to ensure a timely opening of a new business location, it can be challenging to know where to start and how to coordinate efforts. An overarching hiring plan with small, achievable goals is imperative.
First, determine your hiring volume and the timing required to fill each type of position. Remember to account for each step in the hiring process, including drug screening, interviews, and application review. Volume recruiters regularly place five to seven applicants per day, but less experienced staff may require more time to evaluate each candidate.
Once you establish your deadlines and estimate the time needed at each phase, work backward from your grand opening. Set attainable weekly goals that allow you to focus on your advancement toward important milestones. Visuals charts or graphs reflecting progress will let you know if you fall behind.
Expand Your Reach
The talent pool you typically tap into for new hires is likely too limited to staff an entire facility. Posting job opportunities on your website or social media may yield a few prospects, but you will fall short in finding high volume and high talent.
Staffing agencies can quickly reach many more qualified individuals, tapping into their pool of contacts and performing targeted outreach. They can establish a much broader pipeline of skilled applicants. Intimately familiar with the job market, they may be aware of untapped talent, as well. For example, furloughed or laid off employees with the skillset you need or college students on the verge of entering the job market. These unemployed people are an ideal resource for growing businesses and contact centers.
Employ Automation
Many steps in the hiring process, when done at volume, are tedious and repetitive. It is not necessary to go through the motions separately with each applicant. Some steps can and should be completed with the assistance of technology. Tasks such as scheduling interviews, digital paperwork, and educating candidates about the company can occur online with minimal assistance from recruiters or HR personnel. Automating these processes yields a consistent candidate experience and frees up time for hiring staff to devote to vetting each applicant’s skills and cultural fit.
Emerging technology in machine learning and artificial intelligence may offer more automation in coming years as machines learn to evaluate candidates. Computers could expedite hiring processes by matching a candidate’s skills and experience to open positions, streamlining the hiring process by eliminating hundreds of working hours assessing resumes.
Watch Metrics
The time investment required for each person hired, known as time to hire, is a significant statistic in the hiring process. It can serve as a measure of whether recruitment dollars are being spent wisely. While it is essential to understand the time required to place each candidate, it leaves out significant factors that contribute to the overall success of a volume hiring campaign. It does not consider the increased cost of hiring top talent or finding individuals with rare skills to fill unique positions.
It is vitally important to examine the quality of hires resulting from your efforts. Are new employees satisfied in their position, and are candidates filling the needs of the company? A small level of attrition is expected when hiring in volume, as not all employees will find the position fulfilling. However, if many employees are leaving or the organization cannot be successful with the staff on hand, the process is not working well. You may be hiring too quickly without adequately communicating job requirements and benefits. Slowing down your pipeline speed and focusing more intently on candidate quality can ensure high volume hiring works in your favor.
In Over Your Head?
Successful high volume hiring can be challenging to achieve, and many HR departments lack the experience and the labor to get the job done. For many companies, a high volume recruiting firm makes the process much smoother. You are free to focus your attention on acquiring materials, equipment, and furnishing your commercial space. At the same time, the recruitment firm acts as an extension of your HR department, finding, hiring, and onboarding the best employees to grow your business.
