27th September 2022 4 MIN READ •Talos ATS •Hiring Tips
Recruitment… can… feel… sloooooow… Many of us accept this as a simple fact of Human Resources. But how long is too long? Is there a best-practice standard to aim for when planning your hiring process?
In this article, we’ll try to answer just that before identifying some solutions you can implement to speed up your recruitment process and improve the time it takes to recruit a new employee.
Key takeaway
- The recruitment process takes an average of 34 days or 4.9 weeks from start to finish, according to data from StandOut CV
- The process of recruiting new candidates involves planning, analysis, searching, screening, engagement, selection, and onboarding, all of which take time
- The recruitment process may take longer in some more specialist industries, while the type of role and its location can also impact how long the hiring process takes
- Employers can take steps to speed up the recruitment process, including by automating time-consuming hiring admin and embracing video interviewing. Talos ATS facilitates this, enhancing and streamlining the end-to-end hiring process
Table of Contents
How long does the recruitment process take?
According to StandOut CV, the average time to hire in the UK is 34 days or 4.9 weeks in duration.
Factors that affect how long recruitment should take
Before you compare your time to hire and time to fill against the national average, it’s important to note that the duration of the recruitment process will vary depending on several factors.
1. Industry
For some industries, the recruitment process is considerably longer. Some industries require extra steps, including essential recruitment compliance, background checks, and screening. The Energy & Defence industry has the longest time to hire at 67 days, whereas the average time to hire in hospitality is just 10.2 days.
2. Location
The location of an organisation can also have an impact on the duration of hiring. Businesses operating in larger cities and urban areas have a much larger talent pool to target, considerably reducing time to hire compared to those situated in rural areas.
3. Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
Employee value proposition refers to the combination of tangible and intangible benefits you offer your people. Understanding your EVP can help businesses position their employer brand quicker to candidates, increasing the likelihood of them accepting interviews and job offers.
4. Type of role
Specialist roles – especially those at executive level – are likely to take a longer time to fill than more junior, entry-level, and graduate positions. On average, Executive roles take up to 120 days to fill, compared to the average 30 days expected for entry-level roles.
The recruitment process
Before asking ‘how long should recruitment take?’, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of each stage of the hiring process. Here’s a breakdown of the seven-stage recruitment model:
- Planning
- Analysis
- Searching
- Screening
- Engagement
- Selection
- Onboarding
Read more: What are the 7 stages of recruitment?
How to reduce how long it takes to recruit a new employee
A lengthy time to hire is a common complaint amongst employers and their recruitment teams. Here are some actions you can take to speed up how long it takes to recruit a new employee.
1. Upgrade your hiring tech toolkit
Tim Clifford, Talos360 Talent Insights Specialist, says: “Recruitment software is one of the most powerful solutions for speeding up the hiring process.” Platforms such as Applicant Tracking Systems help to streamline everyday HR workflows, while keeping applicant data secure and GDPR compliant.
After implementing Talos, ATS Lancashire Cricket Club reduced their time to hire by 50%, bringing the total time to fill down to just 6 weeks. Using an ATS will drastically reduce the amount of time your team spends on recruitment admin while increasing accuracy in vital recruiting metrics.
2. Integrate virtual screening/interviews
Screening and interviewing candidates is one of the most time-consuming aspects of recruitment. By integrating video interviewing sessions – such as through video/voice call sessions – you can process more applicants over a shorter space of time.
This also lifts various ‘barriers to entry’ for candidates, such as their geographical location or work schedule – allowing them to chat with your hiring team remotely. In-house recruiters can also further reduce how long it takes to recruit new hires by improving the efficiency of their interviewing and following an interview checklist.
3. Automate essential hiring processes
It’s no secret that automated processes save valuable time in recruitment. Take data collection, for example – integrating application forms with your ATS saves valuable admin time for your team.
Just like data management, many other everyday hiring processes can be partially or sometimes even totally automated! This includes email/SMS scheduling, candidate screening automation, and even employee onboarding.
While introducing automation into your hiring process while requiring you to dip further into your recruitment budget, the benefit of a significant reduction in the time it takes to recruit a new employee will soon outweigh the costs.
4. Use employee referrals to your advantage
Your employees are your most valuable employer brand advocates; they have a huge amount of influence within your industry’s job market and how long it takes to recruit new hires.
To really put your employer brand to use, introduce employee referrals by incentivising their recommendations for new/upcoming vacancies. Who knows – your ideal candidate may already sit within your employee network, be this family, friend, or colleague…
For most organisations, their employee referral scheme offers £200 for any successful hire, making employee referrals a relatively inexpensive strategy for reducing the time it takes to recruit a new employee.
Introducing…
Talos ATS: Quicker & Easier Hiring Process
Want an easier way to speed up your hiring process? Talos ATS is the answer!
Talos ATS is an all-in-one solution for in-house recruitment, giving you all the tools you need to achieve fast & effective hiring.
Time-saving automations
The platform provides a range of easy-access automation to promote speed and efficiency in your recruitment process. These include:
- Intelligent CV screening automations
- Automatic progression of your strongest applicants
- Email/SMS communication automations
- ATS-integrated application forms/careers site for seamless data capture
Intuitive Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
With Talos, it has never been easier for employers to confidently recruit new talent using their own HR team.
The next-generation ATS allows for a cost-effective, streamlined approach to attracting, managing, and hiring the best talent.
Talos ATS includes:
- Intuitive Applicant Tracking Suite
- Multi-platform job poster
- Recruitment and advertising suite
- Psychometric candidate assessments
- Integrated Video interviewing
- Fully branded automated SMS & email communications
- Automated progression for strongest candidates
- Remote onboarding tools
- Reference checking & e-signing capabilities
- Integrated background checks
Discover our quick and easy recruitment software toolkit:
