We found this article by Dr. John Sullivan published at www.ere.net that addresses “damages” resulting from slow hiring processes. Now, we normally are engaged to help companies fill empty jobs ASAP, therefore slow hiring processes are not common to us. Certainly, we do have Search Projects that get delayed pending another event, the end of vacation periods, or the results of a business quarter.
Three years ago we finally filled an executive Human Resources role a full year after the Project was kicked off after numerous delays. Again, that was an unusual occurrence, for sure. So, as we read Dr. Sullivan’s article, we wonder why companies would hire slowly. Is the selection criteria confusing? Maybe they are unsure about the importance of the role? Are bureaucratic processes stifling progress? Is the organization considering internal candidates? Surely, no company would deliberately move at a snail’s pace when it’s public knowledge that there’s a war for talent!
For years we had a great client who deliberately left a position vacant for 30-60 days so he could measure the importance of the role and identify the ideal selection criteria to support his team going forward. However, once he had made up his mind, he moved quickly to fill the role. In today’s highly competitive market, once companies engage candidates with in-demand talents, they should be motivated to maintain momentum, to keep lines of communication open so those highly qualified candidates don’t lose interest as Dr. Sullivan warns. Of course, that’s an important role we perform as our clients’ ambassadors. We do keep the information bridge intact to keep candidates motivated.
Enjoy the Article! ~ Jim Fairfax
Slow Hiring Is Damaging Your Firm and Here are 20 Reasons Why
