Vetting, interviewing, and onboarding new hires is a time-consuming process. If you factor in the need to make multiple hires in a certain time frame, many companies are faced with a problem. Which positions do we hire for first? Most companies seek to grow at a steady pace, to make sure they are not making rushed hiring decisions. This often means prioritizing one position over the next.
If all of this has you feeling flustered, don’t worry— We’ve compiled our top tips for prioritizing hiring needs.
Organize Your Wants and Needs
This step is incredibly important to your hiring process when hiring for multiple positions. Think about where you are as a company, and where you'd like to be. Break your big dreams down into bite-sized increments. Decide how you are going to move toward your goals in the next 90 days, in the next 6 months, and in the next calendar year.
Maybe you are planning a project that requires making multiple hires, quickly. Maybe business is booming and you need more hands on deck. In these situations, staying organized is key.
Try making a visual organizer, whether on a whiteboard, with sticky notes, or even on a sheet of notebook paper, to help collect your thoughts.
Hear Your Team Out
Take an honest look at the current state of affairs, taking the company as a whole into consideration. What gaps in workflow need to be filled immediately? Which gaps are manageable by team members you have at present?
There is nobody better suited to answer these questions than somebody who is already on the team. When in doubt, you can always count on your teammates to give you honest feedback on which positions they think should take precedence. Asking these questions of the team now will streamline your hiring process, and help to avoid any internal discovery periods or disagreements between colleagues.
Provide your crew with a list of current openings, and listen to what they have to say.
Create a Process AND Stick To It
Don’t allow unnecessary barriers to hold back a decision to make an offer. Waiting too long could cause you to lose out on a great candidate to a competitor.
Many firms make the decision to create an internal hiring team or task force. In theory, this is a good idea. But, with the rapid influx of work that often follows company growth, the vetting and interviewing processes may be placed on the backburner. As your job postings gain momentum, it may seem like the easiest course of action is to hire quickly and keep the ball rolling. But with a growing company comes growing pains, and your hasty hire may not be able to rise to the occasion.
When in Doubt, Seek External Help
Ask yourself one question: Do you need to outsource your recruiting, or is your internal team able to handle making multiple hires at once? Worrying about your hiring process can be an overwhelming thought when you have your own daily responsibilities to attend to. Taking on a partner to help facilitate the process is just one way to alleviate some stress.