Quality over quantity: Hiring the best candidates

Did you know? According to Recruit CRM, organisations that invest in a strong candidate experience improve the quality of their new hires by 70%​!

Following Covid, the hiring focus tilted towards quantity - filling as many positions as quickly as possible. However, the emphasis should be on hiring quality candidates who not only fit the role but also align with the company's culture and long-term goals. Prioritising quality over quantity in hiring is essential for building a robust and effective team, leading to better retention rates, enhanced productivity and overall organisational success. We talked about this back in April with our 5 top tips, but now we've passed the halfway mark of the year, we thought a more holistic chat would be useful too!

The pitfalls of a quantity-focused approach

Recruiters who prioritise quantity often encounter several issues:

1. High turnover rates: Candidates hired in haste may not be the best fit, leading to higher turnover and associated costs.
2. Decreased productivity: Employees who lack the necessary skills or motivation can drag down team performance.
3. Poor cultural fit: Hiring quickly can lead to mismatched values, causing friction within teams and a negative impact on the workplace environment.

The implications of a quantity-driven hiring process are significant. High turnover rates mean that companies are perpetually in hiring mode, which is both time-consuming and costly. Furthermore, decreased productivity from ill-suited employees can lead to missed deadlines, reduced quality of work, and an overall dip in team morale. Poor cultural fit often results in a toxic work environment, where employees feel disconnected and disengaged, leading to further attrition and a cycle of constant hiring and training.

The benefits of focusing on quality

1. Improved retention: Quality hires are more likely to stay with the company, reducing turnover costs and maintaining team stability.
2. Higher productivity: Skilled and motivated employees contribute more effectively to achieving business goals.
3. Positive workplace culture: Employees who fit well with the company culture enhance team dynamics and morale.

Investing in quality hires translates into a more stable workforce. Employees who are well-suited to their roles and the company culture are likely to be more engaged and satisfied, leading to longer tenure. This stability fosters a more cohesive team environment, where productivity can flourish. A positive workplace culture, nurtured by employees who share the company’s values and vision, contributes to higher overall morale and job satisfaction.

Implementing effective screening processes

One of the key strategies to ensure the hiring of quality candidates is the implementation of thorough screening processes. Screening questions are an effective tool to filter out unsuitable candidates early in the recruitment process. Here’s how:

1. Customised screening questions: Tailor questions to the specific requirements of the role. For example, asking about relevant certifications, specific skills, and past experiences can help identify candidates who meet the necessary criteria.
2. Behavioural and situational questions: These questions can gauge a candidate's problem-solving abilities, teamwork skills, and cultural fit. For example, “Can you describe a time when you had to handle a difficult situation at work?” can provide insights into a candidate’s interpersonal skills and resilience.
3. Consistency and fairness: Ensure that all candidates are asked the same set of questions, maintaining fairness and making it easier to compare responses.

Screening questions serve as the first line of defence in the hiring process. They help in narrowing down the candidate pool to those who possess the minimum qualifications and desired traits. Behavioural and situational questions delve deeper, providing a glimpse into how candidates have handled real-world scenarios, which is often a predictor of future performance. By standardising these questions, organisations can ensure a level playing field, making the evaluation process more objective and reliable.

Case study: Voyage Care Group

Voyage Care provides a compelling example of prioritising quality over quantity in hiring. Before December 2023, Voyage Care faced challenges with its application process, which was not yielding the desired quality of candidates. They partnered with Jobtrain to refine their approach.

Voyage Care implemented customised screening questions in their applicant tracking system. They asked specific questions related to the care industry, such as whether candidates possessed a care certificate or had experience with particular client groups. This tailored approach helped them filter out unsuitable candidates early, improving the quality of their hires.

Furthermore, they found that making the application process too easy led to a higher volume of applications but did not necessarily translate to quality hires. By removing options like Quick and Direct Apply, they ensured that only genuinely interested and qualified candidates applied. This strategy led to a better application-to-interview ratio and reduced the rate of no-shows.

Watch our webinar with Voyage Care

Voyage Care's focus on detailed screening questions and a more rigorous application process significantly enhanced the quality of their candidate pool, demonstrating the effectiveness of prioritising quality over quantity in hiring.

Building a talent pool

An additional strategy for hiring quality candidates is to maintain a talent pool. This involves:

1. Ongoing engagement: Keep in touch with potential candidates who may not be suitable for current openings but could fit future roles.
2. Skill assessments: Regularly update and assess the skills and qualifications of candidates in the talent pool to ensure readiness for upcoming opportunities.
3. Streamlined communication: Use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to manage and communicate with the talent pool efficiently, ensuring that promising candidates remain engaged and interested in your company.

A well-maintained talent pool serves as a reservoir of potential hires who have already been vetted to some extent. This proactive approach allows companies to quickly fill positions with high-quality candidates, reducing time-to-hire and ensuring a continuous influx of talent. Regular engagement with this pool, through updates on company news or career development opportunities, keeps potential candidates warm and interested, making them more likely to consider future openings.

The role of technology in quality hiring

Modern technology, particularly advanced ATS like ours, plays a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of hires. Our ATS can automate the screening process, ensuring that only the best candidates are considered. Features like customised screening questions, automated assessments, and talent pooling make it easier to focus on quality rather than quantity.

Technology streamlines the hiring process, reducing administrative burden and allowing recruiters to focus on more strategic aspects of talent acquisition. Advanced analytics and reporting tools within an ATS can provide insights into the effectiveness of hiring practices, helping to refine and improve the process continually. By leveraging technology, companies can achieve a more efficient, fair, and thorough hiring process, ultimately leading to better hiring outcomes.

Embrace a quality-first mindset in your recruitment efforts and watch your organisation thrive - and if you're looking for tech that could help, talk to us about our end-to-end recruitment system!