The Hiring Cycle-Explained

HireME17 Mar 2023Share this

The hiring cycle is an important process that companies use to make sure they are hiring the right people. 

It is a complex process that can take some time, but it is necessary to ensure that the company is getting the best employee possible. 

In this article, we will discuss the hiring cycle and its advantages and disadvantages. 

Along the way, we will also be learning about recruitment management software that will help recruiters streamline their hiring process. 

What is the Hiring Cycle?  

• The hiring cycle is the process of recruiting, interviewing, and selecting new employees for a company. 
• It begins with the employer identifying the position they need to fill and ends when the right candidate is chosen. 
• The cycle is typically made up of several steps that involve the employer, the job seeker, and other personnel, such as HR managers and recruiters. 

1. Preparing

• Preparing is the first step in a hiring cycle. Once the job requisition is approved, the recruiter discusses the job responsibilities, skill requirements, and the candidate’s personality for a particular vacancy. 
• The recruiter will then write a clear and inclusive job description stating the requirements. 
• Alternatively, they may use recruitment management software to write a JD saving up time, effort, and cost. 
• The final step is to advertise the job description through job boards, recruitment agencies, and other job-seeking websites. 

2. Sourcing 

• Once the job advertising part is over, it’s time to start sourcing candidates. 

• This second step of the recruitment process is dependent on the channels that are used to source candidates. 
• A recruiter must take note of which channels are bringing in more candidates than others. 
• This will allow them to focus on specific channels to source candidates for specialized roles. 
• Also, recruiters get to have their talent pool which is a database of all active and passive candidates who show interest in your organization. 

HireME’s recruitment solution streamlines the sourcing part of the recruitment process. 

3. Screening 

• The next step in the hiring cycle is the screening process. 
• This involves reviewing and narrowing down potential applicants who have applied for the job. 

• Screening is a three-step process: 

1. Resume screening
2. Phone screening 
3. Pre-selection

Resume screening: Companies and organizations typically use resumes and application materials to determine who to move forward with.  

An ATS software allows a recruiter to easily parse resumes without having to individually go through all of them. It also helps with the application process in recruitment. 

Phone screening: Phone screening ensures that the expectations of the recruiter and the recruit are in alignment. 

Therefore, it talks about compensation and benefits, flexibility, commitment, starting date, etc. 

Pre-Selecting: Pre-selection refers to the assessment of a candidate through different tests. 

Some of these tests include cognitive tests, personality tests, job sample tests, etc. 

Such an evaluation may also take place once the interview is over. 

This step helps in determining the quality of the hire. 

4. Interviewing 

• This stage involves inviting potential candidates to come in for an in-person interview and providing feedback to candidates. 
• During the interview, the employer can ask the candidate questions about their qualifications and learn more about the candidate’s background and experience. 
• Scheduling interviews is an essential part of the recruitment process. Everything needs to be well-planned and we-executed. 
• Nowadays, you can even auto-schedule interviews with the help of recruitment management software that will avoid any last-minute hassle. 
• Feedback from candidates to the recruiter and from the recruiter to the hiring manager is equally important as it will help recruiters in improving the interview process. 

5. Selecting

• The fifth step is the selection process. After the interviews, the employer will shortlist the candidates and do a reference check and a background check. 
• Reference checks are done to avoid hiring a bad candidate by all means since previous employers or supervisors will be able to able to provide their perspectives about the candidate. 

• The employer will then make a decision based on the assessments so far. 
• Both the recruiter and the hiring manager are involved in the recruitment process, but the latter will only make the decision. 
• They will select the best fit for the job and make an offer. The offer may include salary, benefits, and other details about the position.  

6. Onboarding 

• The sixth step is the onboarding process. 
• This is the stage where the employee begins their new job. 
• This could include orientation, training, paperwork, and other activities to help the new employee transition into their new role. 
• The recruiter must maintain a consistent connection with the candidate through this phase of hiring. 

• This is because there is a higher chance that unimpressed candidates may quit their role in this step of recruitment. 
• Recruiters send candidates a handbook consisting of every detail about the workplace, equipment, and other guidelines. 
• They also encourage candidates to participate in informal team activities, introducing them to everyone at the workplace, having a virtual coffee, etc. 

HireME’s talent acquisition software ensures a smooth transition to the workplace through its onboarding tools.  

7. Evaluation 

• The final step in the hiring cycle is the evaluation process. 
• This is the stage when the employer makes an assessment of the new employee’s performance and also provides valuable feedback to ensure that the employee is fulfilling the expectations. 
• It’s the step in recruitment that allows employers to evaluate the applicant’s skills and qualifications and make an informed decision based on that. 
• Evaluation is one of the advantages of a hiring cycle that allows employers to get to know the candidates more deeply. 
• Through interviews and other forms of assessment, employers can gain a better insight into the applicants’ skills, experience, and if they are an overall fit for the job. 
• By going through this process, employers can ensure they have selected the best candidate for the role. 

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Hiring Cycle?  

Hiring cycles are a common practice among companies looking to add more staff in a systematic and organized way. 

However, there are both advantages and disadvantages to using a hiring cycle. It’s important to consider both sides before making a decision. Here’s an overview of the pros and cons of a hiring cycle. 

Advantages of a Hiring Cycle 

Lower costs: 

• The main advantage of a hiring cycle is that it can help to lower costs. 
• By following a structured approach to recruitment, the organization will be able to thwart poor decisions that lead to costly mistakes. 
• This is done by thoroughly assessing the candidate before forwarding an offer. 

• Through a thorough assessment of the candidate, unqualified candidates get eliminated from the role. 
• This helps in reducing the amount of time and resources spent on a recruitment process by a major proportion.

Streamlined process: 

• When it comes to recruiting, having a well-defined hiring cycle can be a huge advantage. 
• Employers will have a streamlined recruitment process with a structured hiring cycle. 

• This will help them source the right candidate for the job. 
• A hiring cycle ensures that the recruiting process is more standardized and efficient. 

Improved planning: 

• Companies can plan for future needs by having a structured hiring cycle. 

• Having a set hiring cycle in place ensures that the hiring process is methodical and follows a set timeline. 
• This makes it easier for employers to plan when they need to post job openings, start a recruitment process, and interview candidates. 
• As a result, hiring cycles make it easier for employers to hire the best candidate for the job on time. 

Better communication: 

• A hiring cycle ensures that there is consistent communication between all stakeholders who are involved in the recruitment process. 
• This is to ensure that everyone is on the same page, which will make the recruitment process far more efficient. Additionally, the hiring process also gets conducted on time. 
• When the recruitment process becomes optimized, it will automatically reduce the amount of paperwork and other administrative tasks. 

Increased Collaboration: 

• A hiring cycle facilitates collaboration among employers to ensure that the right candidate is selected. 

• Collaboration contributes to making the recruitment process more efficient. 
• This builds team spirit and also establishes a good rapport between employers and potential hires.

Improved candidate selection: 

• Having a hiring cycle is to ensure that recruiters have all sorts of information about the candidate. 
• These may include conducting background checks, reference checks and also collecting information during the interview process. 

• By having proper information, recruiters can ensure that they are hiring the right candidate and not making a bad decision. 
• Therefore, it is very important to have a structured hiring cycle in place. 

Reduced Time to Hire: 

• The hiring cycle enables recruiters to create a timeline to shorten the time taken to fill the position. 

• This timeline must be created for each step of the recruitment process. 
• Doing this will ensure that all stages of the recruitment process are completed within a specific timeframe. 
• This is particularly relevant when there are a large number of positions to fill quickly. 
• Working within a specific timeframe also helps streamline the recruitment process by ensuring that no steps are missed or overlooked. 

Increased diversity: 

A hiring cycle establishes a more inclusive and diverse workforce. 

By selecting candidates from different backgrounds, organizations are ready to experience a wide variety of perspectives and experiences. 

This will help create a dynamic team in the workplace that will provide a quicker and more efficient resolution to problems. Additionally, it is all about being equitable in your hiring decisions.

Improved quality of hires: 

• By having a structured process in place, employers can quickly and easily identify the right candidate for the job, improving the quality of hires by making the best hiring decisions. 
• Companies can ensure that they are hiring the most qualified people for the job by having a hiring cycle. 

More consistent hiring: 

Having a hiring cycle can help to ensure that the recruitment process is fair and consistent. 

By having a structured process in place, all potential candidates are given the same opportunity and are assessed on the same criteria. 

This can help to ensure that the best candidate is selected for the position. 

Disadvantages of a Hiring Cycle 

Limited Flexibility: 

• One of the main disadvantages of a hiring cycle is the lack of flexibility it provides. 
• Employers are unable to adapt to the changes in the market as they are locked in a self-limiting cycle. 
• This can make it extremely difficult to fill vacant positions that become available all of a sudden. 
• For example, if a key team member leaves a company or when a business expands, there comes an urgency to fill the job role. 

Poor Candidate Experience: 

• When the company is going through the different phases of a hiring cycle, it can often be overwhelmed by the countless applications it receives. 
• This suggests that the process of selecting and interviewing potential candidates may take much longer than usual. 
• The longer the process takes, the worse the candidate’s experience is going to be. 

• A long hiring cycle makes a candidate feel ignored and they may find the application process quite frustrating to continue with.  

Increased competition: 

• One of the greatest disadvantages of hiring cycles is the potential for increased competition. 
• The number of candidates for the same job grows as more businesses adopt the same procedure. 

• This may force a business to choose from a larger pool of candidates than they would like. 

Burnout: 

• Businesses that regularly hire new employees may become burned out. 
• The hiring and screening process can take a lot of time and frequently turn into a repetitive process. 

• This may make recruiters feel overworked and exhausted, which could result in less competent hiring choices.

Lack of innovation: 

• Using a hiring cycle has the primary drawback of limiting the level of innovation in the recruitment process. 
• It can be challenging to come up with fresh candidates or business strategies when a company is constrained to a set of predetermined procedures. 
• This may result in a dearth of imagination and a reluctance to consider novel recruitment strategies. 

Missed chances: 

• A hiring cycle can result in missed opportunities, which is one of its main drawbacks. 
• When companies only accept applications during specific times of the year, they risk passing on talented people who are looking for employment at other times. 
• For instance, a candidate might have to wait until the following hiring cycle if a company only recruits twice a year and they are prepared to start working at a different time. 

Lost time: 

• One of the drawbacks of a hiring procedure is that it can take a long time to complete. 
• The time and resources required to evaluate applicants, interview them and make offers can add up, which can be expensive for the business. 
• Additionally, the hiring cycle’s requirements can be quite strict and inflexible, which may cause prospective candidates to be overlooked. 

Poor job matching: 

• An ongoing hiring process may result in poor job matching. 
• Employers may select the incorrect applicant as a result of the hiring cycle since they might not have had the chance to identify the ideal individual. 
• As a result, the employee may get dissatisfied with their work or possibly leave early. For the employer, this may be expensive in terms of both time and money.

Unfamiliarity with the process: 

• If a hiring cycle is not used, a company may not be aware of the recruitment process. 
• They can have a hard time comprehending the procedures. 
• The quality of the hires may suffer as a result of misunderstandings and delays in the hiring process. 

Difficulty adapting: 

• A rigid hiring cycle can make it difficult for businesses to respond to shifting customer demands. 
• The delay can be troublesome, for instance, if your firm needs to fill a specific position immediately but the current cycle is not going to be finished for another two months. 
• The organization won’t be able to staff its operations effectively if you are hiring for a seasonal role and the cycle does not coincide with the timing of the season. 

• A hiring cycle has advantages as well as drawbacks. 
• Before choosing whether or not to adopt a hiring cycle, businesses should take all of these aspects into account. 
• Companies can choose the best option for their purposes by being aware of the advantages and disadvantages of a hiring cycle. 

Final Thought!  

Overall, the hiring cycle is an important part of the recruitment process. Companies need to make sure that they are making the right hiring decisions. By improving the hiring cycle, companies can ensure that they are selecting the best candidate for the job. It is important to understand the process and the advantages and disadvantages associated with it, to ensure the best results.

How HireME’s Services Can Help You Streamline Your Hiring Cycle? 

• HireME is a comprehensive recruitment management system that helps employers manage the entire recruitment cycle process. 

• It helps employers make informed decisions when selecting the right candidates for their company. 
• If you want your business to scale quickly, you can try HireME for free and even schedule a demo. 
• This will give you ample time to decide if investing in our one-stop solution has visibly transformed the way you recruit.