Lean Recruiting: Setting a Timeline

When a position opens in your company, it is only natural to want to fill that position as quickly as possible. Due to high demand for skilled workers and new jobs being created daily, this sentiment especially rings true for hiring managers in the energy industry. What many companies unfortunately seem to miss, however, is the importance of developing a hiring timeline for recruitment.  During the hiring and selection process, there are many critical steps to consider in order to ensure you hire the most-qualified, best-fit candidate for your open position; this is why it is vital to invest the necessary time in your hiring process and make it a top priority.

Working with a trusted energy staffing partner is the best way to determine an appropriate hiring timeline to successfully hire a candidate from start to finish. When working with an energy industry recruiter, you should keep both your immediate and big picture goals in mind and communicate openly with your recruiter throughout the entire process. Take a look at the following outline to glean insight on setting your own hiring timeline in place with an experienced energy staffing firm:

• Before posting. Create and revise the job description and requirements including determining whether the position should be filled as a direct hire or contract hire. Create a profile for your ideal candidate, refine the job description with your recruiter, and gather feedback from current employees. Discuss advertising options and develop a plan with your recruiter. Also, think about which current employees will be involved with the selection process, including application reviews, phone interviews, in-person interviews, etc. Finally, confirm posting duration with your colleagues and recruiter to ensure everyone is on the same page.  Proper planning time spent up front will save money and time over the life of the hire process.
• During recruiting. Block off time for all employees involved in the selection process to carry out their responsibilities and still complete their own job duties. Finalize your interview guidelines with your recruiter and train any employees who will be involved in the process. Work closely with your recruiter to determine appropriate referrals, review application materials, and determine top candidates to schedule phone interviews.  Be sure to develop a timeline for applicant review and feedback.  Applicants are faced with multiple job opportunities and consider many factors when deciding between positions. This means that companies need to remember that the hiring process is a direct representation of the company and give applications a glimpse of how it works and operates.
• After posting. Schedule top level candidates for phone interviews as soon as possible, and based on phone interview success, determine the next tier of top candidates to invite back for in-person interviews. Evaluate each candidate individually and finalize reference checks with your recruiter. Identify your top candidates and select the most-qualified, best-fit person for the position.  Present the final offer to the recruiter for them to discuss with the applicant.  No official offer should ever be made unless you are certain it will be accepted.  Ensuring this is the job of your recruiter. Once hired, the next step is to onboard the properly.

Spending the time early on to ensure an effective staffing timeline is in place will save your company valuable time and money in the long run. Working with an experienced recruiter in the energy sector is the most efficient way to make sure your timeline is reasonable and will produce the top candidates in the energy industry.  To get started on your own hiring timeline for your company, contact the staffing experts in the energy sector at FootBridge Energy today!