Losing Applicants to Slow Screening

26 Jun Losing Applicants to Slow Screening

A recent article published by Ben Goldberg of HRdrive.com discusses how human resource managers lose applicants due to several factors. To help reduce this attrition, he offers five steps not only to eliminate the loss of good applicants, but also to speed up the hiring process:

1. Understanding the process
2. Communicate well
3. Know what you need
4. Pick the right provider
5. Be as efficient as possible

The best way to understand the process your potential employees are undergoing is try the background check for yourself. Ask yourself questions: How difficult is the application process? Does the software being used slow down or freeze? Is the process more stressful than it needs to be? When the answers to these questions cause frustration, it could be resulting in the loss of your applicant. In understanding what the applicant is enduring, you will be in a better position to ensure that you don’t lose a skilled employee.

The next step to reduce the chances of losing a possible employee is maintaining communications. Remember that the applicant is looking for a job because they need one. Background checks take time. If the applicant doesn’t know they are in still in consideration for the position, they will continue searching and may find employment elsewhere. Some surveys have shown that as many as 65% of applicants are still searching for jobs while waiting for your background check to be completed. This is why making sure they understand the process and a general timeline is so important.

In addition to understanding the process and communicating with the applicant, knowing what you need from a background can reduce time and costs. For example, a driver’s license check can take significantly less time than a county criminal search. Performing in-depth background checks on every potential employee is wasteful and could deter applicants.

Another consideration when performing background checks is picking the right service provider. Does your provider want to make sure you are taken care of?  Do they pick the right types of searches that you need to ensure you’re getting the right employee for the position? While speed, costs, and coverage are very important, having a dedicated professional screening business that goes above and beyond is a must.

Finally, one of the most important consideration when running background checks is efficiency. Being able to get the information to make sound decisions without errors is crucial. This paired with giving your applicants a seamless experience, goes a long way in helping you get the best employees.

For more information about losing applicants to slow screenings from the experts at Grand Slam Investigations, please contact us here or call us at directly at 231.359.1555.