10 Ways to Be More Flexible in Your Hiring Process

10 Ways to Be More Flexible in Your Hiring ProcessHaving a flexible hiring process is important if youre hoping to attract the best talent. Remaining too rigid can be off-putting to job seekers. It may even keep would-be candidates from applying for your open position.Want a varied and top-level pool of applicants to choose from? Here are some unique ways to add flexibility into your hiring processUse video interviews Video interviewing software enables hiring managers to take the hassle out of the hiring process. They no longer have to ask candidates to take time out of their day to fight traffic, deal with parking, and then face the stress of a face-to-face interview.Now the job seeker can sit down at a time thats convenient for them, in the comfort of their own home, and answer the questions the hiring manager prepared in their best form. From the managers perspective, theres an added level of convenience that comes with video interviewing, too. Theyre able to watch candidates res ponses when it works for them rather than squeezing too many interviews into one day.Additionally, many hiring managers waste time talking to candidates who arent a good fit. Video interviewing allows them to vet job seekers in the early stages of the process. This way, theyre only having this deeper dialogue with serious contenders. If it becomes clear the individual isnt an appropriate choice, they can move on.Dont hold up the processTheres a lot to do before making a job offer. For instance, you need to check references, bring the candidate in to meet your team, and have them demonstrate their hands-on abilities. But is it essential that each candidate completes the steps at the saatkorn time in the same order? Not necessarily.For many jobseekers, the most frustrating part of the interview process is the communication.Click To TweetPerhaps theres a delay on someones reference check. You dont need to let this hold up the hiring process. Allow the individual to move forward with th e other components.From there, wait for their references to come in. If you decide you like them enough and the rest of the boxes are checked, make the offer. Dont get hung up on the order in which the steps occur.Be upfront about communicationFor many job seekers, the most frustrating part of the interview process is the communication. Either they dont hear from their would-be employer for months or theyre constantly bombarded with details and requests. Perhaps they cant answer their phone during the day because theyre at another job, yet its the only way hiring managers will communicate.In order to infuse flexibility into the hiring process, be upfront about how communication will work. The hiring manager should let the job seeker know what to expect, and ask them their preferred method of contact.Perhaps mail works best during the week, but the telephone is ideal at specific times of day. Avoid over-communicating, but also respect the job seeker. Dont go weeks without updating th em about where youre at in the hiring process. If youve decided not to pick them, make it known quickly so that they can move on.Ask more open-ended questionsOpen-ended questions are a valuable part of the job interview process. They enable candidates to let their partality and background shine through. A candidate may have experiences that arent fully detailed in their resume but can tell you about them when the question is broad enough.Off-site interviews are helpful when it comes to boosting the flexibility of the interview process.Click To TweetGive the interview enough structure to cover the essentials. But, allow the dialogue to flow freely. Make opportunities for the job seeker to show what makes them unique and why they would be the perfect fit for the role.Allow for more than just a Q+AYou need to cover the basics during an anfangsbuchstabe interview with a person youre considering adding to your team. Whats their education level? Where have they worked in the past? Why do they believe theyd be a good fit for the job? However, many hiring managers find adding a practical element to their interview process helps gain a more accurate sense of which candidates would thrive within the office.Its easy for someone to give you lip service about all of the initiatives they would spearhead. Hands-on demonstrations, however, can help separate those who talk the talk and those who can walk it.For example, say youre hiring for a graphic designer position. You might consider having them draw up a basic logo based on a hypothetical new client youve just landed. This will show you their thought process, how they work under pressure and an example of their design work that goes beyond their carefully curated portfolio.Be open to off-site interviewsWhile unconventional, there are a number of benefits to conducting interviews outside of the office. Doing so can help make the process less nerve-wracking for the candidate.Coffee shops are infinitely more relaxing than pu lling up in front of your building and feeling judgment from qualifikation new colleagues. An off-site interview can be conducive to a more natural conversation. The relaxed atmosphere might enable you to get a more accurate feel for the candidates personality.Offering night or weekend interviews can provide flexibility in the interview process.Click To TweetAdditionally, off-site interviews are helpful when it comes to boosting the flexibility of the interview process. Perhaps your office is too far from where the individual currently works. It would be tough for them to find time to come to talk to you.When off-site interviews are an option you can pick a spot midway between both of you. It will make the trek more convenient for both parties.Meet during off-hoursIn order to stay competitive and attract the best talent, your interview process needs to take your candidates schedules into account. One way to do this is to hold job interviews during off-hours. Whether its after work o r on a Saturday morning, the key here is to give candidates an opportunity to take part in the interview process without having to rearrange their schedules, come up with excuses as to why they need to leave work early, and more. The fact of the matter is, some candidates just dont have the ability to step away in order to meet you at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday. Allowing for off-hours discussions or the use of video interviewing software frees up a pool of candidates who might otherwise not be available. Not to mention, it shows you respect their time.Understand that things come upScheduling interviews require time and effort. Hiring managers get frustrated when a candidate has to cancel last minute. However, life can throw some unexpected happenings at the least convenient times.Part of incorporating flexibility into your hiring process means youre willing to work around a candidates last-minute problems. Just because the candidate has an unexpected situation, doesnt mean theyre a poor f it for the role. Keep an open mind and continue to give this person a fair shot.Keep an open mindYou probably have a general idea of the type of person youre looking to hire. You know what kind of experience they should have, what their educational background should be like, and what personality type would work well in your office.Be upfront about how communication will work to provide flexibility in the hiring process.Click To TweetThis helps prevent you from wasting your time interviewing people who wouldnt be a good fit. However, theres a difference between basic guidelines and ruling out qualified people for trivial reasons.Perhaps your next great salesperson has never actually worked in your industry. But the experience they gained working in that high-end bridal shop equipped them to cater to customer needs in a way that will benefit to your business.Be prepared to make a decisionPanel style interviews are ideal. They work particularly well if the new hire will be interfacing with multiple departments. You might like one candidate, but hear very different feedback when others have a chance to weigh in.To keep the interview process moving along, understand every person will not be able to attend the interview. You may need to accept just one or two others there to offer their opinions. Its important to keep the process moving along.Periodically evaluating your hiring process to prevent it from becoming outdated or cumbersome. One way to stop this from happening is by adding an element of flexibility to the process. This shows candidates you respect their time and can help move your final hiring decision along more quickly.What are some other ways you can add flexibility to the hiring process? Let us know in the comments below