What Is High Volume Recruiting?
High-volume hiring involves filling many job positions in a short period. Since this process is often time-sensitive, you may handle hundreds or thousands of job applications in several weeks or days.
Quick service restaurants are among the industries that regularly do high-volume hiring. Other fields that use this recruitment strategy are:
- Contact centers
- Retail industries
- Hospitality
- Consumer brands
- Corporate companies
Common Reasons Companies Engage in High Volume Hiring
Brands use the high volume recruiting strategy for a wide array of reasons. Some common ones are:
Hiring for Low Complexity Roles
Low complexity roles involve less scrutiny during hiring. Such positions are common in businesses that need casual laborers. They are also prevalent in retail industries, where employees may not need much training to qualify for a job.
Since low complexity roles are easy to fill, brands often use high-volume hiring for such positions. This way, they can limit the resources spent on the process and get the needed talent faster.
High Turnover Rates
Some fields have a higher turnover rate than other fields. For example, employees in the food and accommodation industry are highly likely to leave their jobs. Since companies in fields with high turnover often have many vacancies, they use high-volume hiring.
Entry-Level Positions
Entry-level jobs are highly competitive. This aspect is because they need fewer skills than other roles.
Companies often use high-volume hiring when looking for talent to fill an entry-level position. This measure allows recruiters to receive a significant number of applications. They may then filter them based on other aspects like soft skills and job knowledge.
Expanding a Company
Another reason companies may use high-volume recruitment is scaling. If a brand expands quickly, it will constantly need more employees. Still, recruiters have limited time to fill the roles while keeping the business running.
High-volume hiring allows brands to meet the growing demand for their services or products. Likewise, they can avoid straining the existing employees and boost job satisfaction.
The Challenges Companies Face When Engaging in High Volume Hiring
While high-volume hiring is ideal for some situations, it may lead to various issues. Learning about them can help you develop mitigation strategies. Besides, you may prepare adequately for the process and save resources.
Some common issues you may face during high-volume recruitment are:
Getting the Right Candidates
Reviewing job applications during high-volume hiring is frustrating. As a result, you may fail to identify the best candidates for the job. This issue will lead to a hiring cycle since you may have to let some employees go after a short period.
If you don't get suitable candidates for a job, you lower efficiency in the company. Besides, you may lose clients due to poor service delivery or low-quality products. Other issues that may arise due to bad hires are:
- A constant need for job supervision
- Conflicts among employees
- Reduced teamwork
- Bad business reputation
Training employees that aren't the best fit for your company can waste resources. Further, you may spend more time on the process and lower productivity. Dealing with new hires that don't have the right skills can also frustrate the onboarding team.
Engaging Qualified Candidates
High-volume hiring may help you get a broad range of qualified candidates. Still, engaging them when offering the role can be tricky.
This issue may arise due to limited time for gathering information about candidates. You may also not fully understand why they would choose your brand over competitors.
Failing to engage qualified candidates complicates convincing passive job seekers. Likewise, you may find filling roles with the best talent tricky.
Filling Vacant Positions Quickly
Vacant job positions will cost your company resources and lower work morale for the rest of your team. Unfortunately, filling these roles with high-volume hiring can be challenging.
This issue may occur since recruiters need more time to review applications. They may also disagree on the best candidates and require more time to weigh options.
Taking more time to assess job candidates can lengthen the hiring process. If job seekers don't hear from you for an extended period, they will likely take other offers. Hence, you may have to re-advertise the role and spend more on recruitment. The other option will be settling for a less-qualified candidate.
Improving the Candidate Experience
Ensuring job candidates have good experiences during hiring can be tricky when recruiting for many positions. For example, you may find sending interview emails on time hard. Besides, the messages may not include all the information about the recruitment process.
Other candidate experience issues that may arise during high-volume hiring are:
- Respecting the candidate's time
- Ensuring job descriptions contain comprehensive information
- Improving hiring transparency
- Customizing interview questions
Failing to provide job seekers with a good experience can lead to low acceptance rates. As a result, you may need to offer lucrative pay to convince candidates to work for your company. Additionally, competing with other brands for top talent will be tricky.
Ensuring Fairness During Recruitment
Most companies struggle to ensure recruiter diversity during high-volume hiring. This issue then leads to various types of unconscious bias.
One common form of bias during high-volume recruitment is the halo effect. This aspect refers to preferring a candidate based on a few positive characteristics. For example, you may offer the role because they attended a particular school.
Another form of recruitment bias during high-volume hiring is similarity attraction. Such will involve preferring candidates with traits similar to yours.
You can't achieve a diverse workplace if you fill vacant roles based on such criteria. Eventually, you will end up with less qualified candidates that may damage your company's reputation.
Common Mistakes Companies Make During High-Volume Hiring
Failing to streamline procedures during high-volume hiring can slow down the process. It may also lower the quality of hires and complicate shortlisting. Some common mistakes companies make during this process are:
Providing Poor Job Descriptions
Many companies rush high-volume hiring and fail to provide detailed job descriptions. This issue then causes them to attract candidates unsuitable for the role. They may also receive excessive applications that waste time.
Failing to Consider Employer Branding
Employer branding can affect how job seekers view your company. Still, many companies don't focus on this crucial aspect during high-volume hiring. They also fail to ensure the brand is attractive to potential employees.
If recruiters assume job seekers have a deep understanding of the company culture, they may be unobjective. Besides, they can fail to connect with top talent, sabotaging the recruitment goal.
Designing Inflexible Hiring Processes
Hiring processes should address the needs of the candidates and the company. Still, many recruiters design strict procedures that are only ideal for the brand. These often focus on finding the best talent without addressing candidate experiences.
Creating stringent hiring processes can scare away potential talent. Lengthy procedures will also affect job seekers' enthusiasm and waste company resources.
Rushing the Process
Another common mistake during high-volume hiring is rushing the process. While this step can help fill positions quickly, it may significantly lower the quality of hires. Besides, you may skip some vital steps such as:
- Checking references
- Verifying candidates' documents
- Vetting each candidate for company culture fitness
- Assessing candidates' personalities
Rushing the hiring process can increase anxiety for recruiters and candidates. Likewise, it may limit interactions that simplify creating an efficient talent pool.
Best Practices That Companies Should Follow When Engaging in High Volume Hiring
High-volume hiring has many challenges that may affect the success of the process. These issues may also make it tough to stick to hiring budgets.
Employing the best practices can boost recruitment efficiency. Additionally, you can build a desirable talent pool and promote teamwork in the workplace. Here are some practical tips to use during high-volume hiring.
Create Compelling Job Descriptions
Detailed and convincing job descriptions can help you attract suitable candidates. Before mass recruitment, revise all role specifications to ensure they contain vital information. Such may pertain to:
- The role's purpose
- The primary and secondary duties
- Required qualifications
- Preferred qualifications
Creating detailed job descriptions will limit the volume of unqualified applicants. This way, you can speed up shortlisting and get the right talent faster.
Personalize the Hiring Process
Tailoring the hiring process will ease convincing passive job seekers. It also allows you to improve the recruitment experience, protecting your brand's name. Another benefit of a custom hiring process is simplifying engagement with job seekers.
Customize high-volume hiring by reviewing applicants' resumes before interviews. This step will help you develop tailored questions. You can also show candidates that you understand their expertise and the benefits they may present to the brand.
Another way to customize recruitment is with tailored emails. When contacting passive candidates, show interest in their desirable skills or expertise. An ideal method is quoting their portfolio or resume. Alternatively, highlight their skillset as a key reason you want them to work for the brand.
Invest in Recruitment Software
Getting recruitment solutions can simplify mass hiring in many ways. First such tools allow you to filter resumes based on preset instructions. This aspect lessens work for recruiters allowing them to focus on other crucial tasks.
Leveraging recruitment software will help you create a reliable database. With such a tool, you can store resumes and application forms sent previously. You may also notify interested candidates about job vacancies and improve the quality of hire.
More benefits of using recruitment solutions during mass hiring include:
- It simplifies tracking job applications
- You can improve communication with potential candidates
- Recruitment software will protect sensitive data
- You can monitor the recruitment process
Getting recruitment solutions will avoid unconscious bias. Such tools can audit hiring practices to identify unfairness. You may then revise the methods to ensure you create a diverse workplace.
Focus on Employer Branding
A strong employer brand can help you build an excellent talent pool during mass hiring. Audit your company to identify aspects potential candidates may not like about it.
One way to do this is by requesting anonymous reviews from current employees. Further, read feedback about your hiring process on job boards and other platforms.
Another tip for building an employer brand is creating a positive hiring process. Provide job applicants with the support needed during recruitment. Likewise, avoid outdated questions during interviews. It's also best to respect the candidates' views about your brand.
Learn More About High Volume Hiring
The high volume hiring strategy is practical when you use the best methods. Still, ensure you tailor the processes based on the target candidates and the vacant role. Moreover, review your practices often and use technology to simplify the procedure.
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