If you’re responsible for hiring at your company, it’s important to make sure your recruiting process is as efficient and effective as possible. Otherwise, you could be losing out on top talent and wasting time and resources. But how can you tell if your recruiting process needs improvement?
If you see any of these signs in your own recruiting process, it’s time to make some changes. Keep reading to learn more about how you can optimize your recruitment efforts!
You’re not attracting the right candidates
If you find yourself in a recruiting process where you just can’t seem to find the right fit for job openings, it might be time to take a step back and determine if there is something inherently wrong in your system. Analyzing job match, job definition and how those job openings are being advertised can help you get clear on why the right candidates aren’t interested. When you have that understanding, it’s easier to adjust your strategy and focus on hiring the right talent that would make a perfect fit for the role.
Bonus Tip: Work with your marketing team to review the SEO of your job postings. A little tweak here and there could mean 5x more candidates see your postings.
You’re not screening candidates properly
Employers are often unaware that one of the biggest drawbacks their hiring process faces is lack of effective screening.
As qualified candidates become more and more specialized and specific, recruiting processes need to properly evaluate them to make sure they’re a good fit for the job. However, many employers don’t go beyond skimming a resume or checking references from past employers – both of which can offer invaluable insights but also fail to capture a complete picture.
To ensure efficient and accurate screening, it’s important for employers to use a comprehensive system that evaluates all aspects of an applicant’s skills, expertise and attitude. Investing in modern recruitment strategies will help you find the best candidate who will exceed your expectations.
Your recruiting process is too long
Updating your recruiting process doesn’t have to be a daunting task; however, when it comes to tackling a long recruitment process, it can feel almost impossible. Taking the time to assess how long and complicated your process is can be extremely useful in determining why your company’s recruitment efforts aren’t as successful as you’d like them to be.
Consider how long each step takes, how many steps there are and look at metrics for time-to-hire for your team. If you find that your recruiting process does take too long, consider ways to streamline it in order to improve the candidate experience and reduce applicant drop off.
By identifying the areas that need improvement and taking the necessary steps, you can ensure that your process is streamlined – giving both you and candidates a more efficient hiring experience.
The recruiting feedback loop is flawed
Recruiting feedback loops are essential for evaluating hiring processes, yet identifying and studying the flaws in them is often neglected. The feedback loop allows hiring managers to assess candidate performance and enable hiring teams to collectively review the hiring process for necessary improvements to ensure a successful hire.
If a hiring team does not provide timely feedback within this loop however, the entire hiring process can be severely flawed. By understanding and eliminating any delays or snags in their recruiting feedback loops, hiring teams can take an integral step towards ameliorating the overall recruitment outcome. Achieving this requires obtaining timely feedback from candidates as well as hiring managers allowing hiring teams to better inform their decisions while also speeding up their response time throughout the process.
If you would like to learn how I’ve addressed this particular issue, check out some of my blog posts on hiring manager feedback.
You’re not following up with candidates after the interview
If you’re not following up with candidates after the interview, it could be a tell-tale sign that your recruiting process is in need of improvement. Missing out on this crucial step is detrimental to both prospective employees and your company, as they don’t know how they did or when they can expect a decision regarding their application, while you won’t be able to effectively gauge whether your candidate pool was adequate. It’s important to assess if your company’s recruitment strategy is mirroring industry trends, removing unnecessary steps and addressing any other areas where improvements can be made in order to make sure that no stone goes unturned during the search for the right person..
Hiring is hard, but it doesn’t have to be. If you can identify the flaws in your recruiting process, you can make the necessary changes to fix them. By attracting the right candidates, screening them properly, conducting effective interviews, doing enough reference checks, and following up with candidates after the interview, you can find the best employees for your company. What are the flaws in your process and how do you plan to fix them?
About me
and Sprint Recruiting

Trent Cotton is a highly accomplished leader and strategist with extensive experience in organizational development, talent management, and business operations. With a strong background in HR leadership, he has a proven track record of designing and implementing innovative HR programs that drive employee engagement, retention, and business performance.
As an experienced executive, Trent has worked with some of the world’s leading companies, where he has led and supported HR initiatives across a broad range of functions, including talent acquisition, workforce planning, diversity and inclusion, performance management, and employee relations. He is also highly skilled in HR technology implementation, data analytics, and HR process improvement, helping organizations to optimize their HR operations and drive business results.
If you follow his blog http://www.sprintrecruiting.com or have read his book, Sprint Recruiting, you would experience his raw communication style, his ability to build and lead high-performing teams, and his strategic mindset. He is passionate about creating workplaces where employees can thrive and grow, and he is committed to helping organizations leverage the power of their people to achieve their business objectives.
In addition to his professional experience, Trent is actively involved in his community and has served on several boards and committees supporting education, workforce development, and diversity initiatives.
In his free time, Trent has written two books: “The 7 Deadly Sins of HR” and most recently, “Sprint Recruiting”. He will be releasing “The High Performing Recruiting Team” in the fall of 2023 and “FutHRist” in 2024.
He’s an active participant in the HR Industry and is asked to participate in roundtables or provide keynotes for many organizations. His blog Sprintrecruiting.com reaches thousands of readers and provides unique insights on a range of recruiting topics.
Connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter for more.
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