Understanding the Hiring Process
The Hiring Process
The hiring process is a systematic journey that a company follows to fill a job opening, and it can be divided into distinct stages, from defining the role to welcoming the new hire.
1. Preparation & Sourcing:
This stage covers all the initial steps from defining the role to creating the long list of candidates.
Job Briefing: the hiring manager and recruiter define the role's responsibilities, required skills, and ideal candidate profile.
Advertisement: Publishing the job opening on various platforms like job boards, social media, and the company website to attract applicants.
Applications: The period when interested candidates submit their resumes, cover letters, and other required documents.
Revisiting the Role of Cover Letters
Sourcing
Internal: Proactively searching for and engaging with potential candidates who already work within the company.
External: Actively seeking out passive candidates from external networks, databases, or professional platforms like LinkedIn.
Resume screening: ATS and human reviewing of submitted resumes to filter out unqualified applicants based on experience, skills, and qualifications. Recorded videos, where candidates answer pre-set questions, are also used as screening tool.
Screening Questions: reviewing targeted questions (if they were asked) to quickly evaluate a candidate's basic suitability and interest in the role
Longlist: The initial list of all candidates who meet the basic qualifications for the role and will be considered further.
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2. Evaluation & Selection:
This stage includes all the interviews, assessments, and reference checks used to narrow down the candidates.
Alignment: A meeting between the hiring team to discuss the longlist and agree on the specific criteria for moving candidates to the next stage.
Shortlist: A reduced list of the most promising candidates who will be invited for more detailed assessments or interviews.
Skills Assessment: Practical tests or exercises designed to evaluate a candidate's technical skills and job-specific abilities
Video Interview: A short, often one-way, recorded interview where candidates answer pre-set questions to be reviewed by the hiring team.
Psychometrics: Standardized tests used to assess a candidate's cognitive abilities, personality traits, and behavioral style
Recruiter Interview : A conversation with the recruiter to explore a candidate's past experiences and understand their career goals, behaviors, and motivations.
1st Interview Hiring Manager: The first in-depth interview with the person who will be the candidate's direct supervisor, focusing on fit and experience.
2nd Interview Team/Function: A follow-up interview with potential colleagues to evaluate team fit, collaboration skills, and more in-depth technical skills.
Additional Assessments: Any further evaluations, which can include a 3rd or 4th interview, presentations, or case studies, needed to gauge a candidate's fit for the role.
References/Background Check: Contacting former employers and checking a candidate's professional and personal history for verification.
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3. Offer & Onboarding:
This final stage encompasses the job offer, negotiation, and the beginning of the new employee's journey.
Verbal Offer: A formal phone call extending a job offer to the chosen candidate, outlining the basic terms.
Offer Letter: A formal written document confirming the verbal offer, detailing the job title, salary, start date, and key terms of employment
Negotiation: A discussion between the company and the candidate to finalize the salary, benefits, and start date.
Contract: for contractors, the final legal agreement detailing all the terms and conditions of employment, the scope of work, and payment schedule, signed by both parties.
Start of New Job: The first day and initial weeks of your employment, where you onboard, meet your team, and begin your work
Understanding the hiring process is key to landing your dream job.
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