How to Fill Your Job Opening FAST (Whether You Work With Recruiters or Not)

Not every hiring manager needs the full resources and support of a recruiting firm — but every hiring manager needs to find the right person for the right spot. 

So, how do you do it? And better yet, how do you fill jobs quickly? 

Making the right hire doesn’t happen simply by posting the job and sharing it with your network. You have to dive in. If you want to find the right person for the job (and fast), you have to invest in the process. Let’s break down the steps: 

7 Steps to Filling The Job Fast

Reaching out to your network, which may or may not include recruiters, isn’t enough… but it is a great place to start. After you post your job vacancy, follow up with these steps. 

1. Advocate For Resources 

Seek out internal resources to supplement your efforts in the candidate search. Someone from internal recruiting may be able to actually recruit for the job. 

If not, perhaps someone can at least help screen resumes. Make it simple by giving them three must-haves on a resume that are easy to spot. Then, if you get 100 resumes, they can narrow down the pool.

2. Delegate Responsibility 

If you don’t have internal recruiting resources, consider giving the opportunity to someone on the team who reports to you. Their participation in the process of evaluating candidates is a great opportunity for them to grow. They’ll learn how to interview, what to look for in a resume, and practice their hiring skills. 

“Making the right hire doesn’t happen simply by posting the job and sharing it with your network. You have to dive in.“

3. Block off Hiring Time

Schedule time daily to review resumes and interview candidates. Don’t let other meetings and tasks crowd out the hiring processes. 

4. Set Clear Expectations for the Interview Team

Every member of the team needs to be prepared, ready to put their best foot forward to the candidates. You want the best candidates to want the job. 

Before the interviews, make sure each person is on the same page for what the company needs in the position. You don’t want the interview team to evaluate for one trait and the hiring managers to evaluate for another. This especially happens when business partners are involved. If they’re not in finance or accounting, they may be looking more for product knowledge than finance experience. Consequently, they might pass on a candidate who the rest of the team wants to consider. 

When priorities align, the decision becomes clearer. 

5. Sell Your Company As Your Interview

Begin the interview by asking the candidate about their interests and career aspirations. Although you’re interviewing the candidate, you should speak to their priorities as well. 

What do they like about their current job that might be part of this job? 

What career development opportunities do they want? 

Throughout the conversation, explain how this position and company might grant those opportunities. Give tangible examples of when the company has promoted someone with a similar profile. Even before they have the offer for this job, candidates are thinking about what’s next. Capitalize on this tendency by looking ahead at what your company can offer them.

6. Be Decisive

If you find the right candidate, don’t hesitate to make the hire. Decisiveness does not equal desperation. 

Some people want to compare a lot of candidates and are unsure of who to hire. Instead, they need to be aware of the job market, the time of year, and how those factors might impact access to candidates. For example, during the busy January and February season, the candidate pool is slim for public accounting professionals. Interviewing numerous candidates might not be a viable option.

“Recruiters can be a great resource to get a pulse on the market, even if you don’t have the budget to hire a recruiter to fill the position.“

7. Understand the Talent Pool

Before you start the search, seek out information about the local candidate market. Make sure you understand the likelihood of finding a candidate for the job in the next month or two. 

You can even talk to recruiters without retaining them.

At BVOH Search and Consulting, we’re happy to build relationships with hiring managers by offering feedback on the market, discussing compensation appropriate to the position, and offering advice. Recruiters can be a great resource to get a pulse on the market, even if you don’t have the budget to hire a recruiter to fill the position. 

After all, we’re just another part of your network.