End-of-Year Hiring Checklist

Recruiters, it’s time to analyze what went well this year, fight for budget and plan next year’s recruiting spend. To help you cross your i’s and dot your t’s, we’ve developed a handy End-of-Year Hiring Checklist.

Hiring Checklist

Step #1: Analyze Before you can plan for next year, you have to know what worked this year—and what didn’t. Let’s start with a biggie: Did you hit your major hiring goals or did you come up short? Even if you don’t know or can’t remember what the original goals were, you can still analyze what you were able to achieve in the past 12 months and use that as your benchmark going into the next year. OK, let’s just assume you came close or hit your overall goals. Now use data to your advantage. Did you pay for a recruiting solution that you got only one hire from? Can it. Did another deliver you most of your candidates? Double down on it. Part of analysis should include identifying lingering pain points. For example, did you struggle with managing employee feedback during review cycles? Now’s the right time to check in with finance to make the case for budget for the tools you need to be successful next year. Below is an infographic of our hiring checklist.

Step #2: Marketing Once you’ve analyzed what worked well last year (and what didn’t), it’s time to put on your marketing cap and recruit like a marketer. What are your biggest goals for next year and how are you going to accomplish them? Part of that should include considering the candidate demographics you’re looking to target and how you’re going to attract them. For example, are Millennials at the top of your recruiting hierarchy for 2016? If so, consider scheduling meetups in bars or spots they frequent, join Snapchat to get your brand front and center to college grads, and rethink your university recruitment strategy. Lastly, research new tools or ideas you’ll need to hit next year’s major goals. Need a new ATS or plan to host large university recruiting events? Get a game plan in motion now so you’re prepared for the coming 12 months.

Step #3: Refine Now that you have a wealth of data and ideas, start thinking of ways your recruiting team can improve and refine its strategy for next year. Most dread this step, but it’s by far the most crucial. To kick start this process, visit Glassdoor and see what candidates said about your interview, hiring and onboarding processes. Identify common themes. Maybe interviewees were annoyed at how flustered your interviewers seemed or how disorganized your workspace was. Instead of bristling at the feedback, take constructive criticism to heart and let it lead to positive change. For example, you might re-think your game plan for how your team interviews. Strategize as a team to identify who will ask what types of questions in each interview to give candidates the best experience possible. Make it a New Year's Hiring Resolution to be upfront and transparent with candidates, rather than sugarcoat or over embellish job opportunities or your workplace. Lastly, make it a priority to invest in the tools or personnel you need to respond to each and every candidate in a timely manner.

In summary, taking a good, hard look at what went well this year, what could have been better, and how your organization stacks up in key areas is an exercise all recruiting organizations need to undertake—no matter their size. In the end, you’ll improve the candidate experience, make your recruiting team more efficient and hire the best possible people this year. To get started now, post a job on Glassdoor to reach more relevant candidates today.