A good hiring process is a two-way street

Employers make a mistake when they think of their hiring process only as a tool for screening potential candidates.

While that’s one of the purposes, it needs to be equally balanced with selling the agency to the candidate.

Too often I have seen hiring managers think about their talent process as making potential employees run a gauntlet of tests, interviews, and other obstacles to make sure that only the best (and hopefully right) candidates survive.

Yes, you want to make sure that you hire the right people. It’s important to carefully vet your potential hires.

But you also need to help them understand why your business is a desirable place for them to work.

On a couple of occasions recently, I have heard hiring managers talk about how they text potential new hires to see how fast they respond.

Really?

That’s a nonsense test, especially if they have a current job.

The same goes for grueling interview processes — especially when you spring it on the prospect.

Don’t invite someone for an interview and then turn it into a 3-hour tour or test session. Communicate clearly what they should expect when they arrive.

Make sure that every interview you make the candidate participate in actually adds value to your decision-making process.

Think about the tests you are giving and how realistic they are in predicting performance.

I have seen some pre-employment tests that many existing employees would struggle with.

Google and other high-tech companies are notorious for absurdly bizarre interview questions. (Google actually gave up on some of them after realizing how ridiculous they were.

Remember that your hiring process is probably the first taste that a potential new hire is getting of your business.

If your process comes across as painful and unfriendly, you will scare away good candidates.

Yes, you should hire slow and hire smart, but you also need to remember that you want the ideal candidate to say “yes” in the end.