How to Optimize My Hiring Process

5 Steps to Optimize Your Hiring Process

Suppose your hiring process hasn't brought in top candidates in the fields of molecular diagnostics, life science, and medical device. In that case, you've been basing your hiring decisions on desired skills and credentials rather than the candidate's ability to get the job done.

 If you seek candidates based exclusively on their experience, you'll get candidates who may never have performed- or mastered- the duties required by that particular role. Here are five steps to optimize your hiring process, so you only deal with the right life science and medical diagnostic candidates.

1. Devise a Performance-based Profile

Use performance profiling to establish decision criteria before seeing candidates. A performance profile is based on determining what a candidate can do, allowing you to attract a candidate pool filled with individuals who have already performed the duties associated with the job. 

To create a performance profile, the hiring team analyzes the role it wishes to fill, identifying the essential tasks which the ideal candidate must be able to complete. Together, the team devises a series of questions to ask the candidate designed to provide evidence that they have completed these goals in the past.

2. Optimize the Job Description with the Performance Profile

Using the performance profile as the basis of your job description, let the candidates know what the role expects of them. Look for candidates who are sincerely interested in knowing what challenges and opportunities the job presents, and avoid those who are merely interested in more money. You'll find the best candidates and make their decisions based on which job brings the most satisfaction and fulfillment.

3. Optimize the Hiring Process with the Performance Profile

Each member of the hiring team takes part in a simple rating process. They must use the performance profile to reach a consensus over what to look for in the next hire, keeping in mind that the goal is to find an individual who demonstrates they can accomplish the tasks set in the performance profile. The performance profile also keeps the raters' personal biases and first impressions from blinding them as they focus strictly on established criteria. 

4. Make the Offer

Once you've found your candidate, make an offer that is too good to refuse. Never offer a range, as the candidate will anticipate the highest number and be disappointed when they receive a lower figure. Also, there is no need to give the candidate more than 24 hours to decide, as they have already been involved in the process for 3 or 4 weeks and should have a thorough understanding of the role you are offering them. If they ask for more time, they are probably trying to leverage a better offer with another company.  

5. Retention: Follow through on expectations

Whether or not you successfully retain the person you just hired depends on whether you follow through with the expectations set by the performance profile. If a hire starts working and finds they are not asked to complete the specific tasks in the job description, they no longer have the motivation to accept the position in the first place. They may feel their expectations were violated and start looking elsewhere. 

The Results of an Optimized Hiring Process

The traditional practice of hiring for specific traits or experiences does not guarantee you will find a candidate who can perform the job you want to do. It does, however, guarantee you will miss the candidate who can complete the work but who doesn't exactly fit the guidelines you've set. 

Keep in mind that using a performance profile only works when there is total consistency between the hiring process, the job description, and the work required, so everyone on the hiring team must focus on the performance profile throughout the entire process to guarantee the best results. Only then can you say that your hiring process is fully optimized.