Sourcing suitable candidates and hiring the right fit is difficult enough when you only have one position to fill. What about when you need to recruit a dozen or more workers simultaneously?
Seasonal buying trends, product launches, market expansions, or a high attrition rate can all result in a need for high-volume recruiting. Start-ups may also land funding that allows them to hire for many positions at once.
No matter the reason, high-volume hiring is a challenging task that many businesses eventually face. But very few have the resources or know-how to successfully do it on their own.
This article will detail eight of the best high-volume recruiting strategies and explore some tools that can assist along the way.
What Is High-Volume Recruiting and How Does It Work?
High-volume recruiting occurs when a company fills many vacancies in a relatively short period. Around 65% of companies have high-volume hiring demands.
It involves sourcing, screening, interviewing, and hiring a large number of candidates concurrently. High-volume hiring requires robust recruiting strategies, efficient recruitment tools, and a high level of organization and coordination.
Here are some of the key focus points of high-volume recruiting:
Efficiency
The high number of applicants can quickly become overwhelming without a streamlined remote hiring process. One way to enhance efficiency is by adopting technology to automate repetitive tasks.
For instance, applicant tracking systems (ATSs) can help manage applicant data, track candidate progress, and facilitate communication. Moreover, these systems can screen resumes, filtering out those that do not meet the job requirements and highlighting those that do.
Technology can also help in scheduling interviews. Using tools that allow candidates to select their preferred interview slots can save considerable time.
Candidate relationship management (CRM) software allows recruiters to keep track of large volumes of candidates, including recording and updating their qualifications, interview feedback, and hiring status.
Programmatic job advertising is another tool that streamlines the recruitment process. It uses algorithms to decide where to place job ads for maximum exposure and your best ROI, freeing recruiters to focus on other aspects of their job.
Job requirements
A clearly defined list of job requirements is critical, as it acts as a framework for both recruiters and candidates. It sets expectations about what the position entails and the necessary qualifications and experience level.
You should always refer to this list throughout the hiring process to ensure candidates meet the outlined criteria. As mentioned above, an ATS can automatically screen resumes, prioritizing the most qualified applicants who meet the job requirements.
Assessment and selection
One effective way to select qualified candidates is by using pre-employment assessments. These assessments can evaluate a candidate’s skills, knowledge, abilities, and even cultural fit.
Pre-employment assessments provide an unbiased view of a candidate’s potential and help narrow the vast pool of applicants to those most likely to succeed.
Interviews are another essential part of assessment. They allow recruiters to get to know candidates on a more individual level and assess communication skills, work ethic, and overall compatibility with the company culture.
Lastly, reference checks can verify the information provided by the candidate and provide further insight into their qualifications and past job performance.
What Is the Difference Between Corporate and High-Volume Recruiting?
When you hear the term “recruiting,” your mind may immediately jump to the corporate setting, where “headhunters” seek out individual candidates to fill specific roles within a company. While high-volume and corporate recruiting both involve attracting and selecting potential candidates, their methods for achieving this vary significantly.
Corporate recruiting
Corporate recruiting primarily focuses on hiring for professional and managerial positions within a company, such as accountants, engineers, or managers.
The process is typically slower and more selective, with an emphasis on identifying the ideal candidate who not only has the required skill set but also aligns with the company’s culture and vision.
Since the roles are often high-stakes and involve significant responsibilities, companies may invest considerable time and resources to thoroughly evaluate potential candidates.
In corporate recruiting, job postings attract specialized talent. Recruitment may also involve headhunting—actively seeking out high-caliber candidates rather than passively waiting for applicants to come forward.
Corporate recruiting is often handled by internal recruiters who have a deep understanding of the company’s needs. However, it can also be outsourced to executive search firms with access to a broad network of professionals who can dedicate their resources to deeply scrutinizing and vetting potential candidates.
High-volume recruiting
On the other hand, high-volume recruiting focuses on hiring a large number of workers within a short period. When a company is expanding or has a high attrition rate, high-volume hiring is often the solution to ensure its roles are filled.
The process is typically faster and more efficient than corporate recruiting since it focuses on managing many applicants. The pressure to fill many positions quickly means recruiters often have limited time to spend on each candidate, making efficiency paramount.
Companies may use high-volume recruiting to fill roles like the following:
- Front-line customer service agents
- Manufacturing production personnel
- Retail sales representatives
This recruiting style often involves posting job descriptions on multiple platforms to attract more job-seekers. High-volume recruiting is frequently managed by in-house recruitment teams, who may partner with staffing agencies that have specialized experience in filling lots of roles quickly.
What Are the Best High-Volume Recruiting Strategies?
There are several recruiting strategies for effectively dealing with high-volume recruiting situations. The following tips can be helpful for companies looking to recruit several workers in a short time period:
Leverage recruitment technology
As noted above, one of the most effective ways to support high-volume recruiting is to leverage recruitment technology such as:
- ATSs
- CRM software
- Programmatic job advertising
These tools can streamline the recruitment process by automating tasks like resume screening, candidate tracking, communication, and job advertising.
Build a strong employer brand
A strong employer brand can attract more candidates and make your company stand out among competitors.
Improve your brand through a well-maintained social media presence, employee advocacy, and showcasing your company culture. It’s important to highlight what makes your company a great place to work, how you make new hires feel like part of the team, and what sets you apart from others in the industry.
Provide a great candidate experience
One of the most effective ways to attract and retain top-tier talent is to provide a seamless and positive candidate experience. This includes:
- Providing timely updates
- Personalizing communication
- Ensuring a smooth application process
Candidates often have several options in the job market, so making the candidate experience memorable can make a significant difference in attracting and securing qualified talent.
Focus on retention
While high-volume recruiting tends to emphasize quickly filling vacancies, it’s just as important to focus on retention.
Offering a positive work environment, opportunities for growth, and competitive compensation and benefits is critical for retaining workers. Emphasizing retention can help reduce future high-volume recruitment needs.
Make the application process accessible
You want to attract as many potential candidates as you can, and the best way to do this is to make the application process as easy as possible.
It should be transparent and straightforward, with clearly outlined steps. Candidates need to know what is expected of them and what they can expect in return. You must communicate each step of the process, from how to apply and the information required of them to when they can expect a response.
Consider incorporating mobile-friendly applications. With the rise in smartphone usage, many candidates prefer to use their mobiles to complete job applications. Allowing submissions from mobile devices widens your potential candidate pool and enhances the overall candidate experience.
Screen at scale faster
Particularly in high-volume recruiting, it’s crucial to implement approaches for screening candidates at scale rapidly.
Here’s a simple four-step playbook to help you screen candidates before taking the time to interact with them personally:
- Define the minimum criteria: Create a detailed list of mandatory requirements, qualifications, skills, and experiences to narrow down your candidate pool dramatically at the beginning.
- Use a keyword-focused ATS: Use an applicant tracking system to filter out resumes that don’t contain specific keywords related to your job requirements.
- Give skills tests: Use pre-employment assessments to evaluate candidates on the required skills. This can weed out underqualified individuals before you have any direct interaction with them.
- Conduct video screening: Asking candidates to record their answers to a standard set of questions on video can provide insight into their communication skills and motivation before advancing to the live interview stage.
By following these steps, you can drastically reduce the number of candidates you need to interact with during the initial stages of high-volume recruiting, saving time and resources.
Use relevant job boards
Posting your job openings on relevant job boards can greatly increase your reach and attract more candidates. Consider both general and industry-specific boards for maximum exposure.
Some of the most popular online job boards include:
- LinkedIn (general)
- Behance (creative)
- Dice (tech)
Some platforms can also act as a reverse job board for employers. For example, with Near, you can access pre-vetted candidate profiles by filling out a simple form.
Track and measure recruitment metrics
Using data to track and measure recruitment metrics such as time to hire, cost per hire, and applicant sources can help identify areas for improvement in the recruitment process. It can aid in developing more effective strategies for future high-volume recruitment campaigns.
What Tools Do You Need for High-Volume Recruiting?
Luckily, new tools and platforms pop up regularly to assist with high-volume recruiting. Here are a few suggested tools:
Video interviewing tools
Video interviewing tools enable you to conduct interviews remotely, saving time and resources.
You can schedule interviews at suitable times for both parties, and candidates can participate from any location, eliminating geographical constraints.
Examples of video interviewing tools include Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet, as well as more specialized platforms like HireVue and Spark Hire, which provide features tailored for recruitment.
Candidate email templates
Email templates streamline various communications, such as application acknowledgments, interview invitations, and job offers. They save time on drafting individual emails and ensure consistent messaging.
Numerous project management systems and CRM software, such as Gusto and HubSpot, provide customizable email template features.
Recruitment technology
ATS platforms like BambooHR, Workable, or Taleo can facilitate the management of large numbers of applicants by tracking their statuses, archiving resumes, and centralizing communication.
CRM software such as Bullhorn and Avature can help maintain relationships with candidates by recording interactions, managing follow-up communication, and assisting with the onboarding process.
Programmatic job advertising platforms like Appcast and PandoLogic use algorithms to determine where and when to post job ads for optimal exposure.
AI recruiting tools
AI recruiting tools use artificial intelligence to automate various aspects of the recruitment process, including resume screening, candidate ranking, and even initial interviews.
For instance, Paradox offers an AI assistant that screens candidates, schedules interviews, and answers common questions.
Meanwhile, HiredScore uses AI to rank candidates based on how well they match the job requirements, saving recruiters time on manual screening. SmartAssistant offers similar capabilities, with extra features such as candidate communication and automatic updating of the ATS.
Integrate these powerful tools when conducting high-volume recruiting to streamline the process and increase efficiency.
Final Thoughts
High-volume recruiting can be a daunting task for even the most experienced recruiters. However, with the right strategies, partners, and tools, it can be manageable and even rewarding.
Near, for instance, can supercharge your high-volume recruiting efforts by providing access to thousands of qualified, pre-vetted candidates based in Latin America. We can handle the sourcing, recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, and payment of candidates—even when filling high-volume roles.
Schedule a no-commitment recruitment consultation today, and fill your open positions in under 21 days.
