To keep up with high consumer demand during the coronavirus pandemic, Walmart hired 150,000 workers more than six weeks ahead of schedule and is now looking to hire an additional 50,000 employees. The retail giant used an expedited hiring process to onboard approximately 5,000 people per day. The company received more than 1 million applications. Donna Morris, Walmart’s executive vice president and chief people officer stated that under the expedited hiring process, the company can move “from application to offer as quickly as 24 hours”.
Thanks to a streamlined process, the retailer has compressed a hiring process that can often take two weeks into as little as three hours. According to Dan Bartlett, executive vice president of corporate affairs, the company has eliminated formal interviews and written job offers. The stores can engage directly at the ground level, bypassing regional hiring managers to speed the process.
Organizations often find themselves in a position where there is no time and new employees need to be hired … “yesterday”! What can you do in order to expedite your hiring process?
- Study your recruitment metrics to eliminate steps that add time to your hiring process
- Consider internal candidates first
- Implement an employee referral program
- Produce clear, performance-based job descriptions
- Optimize your website and careers page
- Partner with employment agencies
- Ask candidates to produce a video recorded pre-interview
- Start with a phone screen before requesting an in-person interview
- Schedule interviews strategically
- Implement virtual interviewing
- Create a standard test evaluation method
- Use a hiring scorecard
- Prepare interview, offer, and other misc. communication email templates
- Develop a hiring checklist
- Highlight your company culture through social media
- Build a pipeline of talent / engage passive candidates before hiring needs arise
At Enterforce, we believe there’s a better way to find the talent your organization needs, which is more efficient, less stressful and highly effective in getting the people you need when you need them. Ask us how we can help!