A recruitment funnel is a framework that represents the stages of the hiring process. The funnel narrows down from the top to bottom, shortlisting the candidates after every stage. The main purpose of the recruitment funnel is to hire needed developers. As a rule, only the most interested tech specialists reach the final stage, and the recruiter’s task is to select the most qualified, motivated, and relevant applicants.
What are the stages of a recruitment funnel?
As a rule, there are five stages:
Awareness. During the first stage, companies aim at creating awareness about their brand as an employer. The main goal is to convey information that the company needs a software developer and cultivate candidates’ interest in the position. To achieve this, companies create powerful employer brand campaigns using their sites and social media accounts. With the help of these resources, they share their values, culture, employee testimonials, photos, videos, and any other materials which may boost their employer brand.
Attraction. Once you build awareness it’s time to source and attract potential candidates. At this stage, companies create and post job openings. To draw the candidates’ attention, job descriptions must be compelling and include all important information about the open positions. It’s essential to post them on the job platforms where potential candidates are looking for job opportunities. These can be job boards and portals, forums and communities, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms.
Application. This stage aims at the generation of the maximum number of competent developers. It’s essential to ensure that the application process is well run and won’t scare candidates off due to sticking points. To make it convenient for them, companies simplify the application forms so candidates can send their CVs and other information quickly and seamlessly. To establish transparency at this stage, it’s a good idea to keep candidates in the loop about timeframes and further instructions.
Selection. The selection stage comes into play once a pool of candidates is formed. Here, the goal is to whittle down the list of applicants with the help of interviews. These interview structures differ from company to company. In general, they include an HR round, aptitude tests, technical pre-screening, team manager /or CEO round. These interviewing stages help to garner a candidate’s qualifications, tech background, motivations, and soft skills.
Hire. Here’s the last stage of the recruitment funnel. After finding a truly skilled and competent coder for the position, it’s time to make a job offer. If the programmer is experienced and highly skilled, there will probably be some counteroffers from other companies. In this case, it’s crucial to remain transparent and open to possible questions. When the offer is accepted and signed, it completes the recruitment funnel.
How to create a successful recruitment funnel?
- Build a strong employer brand
- Craft a clear job description
- Keep the applicants updated
- Conduct efficient interviews
- Analyze strengths & weaknesses of the funnel
- Implement metrics to track its efficiency