Speed recruiting: professional love at first sight in 15 minutes, watch in hand
Is your company desperate for new staff? Why not get your company involved in speed recruiting? Speed recruiting is a fantastic tool to help you meet your recruitment needs. It has become an unstoppable method of bringing recruiters and candidates together professionally during rapid interviews.
Thanks to speed recruiting, your company will be able to meet a large number of motivated and qualified candidates. So don't wait for love at first sight to knock on your door - make it happen by taking part in speed recruiting!
In the rest of this article, we'll look at how to take part in this type of event and how to conduct a successful job interview.
What is speed recruiting?
Speed recruiting, also known as job dating, is an event-based recruitment technique. It enables recruiters and candidates to hold quick interviews lasting just a few minutes. The concept is inspired, both in form and name, by the concept of speed dating.
It allows you to see a large number of candidates in a very short space of time. During this exercise, you can get a brief overview of the people with whom you are exchanging. You will then be in a position to propose a more traditional job interview to the candidates who have caught your attention.
Why hire through speed recruiting?
The benefits of speed recruiting
As a recruiter, speed recruiting allows you to meet a large number of candidates. The more candidates you meet, the greater your chances of finding the best profile for the job you are offering.
By taking part in speed recruiting, you save a considerable amount of time, and so do the candidates. This recruitment method means you don't miss out on profiles that don't interest you at first glance, when they could potentially win you over in just a few minutes' discussion.
The limitations of speed recruiting and how to overcome them
The main limitation as a recruiter is that, during a speed recruiting session, you see a huge number (or even too many) of profiles. Among them may be some candidates who are well aware that they are not qualified for the job, but who will try their luck anyway.
If possible, and if the organisation you are working through allows you to do so, select the profiles you want to see at the speed recruiting event. To do this, choose the CVs that you think best match the job profile. This will save you time and avoid drowning good candidates in the middle of unqualified profiles.
Speed recruiting is too short to go into the details of a candidate's CV. What's more, they will have very little time to convince you, and they may find it difficult to highlight their qualities.
So focus on your interviewer's personality traits and motivation. Don't hesitate to ask questions about soft and hard skills that the candidate may have forgotten to mention.
3 steps to the ideal speed recruiting event
Step 1: Organise a speed recruiting event
There are several ways of taking part in a speed recruiting event. First, draw up a job description for the position(s) you want to fill. You can then turn to the best organisation that will offer you the most suitable profiles for the jobs to be filled.
Many training organisations specialise in organising speed recruiting events. Some of them offer :
- applications from students who have just finished their studies,
- work-study students to be recruited,
- applicants who are changing careers or returning to work.
Your company can also organise a speed recruiting event if it has the resources. All you need to do is provide information similar to that you would find on a standard job advert. You can then use distribution channels such as social networks or organisations.
Before throwing yourself headlong into organising your own speed recruiting event, organise the registration process. This can take several forms, such as an online form .
Step 2: Conduct the speed recruiting
Speed recruiting is generally quick, lasting between 10 and 20 minutes. Although it is fairly short, it is still a job interview, often leading to another, longer interview to get to know the candidate in more detail.
All the components of a traditional interview are brought together during speed recruiting:
- welcoming the candidate
- presentation of the company
- analysis of the position,
- analysis of the candidate,
- a question and answer phase.
Given the relatively short duration of the interview, all these phases should be brief and effective. The company and job presentation phases should last no more than a minute.
Once these phases are over, let the candidate introduce himself for a short while. They should then present their know-how and interpersonal skills in line with the presentation of the job you made earlier.
Once this stage is over, you should be halfway through speed recruiting. This is the time to ask questions following on from the candidate's presentation. Don't digress : get straight to the point!
Leave time at the end of the speed recruiting session for the candidate to ask questions too. The candidate's questions will give you an idea of whether they have fully understood the challenges of the job and whether they are interested.
Step 3: Assessing the speed recruiting process
Now that the speed recruiting is over, you've had the chance to see a wide range of candidates who could potentially be a good match for the job you've offered. So, do any of the profiles match your idea of the ideal candidate to finalise your recruitment?
Take the time to weigh up the pros and cons of each of the candidates you saw. There are several signs that can tell you whether or not the candidate you met during speed recruiting is an ideal candidate:
- their presentation
- their CV
- communication,
- their curiosity : a curious candidate will have already gathered information about the company beforehand, and you'll sense this during the speed recruiting session,
Once you have identified the ideal candidates, you can contact them and continue your recruitment process.
Speed recruiting in a nutshell
Speed recruiting is a good solution for recruiters who want to expand their applicant pool quickly. This type of recruitment won't help you get to know a candidate as well as you would during a traditional interview, but it does allow you to meet a huge number of potential profiles for your vacancies.
Ultimately, this recruitment technique allows recruiters to save time by shortlisting candidates for a more comprehensive interview later on.