the moments that define your hiring outcome. is your process getting in the way?
Hiring involves a series of important stages that influence whether you engage the right person. These may not feel hugely significant in themselves, but together, they create the experience candidates have of you and your organisation. And they directly impact your hiring success and business performance
From the first thought you put into the role, to the way you communicate during the process, to how quickly you make decisions, you’re showing people what it might be like to work with you and what they’re worth to you. And right now, a lot of employers are unintentionally sending mixed signals: rushing early steps, then slowing down when it matters most.
I’ve seen this pattern often, in times when resources are tight and sign off processes are protracted. And it only ends in disappointment for all concerned.
Here’s my advice on the moments that matter most, and how to avoid getting in the way of your own successful hiring…
start by getting clear on what you need.
Before you do anything else, take time to think about the role and the person behind the job title. Not just the experience you want, but the qualities that will make your new hire a great addition to your team.
It helps to think about:
The skills gaps that exist in your team
The experience needed for the role (the essentials)
The characteristics that the team lack and might gain from
How you would like your culture to evolve and what that means for this role
This doesn’t need to be complicated, but many employers skip this stage, and that effectively means going into the hiring process without a map. It’s about being clear on what matters, without being too rigid.
plan ahead
Create a timeline for your hiring, with diarised time set aside for each stage including planning, shortlisting, interview and offer.
Set an application deadline and stick to it. I often see job ads posted then removed within a few days. Whatever the reason behind this, it speaks of lack of planning, confusion about the process and the role, and it’s a behaviour that erodes trust. Ultimately it means employers are missing out on great candidates.
your job ad should be an open door.
A job advertisement is often the first real look someone gets at your culture. If what you’re putting out there is a list of duties and requirements copied from an internal document, you’re missing the chance to showcase your culture – and you’re unlikely to attract the people you want to hire.
Create job ads that ‘sell’ the role to the right person – hiring is a two-way conversation. Aim to highlight to candidates why you’re the right choice.
Talk about the purpose of the role; the outcomes and value to your business.
Illustrate the workplace environment, and how it would feel to work with you.
Outline the experience and skills that are essential – don’t add a great list of possibilities. Only list those that matter.
Clearly show what success will look like in the role
you’re dealing with people, not applications.
The application stage itself is sadly where many employers unintentionally lose good people. I often see two damaging approaches.
The first is over-automation, leaving candidates feeling disregarded; a number not a person in your process. AI is revolutionising some areas of recruitment but be aware of what you’re prepared to lose in the process. Humans want to work for humans.
At the other end of the scale, there’s slow acknowledgement, vague updates, and even weeks of silence between stages. Not only will good people disengage during this time, they’ll also remember that you made them feel unimportant.
My advice is to keep a consciously steady pace and treat candidates with respect. They are people, not applications, and should be made to feel this way at every stage of the process. Always remember that they will have other choices beyond your job.
interviewing is a skill.
It’s often assumed that business leaders or people managers must be great at interviewing. It’s not a given. Interviewing is a skill, and whilst it can be trained, that training needs to be current. It requires the ability to be consistent, ask the right questions in a considered way, listen closely to the answers and respond and assess in flow. It means bringing the role and culture to life in conversation without dominating it. It requires the ability to draw people out of themselves so they can show who they fully are.
The impact of a poor interviewing skill cannot be underestimated. The outcome is always expensive; either you spend time and money losing great talent, or you hire the wrong person and start all over again within 3 months.
the offer stage is where you can fall at the last hurdle.
After all the time and effort to get to offer stage, employers can lose their chosen hire through their own inaction. It’s not because the offer itself is wrong (although that does happen), but because it simply comes too late. Speed is of the essence, and if you think the candidate will hang on for two weeks while you get sign-off on a salary, or browse other options, you’re likely to be disappointed. Then it’s straight back to square one.
If you know you have found the right person, move with intention. Delays at this stage can be costly and frustrating.
why working with a recruiter transforms your hiring efficiency.
You’d never intend to create an ineffective or damaging hiring process. But without planning, skill and intention, you’re at risk of getting in the way of your own hiring success. These things happen when businesses are under pressure, and there’s a lot of that in hospitality.
Choosing to work with an expert recruiter like me will transform your hiring by bringing you:
Clear and expertly defined roles
A carefully considered idea of who you want to hire
Job ads that attract the right people
Consistent, human, respectful communication throughout
A smooth, well‑paced process with time planned in for interview and consideration at each stage
Honest, consistent feedback and guidance
Confidence and pace at key decision points
a final thought.
Hiring should be outcome focused. Every stage is a crucial point at which to establish connection and move forward to employment. When you invest in getting those moments right, you’ll efficiently engage with candidates who enhance your culture and your business. Because after all, it’s not about creating the perfect hiring process – it’s about making the ideal hire.