How to Make the Most of a Full Life Cycle Recruitment Strategy

Goodwall Team

WHAT IS A FULL LIFE CYCLE RECRUITING STRATEGY?

A full life cycle recruiting strategy is one that comprises the complete recruiting process, from defining the position to hiring and onboarding the chosen candidate. In small and medium-sized businesses, it’s common for one person to lead and execute the full life cycle recruitment process from start to finish. Also sometimes known as end-to-end or 360 recruiting, full life cycle recruitment includes the following steps:

  • Prepare: Collaborate with the hiring manager to define the position and ideal candidate.
  • Attract: Source active and passive candidates through social networks, career sites, online research, and job postings.
  • Screen: Review resumes and conduct phone interviews.
  • Select: Interview and assess candidates, and conduct background and reference checks.
  • Hire: Make a job offer.
  • Onboard: Welcome the new employee and provide the tools and resources necessary for the new role.

BENEFITS OF FULL LIFE CYCLE RECRUITMENT

A full life cycle recruitment strategy executed by a single recruiter offers a number of benefits for both the company and prospective candidates. Some of the advantages include:

  • Accountability: Full life cycle recruiters have full accountability for ensuring a consistent level of quality in the recruiting process as a whole. They are responsible for each part of the recruiting process as well as the outcome. When recruiting is managed continuously by the same person, there is less confusion and a greater sense of ownership from the preparation stage all the way to new-hire onboarding.
  • A more streamlined process: When one person has more control over the recruiting process from start to finish, it’s likely to be a more streamlined process. There are fewer opportunities for disconnect or miscommunication, both of which can occur when there are multiple recruiters involved at various stages of recruitment.
  • A better candidate experience: When candidates deal with one recruiter throughout the interview process, they have a chance to establish a rapport and comfort level with that recruiter, which supports the development of a strong employer brand. In a survey of individuals who just completed a job search, 91 percent said that the interview process influenced their overall opinion of a company.

CHALLENGES OF FULL LIFE CYCLE RECRUITMENT

For small or medium-sized businesses that don’t have the resources to employ a team of recruiters, full life cycle recruitment makes practical sense. However, it does come with some drawbacks. For example, full life cycle recruiters can be overwhelmed by an abundance of new positions or a shortage of qualified candidates. Stress in one part of the recruitment process can create a slowdown at other stages, causing the recruiter to become frustrated and overstretched. In fact, a survey by Monster found that 62 percent of recruiters say their job is more difficult today than it was a year ago, in large part because of more competition for skilled talent.

Another challenge of full life cycle recruitment is that certain steps in the cycle may get less attention than they require. Although full life cycle recruiters are skilled at managing every step of the recruiting process, they must split their time between a range of activities and simply may not have much time for in-depth candidate sourcing or employer branding activities. During a busy recruiting season, the need to keep candidates moving through the recruitment cycle may take precedence over more time-intensive activities like employer branding and passive candidate engagement.

MAKE THE MOST OF FULL LIFE CYCLE RECRUITMENT

The challenges of full life cycle recruitment can be addressed with a platform that enables recruiters to build an employer brand that attracts more high-quality candidates. As an extension of your recruiting function, a social career platform can:

  • Screen and deliver candidates, giving recruiters more time to focus on only the most promising candidates
  • Connect you with a brand-new pool of emerging talent that you may not be reaching through traditional job postings or campus recruiting
  • Support ongoing employer branding by helping you highlight your culture, post open positions and internships, and engage candidates through chat, virtual information sessions, and video resources

When done right, full life cycle recruiting increases efficiency, allowing you to make high-quality hires in a faster time frame. Using a dynamic recruiting platform to source and attract top talent allows recruiters to do more and ensures a more productive recruiting process.

This post was originally published by Monica Ball on June 24, 2019. Monica is a Director of Business Development at Goodwall and also part of the founding NYC office team. Prior to joining Goodwall, she played an integral role at another HR tech start up, The Muse. As an early member of the sales team, for 3 years she advised clients on implementing employer branding and talent acquisition strategies.

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Goodwall Team
Written By Goodwall Team
This article was written by the Goodwall team or by a contributor for publication on Goodwall. Goodwall is dedicated to helping students, entrepreneurs, and young professionals reach their full potential. We'll share thought-provoking and supportive articles on career advice, self-improvement, navigating the college landscape, climate action, social impact, and more. On the business side, we'll talk about SMB subjects related to community, diversity, talent acquisition, case studies, and enterprise.

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