High Velocity Hiring

These statements from author Scott Wintrip convinced me to read his book, High Velocity Hiring: How To Hire Top Talent In An Instant:

"Hiring is broken. There's a new way to hire that's faster, efficient, and effective. Instead of waiting for the right person to show up, the new way to hire is to wait for the right job to show up. Instead of waiting until a seat is empty to search for talent, the new way of hiring starts the talent search before that job opens."

Wintrip explains how companies across the globe have applied the principles of the on-demand economy to hiring. And, perhaps counter-intuitively, he demonstrates how hiring faster creates better employees and improved working relationships.

The book takes you through a five-step process:

1. Create Hire-Right Profiles
2. Improve Candidate Gravity
3. Maximize Hiring Styles
4. Conduct Experiential Interviews
5. Maintain a Talent Inventory

Most interesting to me is Wintrip's Talent Inventory concept -- creating a pool or roster of people ready to be hired. To do that, Wintrip offers these tips:

• You'll need at least two people for each type of job.
• By cultivating candidates and waiting for the right jobs to open up make your company desirable to these candidates.
• Connect with each person in your Talent Inventory at least monthly.
• Stay in touch at least quarterly with every good candidate in your Talent Inventory who previously turned down an offer from you.

Most important, high velocity hiring requires that leaders plan ahead, lining up talented people before they are needed. This will speed up the hiring process.

"Talented people are frustrated by the trend towards a longer hiring process. Multiple rounds of interviews, testing, and background checks can seem like an episode of the show “Survivor.” Candidates are turned off by companies that make them go through an obstacle course to land a job. That’s why the Talent Accelerator Process (TAP) that I detail in High Velocity Hiring is satisfying for both leaders and prospective employees. TAP is a fast and efficient red-carpet experience for candidates. Top talent are treated with exceptional care, and are whisked through an expedient and thorough selection process," explains Wintrip.

Wintrip built over the past 17 years the consultancy Wintrip Consulting Group.