The 4 Biggest High-Volume Recruiting Challenges and How to Overcome Them

High-volume recruiting refers to the strategic approach taken by companies to intensify their recruitment efforts to attract many employees within a condensed timeframe. Various factors may prompt a company to adopt this approach. However, it is essential to acknowledge the many challenges that high-volume hiring campaign can present.

When developing a high-volume recruiting strategy, most employers can expect to run into challenges. We spoke with On Premise Account Manager Morgan Cirilo to better understand the most common high-volume recruiting challenges. 

What Is Considered High-Volume Recruiting?

High-volume recruiting are the efforts undertaken by a company's recruiting and Human Resources (HR) department aimed at acquiring many new employees. This approach is motivated by various factors, such as the anticipation of heightened demand in seasonal industries like distribution. Or, it can be driven by the need to expand the workforce across all departments to accommodate company growth.

Irrespective of the underlying rationale, the operational process remains consistent. The pertinent departments — typically encompassing recruiting, HR and marketing — become involved in advertising job opportunities, screening applications and resumes, conducting interviews and facilitating the onboarding process.

The 4 Biggest High-Volume Recruiting Challenges

Challenge 1: Volume Overload

One of the primary high-volume recruiting hurdles — especially for smaller companies — is the influx of candidates that exceeds the capacity of the recruiting process. As the volume of applicants increases, employers must manage hundreds or even thousands of resumes and applications. Then companies must arrange interviews within a limited timeframe. It can be challenging to ensure that every candidate receives fair consideration. The workload created by high-volume recruiting can put a strain on the resources and efficiency of the recruiting department.

Solution 1: Software and Automation

Thankfully, there are effective measures to aid your staff in handling the challenges of high-volume recruiting. Particularly through new hiring software and technology. By implementing suitable software solutions and automation tools, the recruiting process can be streamlined and optimized. Advanced applicant tracking systems can filter and categorize resumes and applications based on predefined criteria. This saves valuable time and effort for recruiters. Additionally, the integration of video conferencing platforms like Zoom allows for remote interviews. Eliminating the need for in-person meetings can reduce your time-to-fill. Embracing these technological advancements empowers the recruiting team to navigate through the extensive pool of applicants. This facilitates a smoother hiring process while maintaining a fair and inclusive selection process.

“There are multiple technology systems available to make hiring a high volume of employees possible. Aerotek has proprietary systems for screening applicants and tracking applicants through onboarding. Adding qualifying and disqualifying questions to your job posts is an easy and quick way to initially identify what candidates are a good fit based on skill sets or not. This can help you increase efficiency with selection. Additionally, having an effective applicant tracking system is key. Outside of propriety systems, Microsoft Excel online and Google sheets online are available to anyone and can be customized to each employer’s needs and updated by multiple users in real time,” says Miller.

Challenge 2: Analysis Paralysis

Undertaking a high-volume recruiting campaign represents a significant strategic decision for any company. The flood of new hires can have far-reaching implications within the department. Such a substantial recruitment program is often perceived as an investment in the company's growth, prompting management to carefully deliberate on the associated considerations.

For instance, determining the optimal number of employees required, and assessing whether the existing staff can handle any workload gaps are pivotal questions that necessitate prompt and thorough analysis. Failure to address these critical aspects swiftly can result in delays in the hiring process, thereby impeding progress towards the objectives reliant on an expanded workforce.

Solution 2: Data and bookkeeping

To overcome the challenges of analysis, leverage data-driven insights and meticulous bookkeeping. There are many online tools that calculate the required staffing levels based on task hours and workload estimates. Additionally, interviewing employees who have experienced similar mass-hiring scenarios can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improvement. Maintaining comprehensive records of past high-volume hires, including the number of recruits brought on and the subsequent workforce response, can yield a wealth of information. By accumulating and analyzing such data, you gain a more informed perspective for future recruitment initiatives. This enables you to execute the hiring process with greater confidence and efficiency.

Challenge 3: Timing

Timing poses a significant challenge when conducting a high-volume recruiting program. The scarcity of time becomes a critical factor. Even with adequate staffing and a well-constructed strategy in place, companies may struggle to onboard enough new employees within the desired timeframe.

Solution 3:  Streamline Based on Data

A lot happens between placing an ad for a job and onboarding a new hire. Each step in the recruitment process plays a crucial role in selecting the right candidates and ensuring a smooth transition into the organization. When facing high-volume recruitment it becomes even more essential to streamline these steps. This can expedite the time-to-fill for each role without compromising on quality.

To improve the efficiency of the high-volume recruitment process, organizations can focus on the following recommendations:

• Panel Interviews: Implementing panel interviews can significantly expedite the decision-making process. By involving multiple interviewers it allows for a more comprehensive evaluation of candidates in a shorter timeframe. Each panel member can assess different competencies or areas of expertise, providing a well-rounded perspective on each candidate.

• Behavioral Interviews: Incorporate behavioral interviewing techniques into the process. This approach involves asking candidates to provide specific examples of their past experiences, highlighting their skills and accomplishments relevant to the job requirements. By structuring interviews around behavioral questions, recruiters can assess a candidate's capabilities and potential cultural fit.

• Virtual Interviews: Embrace the advantages of virtual-interviewing platforms to streamline the interview process. With remote interviews, scheduling conflicts and travel time are eliminated. This can result in faster coordination and increased efficiency. Virtual interviews can use video conferencing tools, allowing recruiters to assess candidates effectively while maintaining a personal connection.

• HR Technology: Leverage HR tools and technology to automate and streamline redundant tasks. Applicant tracking systems can help manage applications, screen resumes, and track candidate progress. Thereby reducing manual effort and speeding up the process. 

• Streamlined Application Process: Simplify and streamline the application process to encourage more candidates to apply. Lengthy and complicated applications can deter potential candidates, leading to a reduced applicant pool. By reducing the time it takes to complete an application and eliminating unnecessary steps, more candidates may apply, increasing the chances of finding qualified individuals.

“Conducting a high-volume hiring campaign can greatly increase a company’s speed-to-hire because you are getting access to candidates that are currently in the job market seeking employment. This will give you an indication that applicants are eagerly seeking employment and ready to go to work vs passive job seekers,” says Miller.

• Data-Driven Insights: Utilize data to better understand the target candidate audience. By analyzing recruitment data, such as applicant sources, conversion rates, and time-to-fill, organizations can gain valuable insights into their recruitment process's strengths and weaknesses. This data-driven approach enables recruiters to make informed decisions, refine strategies, and allocate resources more effectively.

Challenge 4: Finding Quality Applicants 

In a tight labor market, finding candidates that match your ideal employee gets more difficult. It is crucial to acknowledge the balance between bringing in many new employees and maintaining worker quality. This situation not only consumes valuable time but also poses the risk of underperformance if unfit candidates are hired.

Solution 4: Engage the Targeted Ones

“First, narrow down your three “must haves” for the position(s). Use those as the qualifying/disqualifying questions in the job posting as I mentioned above. That will give you a good indicator of quality based on required skills. Secondly, having an effective onboarding strategy will help to identify quality employees. You should treat every step of your onboarding process as an indicator of candidate commitment, have effective communication, and set clearly defined expectations for candidates through onboarding,” says Miller.

Implementing an effective solution involves proactive measures to engage and attract top-tier talent. Making the job appealing to the available talent pool should be a priority. This means providing a competitive salary, attractive perks, comprehensive benefits packages, and cultivating a workplace culture centered around a compelling company mission and a supportive environment that values employee feedback. 

Developing a high-volume hiring strategy can be a difficult task for any organization. As this strategic endeavor unfolds, it is inevitable that challenges and obstacles will emerge along the way. Yet, there are solutions to help you navigate and overcome the potential hurdles. 

“With the proper planning it doesn’t need to be intimidating. If you have the right process, and the right partnerships it can be very beneficial to help scale business quickly and give a great employee experience,” says Miller. 

When you’re ready to discuss how to improve or launch your company’s high-volume hiring program, contact us for more details