You have approximately 55+ work days (net of Thanksgiving and December holidays) to identify, evaluate, persuade, reference check, negotiate, and administratively process incoming recruits. You also need to allow for the candidate’s provision of a two week notice with their current employer.
Depending on your process, each recruit may require the following steps along the itemized time horizon.
Work Day 1: Profile (resume, Linkedin, etc) review
Work Days 1 – 7: Initial phone screen
Work Days 5 – 15: Secondary phone screens
Work Days 10 – 45: In-person interviews
Work Days 25 – 50: Reference/Background checks
Work Days 30 – 55: Offers and Negotiation
Work Days 35 – 55: Administrative Processing, Candidate provides current employer with two weeks notice
The above may highlight the importance of developing a pipeline of candidates to review and process in a timely manner.
A timely pool of qualified candidates at the front end of the recruiting process will enable you to:
1) Not sacrifice on required candidate due diligence, and insure a functional and cultural fit. This includes the substantial amount of time to schedule interviewers who are traveling and/or currently consumed with reaching Q4 $ #’s … and then debrief with each of them
2) Help CANDIDATES insure fit; preventing post hire candidate regret, surprises, and turnover
3) Have required time to compare candidates
4) Have required time for effective negotiating and not feel squeezed by candidates with competing offers
5) Actually have candidates available to start January 2017, be part of group training, and contribute towards 2017 revenue expectations via sales or delivery
Since 2001 Xtra Effort Solutions, Inc. of Westford, MA has been helping growing information technology oriented product and service companies hire Sales, Sales Engineering, and Professional Services personnel across the USA’s major hubs.