It may not seem like a college basketball tournament and your hiring process have a whole lot in common. But, think about it. Both scenarios start with a large pool of potential winners who go through a series of competitive rounds to narrow the field. In the end, one team (candidate) comes out on top and celebrates their victory. So, let’s take a closer look at how recruiting is like March Madness — no matter what month it is!
Round of 64: Applications Received
During the initial round, 64 hopeful teams kick off the tournament, knowing that only half will advance to the next contest. Similarly, in response to a job posting, you may receive 64 (or more) applications from potential candidates who want to work for your organization. Naturally, you’ll want to whittle down that list to a manageable number fast! Fortunately, the knockout questions on your company’s application will automatically weed out those who clearly aren’t a fit for the position advertised, leaving you with those who are at least minimally qualified.
Round of 32: Resumes Reviewed
In the round of 32, 50% of college teams play another game, and 50% of your potential candidates get the first set of eyes on their applications. During this phase, you’ll review the remaining resumes for education, experience, credentials, skills, and achievements. Then, you’ll rank the applicants and cut the bottom half of the field from the competition with an encouraging note to apply again in the future.
Sweet 16: Phone Screens Completed
The Sweet 16 round starts with only a quarter of the teams and applicants still in the running. During this series, you’ll make initial contact with your strongest contenders, officially making them job candidates. During the phone screen, you’ll get a feel for each candidate’s communication style, personality, attitude towards work, and level of interest in the role. You’ll start to get to know them beyond what you see on paper. After your last scheduled call, you’ll divide the field again, advancing the most promising professionals to the next round.
Elite 8: Pre-Employment Assessments Administered
While it may feel like crowning a tournament winner or selecting the top candidate is still miles away, you’re actually closing in on the finish line. During the Elite 8 round, just 12% of teams and original applicants remain. But, before you schedule interviews with the hiring manager, it’s a good idea to shorten the list even further. Pre-employment assessments can help you with this task.
Pre-employment assessments are standardized tests that measure aptitude, cognitive capabilities, and personality traits, giving you a glimpse of how a professional would perform on the job. The hiring team can use this insight to rule out candidates who obviously don’t hit the mark and formulate targeted interview questions to draw out specific information from the frontrunners. The bottom line: Assessments provide additional data points about each person, giving you a more holistic view of their candidacy and allowing you to compare them in greater depth.
Final 4: Hiring Manager Interviews Conducted
The results of the pre-employment assessments are in, and it’s clear who deserves to advance to the next round. During the Final 4, the last few teams can barely contain their excitement. One of them is going to win it all soon! Your top candidates share the same level of enthusiasm, knowing that they just have to make it through the in-person interview process. During the interview (or round of interviews), your hiring manager will gauge each candidate’s soft skills, industry knowledge, and company fit, jotting down their impressions.
Championship: Winning Candidate Selected
The basketball players, your candidates, and your hiring team have played a long game, and they are exhausted. Fortunately, the time has come to select the winner! Your hiring manager will consider everything they’ve learned about each professional, often referring back to the pre-employment assessment results to support and frame their thinking.
Finally, they’ll rank the finalists, drop the bottom two candidates, and choose their next employee. Once they reach their decision, they’ll partner with you to put together an enticing job offer. (Unlike the tournament, though, you’ll keep the #2 contender on deck in case the champion declines your offer or fails post-interview screenings.)
Tips for a Successful March Madness (Recruiting Process)
Your recruiting process determines who will join your organization, and your employees ultimately determine your company’s success (or failure). Therefore, it’s a smart idea to refine how you hire talent continuously. Here are some tips that can help:
- Manage and improve your employer brand and reputation. Respond to negative reviews — and show that you’re listening by making changes based on the trends you see.
- Clearly state the position’s salary range and your company’s benefits. Take the opportunity to brag about why your organization is an employer of choice.
- Align the advertised job requirements with the position’s actual responsibilities (and pay). For example, your entry-level customer service representative may not need a college degree to succeed in the role.
- Give candidates a realistic job preview. That way, there are no surprises when your top pick joins the team.
- Gauge each candidate’s competence and company fit. Pre-employment assessments are great tools for this purpose.
- Make the hiring process as fast and easy as possible. Otherwise, you may alienate and lose out on key talent.
- Keep in touch with each candidate. Don’t make them wait too long for updates — and don’t ghost them.
- Use technology like an applicant tracking system to streamline the process and keep candidates in the loop.
- Reject with compassion and a clear reason. You can help professionals improve their interview skills and leave the door open for them to apply for a more suitable role in the future.
Bonus tip: Survey your candidates to see what they liked and disliked about your hiring process. Then, take action on their feedback whenever possible.
How Omnia Can Help
Do you need to add pre-employment assessments to your hiring process (or make some changes)? We’re here for you! We offer proven, reliable, and highly insightful behavioral and cognitive assessments.
Our cognitive assessment measures how your candidate thinks, learns, adapts, and solves problems. Our behavioral assessment measures the personality traits that influence how your candidate works, such as assertiveness and communication style. Between the two tests, you can be sure a potential employee is the right fit for your team and the position.
Since we know time is of the essence in the recruiting process, our assessments are fast and easy to fill out. Plus, you’ll receive instant results so you can take immediate action. (And if you want us to analyze the data further to give you even more information about your candidate, we can do that, too!)
Contact us today with questions or to try one of our assessments for yourself!
Final Thoughts
Comparing the recruiting process to March Madness is a fun exercise. While the two are entirely different events, the similarities are striking. Both seek to systematically whittle down a large pool of contest entrants until a victor is named. As we root for our favorite college basketball team, we’ll be rooting for you to make your next successful hire — hopefully with as little madness as possible!
