​In professional sports, prospective players are chosen not just based on their capabilities, but also how well they fit in with the team. Oftentimes, they will play in practice games with existing team members before a decision is made. Besides the coach, teammates will also have the opportunity to chime in on whether they believe an individual is a good fit.

The corporate world too can approach hiring the same way, in a practice known as collaborative recruitment.

​

What is collaborative recruitment?

Unlike traditional hiring where decisions are typically made only by human resources and/or management level staff, collaborative hiring brings employees from all levels of management into the picture.

This means getting their inputs on job descriptions, having them participate in interviews, and asking for their perspective before making hiring decisions.

Employees don’t work in silos. If these potential candidates are going to be their future coworkers, surely they should have some say in the hiring decisions.

Don’t just take our word for it, though.

With one in four new hires quitting within their first six months, and one in five within the first 90 days – the numbers suggest that traditional hiring practices may be due for a change.

​

3 benefits of collaborative hiring

1. Make better hiring decisions

Having only one or two individuals involved in hiring decisions greatly increases the likelihood of incomplete assessments and blind spots. Regardless of how objective hiring managers try to be, everyone carries inherent biases that may influence their decisions.

By introducing more people into hiring processes, these blind spots can be eliminated as every individual will come in with their own opinions, providing for a more comprehensive assessment.

Additionally, getting the inputs of employees on the ground will give recruiters and hiring managers a better overview of what a position requires. After all, these are the individuals who are most aware of the gaps that need to be filled.

​

2. Improve hiring rates

The last thing recruiters want is to pore over hundreds of applications and sit through multiple interviews, only to find themselves with no promising candidate. Trying to hire can be a huge drain on resources and money.

Employee referrals can be a good way to tackle this challenge. Referrals tend to be more cost effective and deliver on a higher applicant to hire conversion rate – making up 40% of hires while being only 7% of total applications, according to The Undercover Recruiter.

​

3. Attract top talent

Having existing employees be a part of the hiring process can help companies build a strong employer brand that attracts top talent.

When candidates have an opportunity to talk to their prospective coworkers, they are able to get a clearer idea of the job requirements and company culture. If hired, this can help them fit in better into the work environment as well.

Furthermore, candidates tend to trust genuine employee feedback more than they do corporate messages. Having employees share their own experience in the workplace can help you build a more relatable and genuine brand.

​

Five steps to collaborative recruitment

Looking to get started with collaborative recruitment? Here is our quick and snappy guide on how you can do so!

​

1. Bring a team together. Gather employees who will be part of the hiring process. This team should include both the manager, and those who will eventually be working alongside and/or under the new employee.

2. Set and align expectations. Get together with the aforementioned team and iron out the details of the job description and what each employee is looking for in a candidate.

3. Find candidates. There’s no better place to look than within your organisation! Use internal hiring notices and get your employees to refer connections who they believe may be suitable.

4. Interview. Have every one evaluating different skills to get a more comprehensive overview of each candidate.

5. Make a decision. Get inputs from your team on each candidate to prevent any unconscious biases any one individual may have.

​

And that’s it! You’re on track to begin implementing collaborative hiring within your organisation. If you still want a third party assessment or guidance on how to improve your recruitment practices, do reach out to us.

​