With hiring slowing across tech, many recruiting leaders are working through the “recruiting tech debt” companies have accrued over the previous period of high growth. Particularly, we are seeing a number of our client companies focus on quality of hire. With companies needing to do more with fewer resources, companies and recruiting teams want to ensure that they are hiring the right people for each role.
Recently, we also hosted a community event on “Why Quality of Hire Matters More Than Ever” with special guests Kerry Wang of Searchlight and Chris Shaw of Apollo GraphQL to discuss why quality of hire is so important and how companies can begin to measure it. Here are some highlights from the event.
Measuring Quality of Hire:
Quality of hire is going to vary company by company, so it’s important to define the measurement criteria up front. Most commonly, we’ve seen organizations consider attrition rates and gather performance data. By relying on data rather than opinions, talent partners can elevate their strategic roles and provide evidence-based recommendations.
Incorporating Quality of Hire:
Integrating quality of hire metrics requires careful consideration of various factors. This includes selecting effective sourcing channels, identifying top interviewers, providing necessary interviewer training, and establishing robust assessment criteria. Leading indicators of retention include enablement, belonging, alignment, and focus on non-regretted attrition. Early measurement at 90 days allows for assessment of the recruiting process's effectiveness in bringing in the right candidates. Once you get past the 90 day mark, a variety of factors outside of the recruiting process (such as manager effectiveness, role scope changes, company changes, et.c) impact the new employee’s performance.
Example of Implementation and Processes:
At Apollo Graph QL, the quality of hire program involves analyzing both high and low performers throughout the company, with success being determined by the manager's assessment. Chris believes building trust with hiring managers is crucial to ensure they are honest with the performance data they are sharing and understand that the data collected is used to support their team's future success. The program at Apollo includes measuring various factors across 71 columns, such as hiring manager scores, average interview scores, recruiting feedback, and startup experience. Data collection takes approximately 3.5 weeks, with ongoing maintenance requiring 30 to 60 minutes per person.
Though it may be time intensive, Kerry mentioned the importance of prioritizing quality of hire through data-driven talent strategies yields significant benefits. By measuring performance and retention, investing in careful job analysis, and utilizing structured interviewing, organizations can ensure their recruitment processes lead to higher quality hires. Building trust with hiring managers and involving them in the quality of hire assessment fosters a collaborative approach. With the right focus on quality, you can drive improved performance, employee satisfaction, and long-term success.
We are impressed with how talent leaders are taking advantage of this changing market to focus and innovate on programs to uplevel their recruiting process. We are confident that when the market picks back up, companies will benefit from this investment with greater quality of hires.
