When it comes to hiring in defence industry, speed really matters. Making decisions quickly doesn’t mean being hasty or ill-informed; with adequate planning and a clear goal, recruiting can be streamlined, professional and efficient.
Why hiring delays hurt
Before we dig into the best way to secure good talent fast, let’s take a look at why it’s important to avoid a slow recruitment process.
Hiring delays can be extremely costly for companies in several ways. Here’s how:
Operational impact
Every unfilled role represents work that isn’t getting done; this means missed deadlines, slower project delivery and missed revenue opportunities.
Employee strain
Unfilled roles mean increased workload on existing employees. Productivity and innovation drops off as workers get overstretched, and burned-out workers are much more likely to quit. A vital part of a successful recruitment strategy is to retain the good workers you’ve already got! The cost of replacing a highly skilled employee can be as much as 1.5-2x their salary.
Financial costs
The longer a role stays open, the more expensive recruitment becomes. Advertising fees accumulate, and HR and hiring managers spend more of their time screening and interviewing candidates.
Missed project deadlines can result in financial penalties, and without the right people in the right roles, opportunities for future work might be missed.
Reputation
A loss of productivity might result in a decline in customer service and satisfaction. Don’t forget that candidates love to talk! If a candidate has a negative experience through delays or disorganisation, the negative reputational impact could result in it becoming harder to attract good talent in the future.
How to speed up decision-making
This might seem a bit doom and gloom, but don’t worry, there is plenty you can do to avoid this situation. To speed up recruitment decision-making, implement the following strategies.
Plan ahead – Identify the role or roles you need and their ideal start dates.
Set clear priorities – Ask yourself, what’s most important? Balance recruitment speed, budget, candidate experience, and hiring certainty to make informed trade-offs. Prioritise candidate communication.
Define a talent acquisition strategy – Decide who leads hiring, which channels to use, and whether to engage recruitment partners.
Prepare job descriptions – Draft detailed job descriptions early to attract the right candidates and set clear expectations.
Lock in availability – Ensure hiring managers are available both to interview and onboard new starters.
Streamline the recruitment process – Set defined timelines for interviews, feedback, and offers to avoid delays. Aim for a four-week hiring window.
Engage external support – If internal resources are limited, consider using recruitment agencies to complete your hiring activities.
By proactively planning, defining processes, and leveraging external expertise where needed, companies can reduce hiring delays and secure the right talent in a quick and professional manner.
Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash
