“The recruitment process in the UAE is so slow. It’s just very slow, unfortunately. It’s indecision in the process of hiring. It’s a cultural thing. No one wants to decide on hiring someone. It’s a process where maybe an analyst can have 5 or 6 interviews for a position. It’s almost like you’re interviewing for a CEO,” the founder of iRecruiter told Arabian Business. In the fast-paced UAE job market, the need for shorter time-to-hire is more urgent than ever, giving companies a competitive advantage. 

Time-to-hire is a critical metric in the business world. It is the number of days it takes for a candidate to apply for a job till they accept the offer. Hence, a long time to hire can disrupt the balance in the workplace. Therefore, top UAE companies often aim to reduce this time for better outcomes. In this article, we provide a comprehensive guide on how to achieve this. This guide includes the necessary information, from why shorter hiring time is important to the strategies required to achieve it. 

The Significance of Reducing Time-to-Hire in the UAE

Time-to-hire is often overlooked. Compared to other aspects of running a business, it seems irrelevant. However, nothing is farther from the truth. The time-to-hire contributes immensely to the growth of every labor-based business.  Here are three solid reasons why you should strive to reduce time-to-hire as a UAE business: 

• Competitive Edge: A slow hiring process can lead to losing talented workers to competition. The UAE work market is fast-paced, so the faster company often gets the better catch. They have the edge in talent competition. 
• Flexibility: A faster hiring time means a company is more adaptable to the market’s needs. This flexibility is crucial to staying relevant in the job market. You can match the hiring demand to what’s in demand. For example, there has been a recent need for workers to fill AI-related positions. A company with a faster hiring time is about to adapt and get highly skilled workers before other companies can.
• More Cost-effective: Lengthy time-to-hire is ineffective. The longer the vacancy remains, the more inefficient the company is and the more money it loses. Existing clients might have to take extra hours, leading to more pay and less productivity.

When a UAE company takes too long to hire new employees, it not only risks losing a lot of profits and skilled employees but also operates at a reduced productivity level. Most of the time, less skilled company workers take up the jobs for a while, which can lead to less than the required output as they lack the candidate experience. Hence, the faster the company can attain full capacity, the better.

Key Factors Contributing to Lengthy Hiring Processes

Some processes string together to make up a company’s time-to-hire. Knowing these obstacles offers insights on how you can tackle them. Here are the common issues constituting a lengthy hiring process:  

Inefficient Recruiting Workflows and Approvals

Like everything in life, there is a need for a defined workflow. When the hiring process has no structure and features exhaustive approval stages, it leads to slower recruiting time. Hence, a walkaround is needed to ensure these processes are more streamlined and time-effective. 

Lack of Coordination and Communication

Proper communication is the backbone of every enterprise. Once appropriate communication is misplaced, hiring will be slower. This communication can be between the staff responsible for the hiring process and even the HR managers. Also, the lack of coordination can lead to different team members not being in the loop regarding the hiring process. 

Unrealistic Job Requirements and Expectations

Setting unrealistic job requirements, such as demanding excessive years of experience, can limit the pool of applicants. Imagine a job post for 25-year-old applicants demanding 15 years of experience. Ridiculous, right? Unrealistic expectations can lead to a prolonged hiring process as you wait for enough candidates to fill the required quota. Therefore, it’s important to set reasonable job requirements to attract a larger pool of qualified candidates and shorten the time-to-hire. 

Limited Talent Pools and Pipelines

Talent pools and pipelines are popularly considered among the most effective ways to source candidates. They significantly cut lengthy hiring time. Instead of the usual process, all a company needs to do is reach out to a few already hand-picked candidates and choose. Hence, companies with strong talent pools and pipelines don’t have to go through the extensive and exhaustive hiring process, saving time and shortening the time to hire. 

Strategies for Streamlining the Hiring Process

Now that we know the probable hiccups in the hiring process let’s start with the strategies you can take to avoid them. To find a vantage point in the fast-paced UAE job market, here are strategies to streamline the hiring process: 

Conducting Thorough Job Analysis and Planning

One way to be exceptional in the job market is to set clear and detailed job requirements. When you have the correct description, you attract the right candidates. However, the only way to promote the right description is through a proper job analysis. 

A good job analysis identifies the required skill set, responsibilities, and other qualifications. This way, you are on the right track. Overshooting regarding job requirements during ads can scare off potential capable workers and ultimately extend your time-to-hire. 

Proper job analysis and planning ensure you enter the job market with the right job descriptions. This helps since it attracts the right audience and prevents having to screen out a lot more unfit candidates when evaluating the candidates and deciding if they are good fits for the position. 

Leveraging Technology and Automation

Undoubtedly, trying to take the human route through the recruiting process can be exhausting. Using technology such as HR software like Bayzat can help automate repetitive tasks. An example is sending responses to applicants’ entries. This software can be a lifesaver. If you know how to leverage this technology, you can easily keep in touch with vacant positions and post job vacancies on time to get a replacement. 

Moreover, technology can also help with things like skill assessment and interviews. For skill assessment, you can use available tools to test whether the applicants have the skills they claim to possess. Companies can also leverage software like Zoom and Remco to host online interviews. They save the need for on-site interviews and are more flexible. This way, they drastically shorten the required time to hire the required candidates. 

Implementing Collaborative Hiring Practices

A collaborative approach is quick if it is used right. The more hands on deck, the faster and more effective you can get the process done. You can recruit workers from other departments to access the applicants. Plus, you can get the hiring team in touch with HR for a better and faster route. 

One of the main reasons hiring processes are so long is the time it takes for the job ads to reach the required audience. Companies can get the whole company on board with the process. Employees can spread the word about the vacancy and reach the desired audience faster. This way, the applications would roll in, and the company could continue with the rest of the hiring process. Implementing collaborative practices as outlined above ensures more hands are turning the wheel. 

Building Strong Talent Pipelines and Networks

Every UAE business must have a strong talent pipeline to fall to when there is an open job position. Creating a strong talent pipeline involves a couple of steps. First, you have to note the position that demands frequent hires. Whether it is the technical or marketing department, note the positions that often need more team players. Next, outline the appropriate skillet that suits the position. 

Once you know what you want, the next step is sourcing it. Locate hangouts that feature this sort of crowd, such as conferences, LinkedIn, referrals, and more. Fish out candidates who suit what you are looking for and stay in touch. You can maintain steady communication by sharing helpful content and having personalised conversations.

Best Practices for Reducing Time-to-Hire in UAE Organizations

Reducing time-to-hire in UAE organisations requires certain practices. Here are the best practices every business should teach to ensure the strategies are effective:

Setting Clear Hiring Goals and Timelines

Setting hiring goals and having a defined timeline makes reducing the time to hire easier. Ensure that the goals are specific and measurable. Also, ensure these goals are fixed to a timeline. This way, you can measure your progress. You can start with when you want to send out a job ad with the job requirements and attach a date to it. And you can also do the same for the following steps in the process. You can see the goal for how many interviews you want to do in a day. Plus, you can even set a goal for screening alongside a plausible date. 

Providing an Exceptional Candidate Experience

Exceptional candidate experience can drastically reduce an organisation’s time to hire. A company can take several steps to achieve optimal candidate experience. These steps include seamless communications, follow-ups, and interviews. These processes would culminate to an effective and quick hiring process. Once the candidates have decent experience, working with them is way simpler and faster. 

Continuously Measuring and Optimizing Hiring Metrics

One way to tackle hiring hiccups is through feedbacks. Feedback helps you identify bottlenecks. Once the bottlenecks are spotted, you can nip them in the bud before they become a big issue. For example, you can use specific software to assess candidate satisfaction and other experiences. Closely inspect your results to determine what might slow down the hiring team. Once spotted, the company can take several measures to handle them, such as automation and job planning. This way, there is a clear and informed approach to the problem.                        

Securing Buy-In and Support from Stakeholders

Many UAE organisation stakeholders don’t know the importance of hiring efficiency. If the company emphasises this, they can lend their support. This support can go a long way in facilitating much of the hiring process. When presenting the conversation, discuss how it’s critical for cost savings and the perks it provides. The support csn help ensure a streamlined process and faster time to hire. 

Common Obstacles and Solutions in Reducing Time-to-Hire

Regarding reducing time-to-hire, there are obstacles that you might stumble upon while at it. Here, we round up by mentioning common barriers and the solutions. This way, you can enter the job market with clarity. Let’s get started: 

• Lack of Structure in the Hiring Process: A common issue with the hiring process is that it lacks structure. The structure is necessary to streamline it and make it effective. Plus, a lack of structure means a longer time to hire. 

A typical structure includes elements from job ads to applications to interviews. Once you have a structure, you can find ways to enhance it for speed and efficiency. You can decide which type of job ad, whether it is on platforms like LinkedIn or through jingles. You can also choose which interview route to use. 

• Absence of a Strong Talent Pipeline and Pools: A talent pipeline is a handpicked people pre-screened for a select role. Most UAE companies need a talent pipeline. Hence, they often have to go through posting job ads and the usual steps to fill an opening. 

Moreover, a talent pipeline significantly shortens the time needed to employ new hands in the company. You don’t have to post a job ad, wait for applications, or vet applicants. Instead, you just contact your talent pipeline and inform them of an open position. So, how do you get a 

• Failing to Incorporate Technology: Technology ensures many repetitive steps are handled precisely and on time. A company that takes the traditional approach will lag in UAE’s fast-paced market. Hence, embracing technology might be the one sure way to get ahead. You can automate communication and even interview questions to save time. 

UAE Companies Successfully Reducing Time-to-Hire in Competitive Markets

For more perspective on how to properly approach hiring new employees, let’s look at some UAE companies implementing reducing time-to-hire strategies UAE. 

• Dubai Islamic Bank: This organization incorporates AI and other technological tools to speed up candidate assessment and the overall hiring process. 
• Emerson Electric: Emerson Electric uses AI software to streamline most recruitment processes. 
• Accenture: This company uses chatbots for the initial stages of recruitment, which takes a large chunk of the process. 

How to Effectively Reduce Hiring Time With Professional Assistance

There are many great benefits to hiring talents quickly and decisively. However, getting the process right requires advanced expertise, primarily available via professional human resources agencies. Bayzat is one of these advanced modern-generation Human Resource start-ups that help companies, both big and small, get the perfect talents on time. The company employs different modern tools, like its unique ATS and HPF systems, to attract, recruit, onboard and integrate fitting talents in the quickest time. You can reach Bayzat via email or phone call to get fixed to an expert. It is all straightforward and seamless.

Frequently Asked Questions 

How do you reduce the time-to-hire of your company?

Several strategies exist to reduce a company’s time to hire. Some of them have a structure for the hiring process, leverage technology, use a talent pipeline, and try an application tracking system like Bayzat. 

How Can Technology Help Shorten Hiring Process Time? 

Technology can help automate many required hiring steps, such as interviews and communications. If done well, companies can hire their desired candidate in a much shorter time.

What is A Talent Pipeline? 

A talent pipeline is a group of selected prospects a company has on stand-by for a position. Hence, when a position becomes vacant, these prospects can step in and start working.