Henry Tran’s Post

I speak to HR leaders almost every day, and I very rarely hear about hiring processes that are exactly the same. When it comes to the hiring funnel, everyone has their own process.   Imagine you’re hiring for a high-turnover, remote position — how does the hiring process differ from that of a highly-technical, mid-level role?   Whether it's spending more time on certain tasks, changing the order, or removing steps completely, everyone tunes their hiring processes to the roles they’re hiring for.    I see this all the time with where hiring leaders put their skills assessments.   For entry level roles that get a ton of applications, we recommend that hiring teams put shorter, out-of-the-box assessments very high in the hiring funnel. Right after the resume review. With such a big volume of applicants, it’s important to identify qualified candidates quickly. Unserious candidates will self-select out of the process by not taking the test. The ones who take the test and score well are worth sending to the next stage of the hiring funnel.   For mid-level or senior roles, it’s essential to use custom tests a bit further down the hiring funnel. Perhaps after a phone screen or virtual interview. Since these roles require a wider array of skills and come with higher compensation, nailing these hires is essential. A customized assessment with questions tailored to the requirements of the job will help identify strengths and weaknesses and lead to better hires. Some companies even send a behavioral or job simulation assessment in addition to the skills assessment to get a better view of their candidate.    Creating these custom assessments takes a little more work, but we see that they’re more predictive of on-the-job success and worth the time when it comes to high-value roles.   We’re also currently working to streamline the process by using AI to create job-specific assessments based on the role’s JD. I want to hear about how other people hire — and how it differs across positions.