The Main Stages of Full Life Cycle Recruiting:

1. Defining the ideal candidate.

The first stage of end-to-end recruitment is to define the ideal candidate persona. It is important to understand what the hiring manager's needs and expectations are when it comes to filling a position. What characteristics, skills, education, and experience does the candidate need to have? Once the ideal candidate has been defined, you can proceed with drafting a job description that attracts the ideal candidate.

Read our Guide to Competency Modeling to learn how to develop a set of guidelines that define the skills, knowledge, and abilities (KSAs) required for an employee to perform their job successfully.

2. Sourcing candidates.

The second stage involves sourcing both active candidates (those who are actively seeking a job) and passive candidates (those who are not actively looking for jobs but may be interested in your new role). There are several ways to source candidates, such as posting a job description on job boards or career websites, advertising internally, or conducting an employee referral program.

3. Screening.

This stage of life cycle recruiting refers to screening potential candidates by reviewing their resumes, skills, and experience to see if they match the requirements of the vacant position. Some companies also screen candidates by conducting phone interviews before meeting in-person. Once you've shortlisted your ideal candidates, you can invite them to attend an interview.

4. Selection.

Selecting the best candidate for the job is the most fundamental part of the full life-cycle recruiting process. A candidate's resume can only reveal so much, so it is imperative that you meet with the person to determine if their characteristics, skills, and experience match what they've put in their CV. Before the interview, you will need to prepare a list of interview questions. Depending on the industry, this stage can also include background checks and reference assessments.

5. Hiring.

Once the interviews are complete, and you've decided on a candidate, it's time to make a job offer by sending them a formal job offer letter.

6. Onboarding.

Lastly, onboarding is another crucial stage in the life cycle recruiting process. Onboarding takes time and commitment with the goal being to make the new employee feel welcomed by their new co-workers, and to help them fit in with the company culture for a successful end to the life cycle recruiting process.

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FAQs:

What is full cycle recruiting?

Full cycle recruiting, or full life cycle recruiting refers to managing the entire recruitment process from beginning to end.

What are the five stages of the recruitment process?

  1. Defining the ideal candidate.
  2. Sourcing candidates.
  3. Screening.
  4. Selection.
  5. Hiring.
  6. Onboarding.

How does recruitment fit into the HR life cycle?

Recruiting is the second step of the HR life cycle: after the job becomes vacant but before hiring is done.

What is end-to-end recruiting?

End-to-end recruiting, similar to full life cycle recruiting, consists of several stages, starting with the need for a new employee and ending with onboarding.

What is the final stage of the recruitment process?

The final stage of the recruitment process is onboarding. Onboarding strives to make the new employee feel welcomed by their new co-workers and to help them fit in with the company culture.

How do you create an effective recruitment process?

  1. Develop a job advertising database.
  2. Set aside time to review resumes and interview candidates.
  3. Use tracking tools to keep track of candidates, qualifications, and progress.
  4. Cluster candidate interviews.
  5. Use template letters that can be customized.
  6. Build relationships with candidates.
  7. Review and revise your recruitment process.

Who is in charge of the full life cycle recruitment process?

In medium-sized companies, life cycle recruiting falls under the HR department, but small businesses and start-ups may not have the manpower to conduct this process on their own. In this case, the task usually falls to one person, who may do everything by themselves with the help of recruitment software.

What tools are available to help me with full life cycle recruiting?

There is a wide array of software available to help you with the recruiting process. From sourcing tools to applicant tracking systems, these online tools are extremely useful and many are specially priced for small businesses and start-ups.

Can I get someone else to recruit for me if I'm extremely busy?

Yes. If you don't have the time for recruiting employees on your own, and you don't have an HR manager, you can always pay a staffing agency to handle the entire life cycle recruiting process for you.

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