Traditional hiring methods rely on intuition and subjective judgments about everything from when to hire to how to improve retention rates. Given the amount and quality of data readily available with the right tools, shifting from gut decisions to a data-driven hiring process makes sense for businesses looking to build high-performing teams.
What is data-driven hiring?
Data-driven hiring uses company data—ranging from employee demographics to performance metrics—to help organizations make objective and informed decisions on recruitment, hiring, training, and more. By analyzing relevant data, business owners can target the right candidates while minimizing the impact of personal biases and ensuring that decisions are based on merit and job-related criteria.
Is data-driven hiring worth it?
Traditional hiring methods have the advantage of familiarity, but there is no denying the practical benefits of transitioning to a data-driven hiring process. Perhaps most importantly, data-driven hiring practices can help you identify candidates whose skills, values, and work styles align with your expectations and job requirements. This alignment reduces the likelihood of turnover, as employees are more likely to thrive in an environment that suits their professional strengths and personal values.
Data-driven hiring also helps identify and eliminate bias in the recruitment process, promoting a more diverse and inclusive workforce. By leveraging data analytics, businesses can actively address disparities and ensure equal opportunities for all candidates, contributing to a richer and more dynamic team.
What types of data are helpful?
A smart way to begin instituting a data-driven hiring process is to gather and analyze data about your existing workforce. For example, you can examine staff demographics to look for trends and concerns. Are you meeting the needs of employees from different generations? Are the educational backgrounds of successful employees in line with the requirements in your job descriptions, or should you insert more flexibility?
Turnover and retention rates are another valuable source of insight. You can dig into details on how long employees tend to stay, whether those trends have changed over time, and when and why workers at different levels of the company tend to leave.
Make more informed hiring decisions
When you put your internal data to work, you can improve every step of your hiring process, from when you hire to who you target and how you train new employees.
Data about top performers can help you write better job descriptions and craft interview questions that identify the skills and qualities that really matter at your business. Data can also help you set a competitive salary, onboard employees based on proven strategies, and offer benefits and opportunities for advancement that you know are effective.
Get expert assistance
Insero Talent Solutions can help you develop and maintain a data-driven culture using the latest technology to hire better candidates and improve employee retention.
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About the Author: Benjamin Vassallo
