What is Full Cycle Recruiting?

The term “full cycle recruiting” pertains to the complete end-to-end recruitment process. It begins with identifying the need for a new hire to completing the onboarding of the new employee. The process is alternatively called “full life cycle recruiting” or “life cycle recruiting.”

What distinguishes full cycle recruiting from traditional recruiting processes is that it consolidates the various steps of the recruitment process in a single holistic entity.

Larger firms often choose to allocate individual resources to each of the steps of the recruiting process. On the other hand, smaller and mid-sized firms prefer to go for full cycle recruiting.

• Full Cycle Recruiting Methodology
• Stages of Full Life Cycle Recruiting
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Full Life Cycle Recruiting
• Hallmarks of Efficient Full Cycle Recruiting
• Conclusion 

Full Cycle Recruiting Methodology

In small firms, one person may be designated as the full life cycle recruiter and is responsible for the end-to-end recruitment process. In mid-sized firms, a small HR team handles one or more steps of the recruitment process. Large firms have full-fledged HR departments, with individual team members specializing in various stages of the recruitment process.

Organizations may also choose to outsource the entire process or individual steps of life cycle recruitment.

Stages of Full Life Cycle Recruiting

Full life cycle recruiting comprises the following steps.

1.Preparing

It is the first step in the life cycle recruiting process. The step includes defining the required employee attributes and writing the job description. Defining employee attributes involves identifying desired professional competencies and behavioral attitudes needed for the job. A well-written job description specifies the nature of the job, explains the firm’s values and goals, and lists the requirements of the role and the proposed compensation. One could use available specialized software tools to write accurate job descriptions.

2.Sourcing

In the case of talent with niche skills, recruiters conduct online and offline searches to identify candidates who might be passive. Social media sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook are preferred means of identifying potential hires. Recruiters also employ employee referrals and in-house recruiting for talent sourcing.

3.Screening

The screening step of the end-to-end recruitment process whittles down the full list of applicants to a condensed one of probable hires. It involves examining the received resumes to match the job requirements and professional profile of the applicants, followed by a preliminary telephonic discussion. The applicants found most suitable will be shortlisted for further evaluation via an in-person interview.

4.Selection

It involves the identification of the best applicant from the shortlist. Recruiters use a combination of psychometric tests, written tests, task-based tests, and interviews to determine the best person for the job. In some firms, selecting the right person includes background and reference checks of candidates.

5.Hiring

Hiring consists of two main activities, namely, negotiations and a final job offer. A good job offer contains a description of the role, nature of employment, start date, working terms, and compensation.

6.Onboarding

The final step completes and rounds off the recruitment process. A well-designed onboarding process ensures that the new hire fits into the role, meshes seamlessly with the people in the organization, and coheres with the firm’s working culture. An effective onboarding process is a key determinant in the recruitment life cycle, ensuring the new hires fit in the organization.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Full Life Cycle Recruiting

The 360° recruiting approach affords several benefits.

• Since one person is responsible for steering the complete process, it increases accountability.
• A single point of contact in the organization enhances the applicant experience, requiring only one person for all recruitment-related queries.
• The single-point recruiter can create a better relationship with the applicants, further enhancing the applicant experience.
• Having a single person steering the process eliminates bureaucratic delays and speeds up decision-making. It improves the overall efficiency of the recruiting process.
• The full-cycle recruiting process helps in consolidating data. As the only point of contact, a single recruiter or agency can collate and consolidate hiring data related to a particular position for multiple recruitment campaigns.

However, full life cycle recruiting is not without some downsides.

• 360° recruiting is not suitable for all organizations. A single person can only have limited knowledge and competencies. They can handle only a restricted number of applicants, and when the number exceeds their threshold, recruiting efficiency is adversely affected. This end-to-end recruitment process is best suited for niche specialization and small organizations.
• Handling all the steps of the life cycle recruiting process requires a multitude of disparate skills. It is impractical for one person to be proficient in all the required skills. Although several technology-enabled tools assist the recruiter, it can be challenging to keep up with the technological changes and learn to use the tools.
• In addition to the core recruiting skills, a full cycle recruiter will need other related skills such as listening and communicating effectively. Finding a blend of these soft skills and core recruiting abilities in a single person is rare.

Hallmarks of Efficient Full Cycle Recruiting

• An efficient full life cycle recruiter or agency should work closely with the hiring manager from the initial stages of the hiring process. It enhances mutual understanding of the job requirements and the hiring process, reducing the overall time-to-hire.
• The efficiency of the full cycle recruiting process can improve considerably by the judicious and effective use of the available technological tools.
• A competent 360° recruiter does not disengage from the process after the offer letter is issued. The recruiter or agency should assist in the onboarding of the candidates and even follow up with the candidates a few weeks into the job.

Conclusion

If done well, the end-to-end recruitment helps attract the best available talent, streamlines the recruitment process, enhances candidate experience, reduces immediate turnover, and improves hiring efficiency.

Integration of all the required competencies in a single person is an ideal that is difficult to achieve. QX Global Group has the resources, including the people, databases, technological tools, and knowledge of the processes, which combine to provide you with a single point life cycle recruiting partner.

Originally published Jun 08, 2022 03:06:04, updated Feb 06 2024

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