What is full cycle recruiting?
Full cycle recruiting broadly defines a hiring process overseen by just one person. Unlike other forms of recruitment, where multiple people within the organization handle different steps in the process, this format delegates the entire hiring procedure to a single individual. From posting job descriptions to onboarding candidates, a full cycle recruiter is involved in every step.
This holistic approach to hiring is popular with small or midsize organizations that don’t have an entire team dedicated to recruitment and hiring. Letting a single recruiter fill a role can sometimes be a better use of company resources than relying on a group of recruiters.
Both full cycle recruiting and a traditional division of hiring tasks can help companies find quality candidates, so you should consider whether full cycle recruiting makes the most sense with your organization’s available resources and existing hiring team.
The 6 stages of full cycle recruiting
Full cycle recruiting typically has six distinct steps. Here’s what the recruitment life cycle looks like for organizations that assign one person with the task of hiring.
1. Preparing the role
The first step in the life cycle of recruitment is creating a job description. This involves gathering information about the role, typically from the position’s manager. Once the recruiter understands the role’s key duties, necessary skills and desired experience, they can write a job description.
A concise yet thorough job description can help attract more job seekers to the role. The recruiter should include information about salary, benefits, company culture and details that set the open position apart from competing employers.
2. Sourcing candidates
During the sourcing stage, a recruiter aims to cultivate interest in the role. Depending on the industry and specifics of the position, this may require a more active approach to finding interested applicants. With the job description prepared, recruiters can source candidates using several methods. These include:
- Job boards: Posting a job on Indeed is one of the simplest ways to let active job seekers know about the open position.
- Bulletin boards: For some positions, physical advertisements on local bulletin boards attract quality applicants.
- Databases: If your company keeps a database of past applicants who weren’t the right fit at the time but may be now, this can be a good sourcing tool.
- Networking: A recruiter’s professional network helps them identify potential candidates.
- Employee referrals: Current employees might know professionals interested in the role.
- Recruitment events: Holding recruitment events allows employers to meet potential candidates face-to-face.
- Internships: Internships are a great way to create a pipeline of candidates.
- Promotions: You might already employ some quality candidates. Plus, promotions can create opportunities for upward mobility.
3. Screening applicants
Once the recruiter has a candidate pool, it’s time to start narrowing the search. During the screening step, a recruiter reviews applications to determine who to call for an interview. The ways to approach this process often include:
- Resume screening: Some companies use screening software to quickly identify the applicants whose resumes meet the criteria listed in the job description.
- Phone screening: A brief chat with applicants over the phone can provide a better picture of their background and abilities.
- Skills assessments: Administering a skills test can show recruiters which applicants may have the experience needed for the role.
4. Selecting potential hires
When the applicant pool has been reduced to a manageable number of candidates, the full cycle recruiter pinpoints the strongest candidates. This typically involves conducting interviews with each person. The candidate’s potential manager or other leaders in the organization may assist with interviews and help gauge suitability for the role.
5. Hiring a candidate
With interviews conducted and information gathered, the recruiter can decide which candidate to hire. From there, they send the candidate a formal job offer letter, which may include a proposed compensation and benefits package, along with a start date. The candidate can then accept or deny the offer.
6. Onboarding a new hire
Once the candidate has agreed to the terms of their employment contract, the final step in the full cycle recruiting process is onboarding the new hire. Onboarding helps prepare a person for their role within the company.
When a new team member is fully onboarded, the recruiting life cycle ends.
Benefits of full cycle recruiting
Full cycle recruiting offers several advantages to companies. When comparing hiring processes, consider these benefits:
- Accountability: When one person manages the hiring process, they might feel a greater sense of responsibility about the outcome, which can enhance their commitment to finding a quality hire. It also gives you a single contact when questions or concerns arise.
- Streamlining: Most recruiters can move through the hiring process relatively quickly when they have control over the process. This can result in a shorter hiring period.
- Candidate experience: Candidates often report a better hiring experience when they work with a single recruiter. With only one point of contact, they can be familiar with the recruiter during each interaction. A recruiter may also develop a better understanding of each candidate the more they interact.
- Communication: When multiple recruiters communicate with candidates, details can get lost or forgotten. With only one recruiter involved, it’s possible to reduce these information gaps and communicate more effectively.
FAQs about full cycle recruiting
What’s the difference between end-to-end recruiting and full cycle recruiting?
End-to-end recruitment is another name for full cycle or full life cycle recruiting. The name end-to-end shows the process, from one end (developing a job description) to the other (onboarding a new hire), of recruitment. Since the terms refer to the same hiring method, they can be used interchangeably.
Does full cycle recruiting have disadvantages?
While full cycle recruiting has its benefits, you should consider the disadvantages before switching to this method. Because a single recruiter is involved in every step of the hiring process, they may only fill a few roles at a time. Sourcing, hiring and onboarding candidates takes time, and if your company has many open positions, resources may be better spent on a bigger recruiting team.
Additionally, full cycle recruiting requires an individual to be proficient in many hiring skills. Before asking one person to take on this task, you may wish to offer extra developmental opportunities. If you’re confident in an employee’s recruitment abilities, they might be well-equipped to handle the full process.
A single recruiter handling the entire process may also unintentionally allow unconscious biases to influence hiring decisions, from sourcing to interviewing and selection. Without diverse perspectives during the hiring process, a full cycle recruiter may unconsciously prioritize candidates who fit a narrow definition of “culture fit” rather than hiring for “culture add,” which fosters diversity.
How long does full-cycle recruiting take?
The length of the recruiting life cycle varies depending on industry, company size and the type of position being filled. For example, an entry-level role may move from preparing to onboarding in a few weeks, while a senior-level hire might take several months.
How do I know if full cycle recruiting is right for my business?
Any organization can use the full cycle recruiting model, but it tends to be most popular with organizations with small hiring teams or highly specialized open positions. If your team of recruiters is well-suited to one part of the hiring process, it might be better to split up the tasks. However, if you have a well-rounded recruiter and few roles to fill, full cycle recruiting may be an effective method. Creating a recruiting plan helps determine which format is right for your business.
