7 key differences between normal and high-volume hiring

To shed light on the key differences between high-volume hiring and traditional hiring practices, we’ve gathered insights from seven industry professionals. Their perspectives range from the importance of strict adherence to process and timeline to the crucial role of maintaining candidate experience in high-volume hiring.

Strict Adherence to Process and Timeline

Strict adherence to process and timeline is crucial. 

Let’s say you need to hire and onboard 100 people in 5-6 weeks. You need to work like a well-oiled machine. There is no room for second-guessing or saying, “Let’s talk to a couple more candidates.” Speed and process design become of utmost importance. For example, you may have several open-house style interview days where offers are made on the spot and background checks are initiated. To achieve this, you will need dozens of leaders ready to conduct interviews. 

Pulling off a mass hiring is absolutely achievable. This type of situation has been experienced twice in a career. The right stakeholders need to be ready and committed. They may also need to clear everything else for a period of time, which will require senior leader involvement.

Jeremy Hyde, Director of Customer Service, Sun Country Airlines

Efficiency and Scale 

The major difference between high-volume hiring and traditional hiring is that it involves recruiting many candidates in a short time frame, often for roles with lower entry barriers. One key difference is the reliance on streamlined processes and automation, such as applicant tracking systems, to efficiently manage a high volume of applications and assessments.

Fahad Khan, Digital Marketing Manager, Ubuy India

Speed of Hiring and Distinct Strategies

High-volume hiring typically requires the recruitment process to move more quickly than traditional hiring practices. This is because of the large number of applicants that must be processed in a short amount of time. As such, these processes require efficient strategies for sourcing and screening applicants, as well as streamlined interview processes with predefined criteria for measuring skills and abilities. 

In contrast, traditional hiring practices are typically much more thorough and can take longer to complete. They often involve a more in-depth review of each individual candidate that takes into account the applicant’s experience, education level, and other related qualifications. This is especially true when searching for highly specialized talent or filling positions with long-term career potential.

Keith Sant, CMO, Eazy House Sale

Building a Diverse Talent Pool

In mass hiring, the approach significantly differs from recruiting for a single role. Instead of looking for a specific “jigsaw piece” to fit into an existing team, you’re essentially building a new puzzle altogether. The focus should not be on finding individuals who possess all desired attributes, but rather a diverse group of talents who can collaborate effectively to solve problems and drive optimal results.

Chris Stott, Account Director, Custard Online Marketing

Automation in the Interview Process

Automation in the interview process is one key area of difference between high-volume and traditional hiring practices. When hiring one or two people, the interview process tends to be more organic and hands-on for management teams. 

However, high-volume hiring requires a strong degree of automation wherever possible, most often with the use of volume recruiters. They’ll use automated scheduling to line up interviews with successful candidates, for example, or even take automation further into their interviewing process by asking candidates to conduct self-recorded interviews.

Gates Little, President and CEO, altLINE Sobanco

Managing Complexity and Bias

One of the major differences between regular and volume hiring is the complexity. When you’re hiring many people together, the process can become complicated. You have to hire multiple people, which creates room for bias. Companies tend to select candidates who are similar. 

Therefore, you need a professional recruiter with clear criteria. For regular hiring, there is less room for bias because there is just one position to fill. This makes the process much easier.

Greg Rozdeba, Co-Founder and CEO, Dundas Life

Maintaining Candidate Experience in High-Volume Hiring

Traditional hiring for a few positions allows firms to give a more tailored and engaging candidate experience. Individualized attention, thorough feedback, and a sense of importance in the selection process may be provided to candidates. However, due to the large quantity of applications, maintaining the same degree of personalized experience might be difficult with high-volume hiring. 

One significant distinction is that high-volume hiring frequently relies on standardized processes and interactions, which might result in a less personalized candidate experience. There may be automated responses, shortened interview interactions, and limited opportunities for one-on-one engagement. A negative prospective experience can have a negative impact on an organization’s employer brand.

Cindi Keller, Communications Coordinator, The Criminal Defense Firm