Hiring Process Definition
The hiring process, in simpler words, is the process of evaluating applications, identifying the best-fit candidate for an opening, interviewing candidates, selecting the right one and completing the pre-employment checks.
Be it small, medium or large, the hiring process is carried out by every business out there. Hiring the best talent is an art that every recruiter and HR professional wishes to excel in; however, it is easier said than done.
There are a number of steps that go behind the scenes in this process. Let’s dive in quickly and explore all of them!

Here, we will discover:
Understanding Employee Hiring Process
The employee hiring process includes a set of predefined operations that help a company to attract, evaluate and hire top talent.
A normal hiring process includes the following steps:
- Analyzing openings
- Understanding job requirements
- Creating job descriptions
- Reviewing received applications
- Interviewing shortlisted candidates
- Recruiting the best-fit candidate
We will discuss the hiring process steps briefly in the upcoming sections.
In essence, an effective hiring process aids companies in building a strong workforce to improve their overall bottom line in the long run.
What is Hiring Process in HRM?
The steps in the hiring process in HRM remain the same. The only difference is it’s managed and carried out by HR professionals of an organization. They are the ones who take care of every step involved in the process.
From creating candidate pipelines to ensuring an excellent candidate experience, they do everything on their own. While some HRs manage the hiring process manually, others rely on automated recruitment software to streamline hiring processes in just a few clicks.
Importance of the Hiring Process
The hiring process is important for every business, regardless of the size and the industry it is in. The process is considered one of the most time-consuming HR processes but it benefits the bottom line of a business like no other process.
Finding and recruiting the best talent helps an organization stay ahead of the curve in the long run. The process builds a strong and reliable team to meet the current and future requirements of the business. If carried out in the right way, a company can effortlessly build a positive image in front of its employees, customers, and competitors.
What are the Different Hiring Process Steps?
Now that you know how important the hiring process is, it is time to explore the different steps involved in the hiring process:
Planning
Every hiring process starts by creating a job description for the specific opening. When you write the job description, make sure you clearly describe the qualifications and experience you want for the role. You can also get in touch with the team manager to get a clear picture of their requirements and use the inputs to create the most effective job description.
Strategy Development
The second step includes coming up with a strategy to hire the top candidate for a position. This is the step in which you decide the source of hiring and the platforms to advertise the opening.
Needless to say, job advertisements should be easy to understand. This means you should avoid complex terms or jargon. Also, no matter what strategy you choose, make sure its end goal is recruiting the right candidate.
Sourcing
This is the step where you search for the candidate for your vacant role. You can use either internal or external sources.
For the uninitiated, internal hiring or recruitment means promoting the already existing top-performing employees or former/retired employees. External recruitment, on the other hand, includes campus placements, hiring through recruitment agencies and much more.
Screening
After the sourcing, you will get a handful of candidates. The very next thing you need to do is look closer at each application and zero down the most suitable ones. Analyze the applications based on the qualification, experience, skills and career progression. To make this process super fast and easier, you can rely on a good applicant tracking system.
Interviewing & Selection
This is the most crucial step of this whole process. In this step, you interview the shortlisted candidates. From in-person to online interviews, there are a number of ways you can conduct interviews.
Offer
Once you interview and get the candidate who is just fit for the vacant role, the very next step is to give him or her the job offer. Make sure the offer letter has all the critical information such as the start date, roles and responsibilities, compensation, any vital company policy, and more.
Onboarding
After the candidate accepts the offer, you can move forward and carry out the onboarding process right away. The onboarding process is extremely important as it helps the new hire to get a clear understanding of the company’s goals and visions.
That’s everything about the hiring process you must be aware of. We hope you are all ready to carry out an effective hiring process like never before.