7 Steps in the Recruitment Process to Hire Top Talent

Recruiting the right talent is one of the most critical challenges facing organizations today. Many recruiters and hiring managers struggle with lengthy hiring cycles, low-quality candidates, and high employee turnover, all of which can drain time, money, and team morale. If you’ve faced these frustrations, you’re not alone. 

The good news? Cracking the right steps in recruitment process with proper implementation can transform your hiring efforts from chaotic to streamlined. By clearly understanding each stage, i.e from identifying the exact hiring need to onboarding your new employee- you can reduce delays, attract better candidates, and improve your overall hiring outcomes. 

In this blog, we break down the essential steps in recruitment process with practical insights and strategies that address common hiring pain points. Whether you’re aiming to speed up hiring, enhance candidate quality, or build a sustainable talent pipeline, this guide will equip you with the tools to make every hire count. 

Before diving into the detailed steps, let’s start with the basics. The recruitment process is a series of structured activities that help organizations find, evaluate, and hire the right candidates for their open positions.  

A well-defined recruitment process can improve hiring efficiency by up to 50%, according to the LinkedIn Global Talent Trends 2025 report. Following proper steps ensures a better match between the candidate and the job, leading to higher retention and productivity. 

Here are the key steps in recruitment process every recruiter and hiring manager should know: 

• Identifying the Hiring Need 

• Preparing the Job Description 

• Sourcing Candidates 

• Receiving and Managing Applications 

• Screening and Shortlisting Candidates 

• Interviewing Candidates 

• Making the Job Offer and Onboarding 

Each of these steps plays a crucial role in shaping the success of your hiring efforts. In the sections that follow, we’ll explore each step in detail, sharing actionable tips and best practices to help you optimize your recruitment process. 

Understanding why you’re hiring is the first and most important step in the recruitment process. This step lays the foundation for the entire recruitment process, helping you avoid recruitment challenges, rushed decisions and misaligned hires. 

Start by assessing your current team’s workload. Are deadlines slipping? Are team members constantly multitasking or burning out? These are signs that your existing resources aren’t enough to meet the demands. At this point, hiring someone new may not just be helpful but critical. 

Next, identify skill gaps. Look at your ongoing and upcoming projects. Are there tasks your current team can’t perform efficiently due to lack of expertise? Maybe you’re entering a new market, adopting a new technology, or simply need someone with a specialized skill set like digital marketing, data analytics, or customer success. Hiring should solve problems that are both present and future-facing. 

Now, decide the type of role needed. Is this a replacement for someone who left? If yes, review what worked in that role and what didn’t. This is a great opportunity to realign the job description to your team’s evolving needs. If it’s a new role, you have a blank slate- define the responsibilities based on what your business truly requires, not just what sounds impressive. 

Finally, link hiring to your long-term goals. Recruitment shouldn’t be reactive. Ask: Will this person help us grow revenue, improve service quality, or launch new initiatives? Thinking this way ensures you’re hiring with intent, not just urgency. 

Once you’ve identified the need to hire, the next step in recruitment process is to define what exactly you’re hiring for. A well-written job description is the best invitation. It should be specific, straightforward, and include all the must-haves and nice-to-haves. 

Choose the best channels for your audience: 

• Job boards (Indeed, LinkedIn) 

• Company website 

• Social media 

• Recruiting agencies 

• Employee referrals 

The goal is to cast a wide net, but make sure the message is clear about what’s expected because a JD is not just a formality but a tool that attracts the right candidates and sets expectations from day one. 

Think of the job description as the first handshake between your company and potential talent. It should reflect your organizational needs while also appealing to the right audience. A vague or generic JD often leads to a flood of mismatched applications, wasting time for everyone involved. 

Therefore, always consider crafting a JD that clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of various roles and attracts the right pool. Here’s what a good Job Description include- 

At minimum, make sure it clearly outlines: 

• Job title: Accurate and industry-recognized titles help your listing appear in relevant searches. 

• Key responsibilities: List the main tasks the role involves. Be realistic and specific. 

• Required qualifications: Include education, certifications, and must-have skills. 

• Experience level: Mention the years of experience expected or relevant industry background. 

• Location and work type: On-site, hybrid, or remote? Full-time or contractual? 

• Reporting structure: Who will they report to? Will they manage a team? 

• KPIs or success metrics: What does success look like in this role? 

• Salary range and benefits (if applicable): Transparency builds trust and saves time. 

Check out some of the crucial tips for recruiters and hiring managers when crafting a JD for the vacant role- 

• Customize the JD based on current business needs and avoid reusing outdated templates. 

• Use inclusive and bias-free language to attract a diverse talent pool. 

• Balance detail and clarity. Don’t overwhelm with too much jargon or internal lingo. 

• Align with your employer brand– Tone, values, and company culture should reflect in the JD. 

Once the job description is ready, the next critical step in the recruitment process is selecting the right recruitment method. This step directly impacts the recruitment metrics like quality of hire, cost per hire, and speed of hiring, making it essential for recruiters and hiring managers to get it right. 

The goal here is to choose a hiring strategy that fits the role, budget, and urgency. Should you hire internally or externally via Recruitment Process Outsourcing companies? Should you go campus-first or headhunt experienced professionals? Let’s break it down. 

What Are the Different Types of Recruitment Methods? 

There are two broad categories of recruitment methods: 

1. A) Internal Recruitment- This involves filling the vacancy from within the organization. It includes:

• Promotions and transfers 

• Employee referrals 

• Internal job postings 

When to use it: 

• When you need someone who already understands company culture. 

• For faster hiring with minimal onboarding time. 

• When retaining top talent is a priority. 

1. B) External Recruitment- This means hiring candidates from outside the organization. It includes:

• Online job portals (e.g., Naukri, LinkedIn, Indeed) 

• Company careers page 

• Recruitment agencies or RPO partners 

• Campus hiring 

• Social media recruitment 

• Freelance platforms for contractual or project-based work 

When to use it: 

• When fresh skills, innovation, or new perspectives are needed. 

• For roles that require niche or senior-level expertise. 

• When internal talent doesn’t meet the role requirements. 

How to Choose the Right Recruitment Method? 

Here’s what recruiters and hiring managers should consider: 

• Urgency of the hire: Need someone immediately? Internal referrals or staffing agencies may be quicker. 

• Type of role: Senior roles may require headhunting, while bulk hiring may need campus or job board-based strategies. 

• Budget: External hiring can be costly. Internal moves or referrals may offer a lower cost-per-hire. 

• Diversity goals: Consider methods that open doors to a more inclusive talent pool. 

• Employer branding: If building brand visibility is a goal, platforms like LinkedIn or campus drives serve a dual purpose. 

Choosing the right recruitment method is about aligning your hiring strategy with your business needs. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, sometimes a hybrid method works best.  

For example, you might post on job portals, engage an RPO partner, and simultaneously encourage internal referrals. SHRM study confirms that referrals make high-quality candidates. 

If done well, this step sets the stage for efficient sourcing and better talent matches, helping reduce time-to-hire and improve retention rates. 

Once you’ve decided how you’ll approach recruitment, the next step is to actively search for potential candidates, also known as candidate sourcing. This step is about going beyond posting a job and waiting for applications to roll in. It’s about being proactive, strategic, and creative in building a strong talent pipeline. 

Sourcing is the art and science of finding qualified individuals who could be a great fit for your company, whether they’re actively looking for a job or not. And in today’s competitive talent landscape, a well-executed candidate sourcing strategy, for example passive candidate sourcing or creating online talent communities can make or break your hiring success. 

Recruiters can source candidates from a mix of channels, which works the best. Each has its strengths depending on the role, seniority, and industry: 

Job Portals and Aggregators 

• Naukri, LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, and other platforms offer vast access to active candidates. 

• Use filters to narrow down based on location, skills, experience, and industry. 

• Tip: Use keyword-rich Boolean search queries to dig deeper into niche profiles. 

Social Media and Professional Networks 

• Platforms like LinkedIn, GitHub, Behance, and Twitter allow you to connect with passive talent. 

• Engage through content, direct messages, or referrals to spark interest. 

Employee Referrals 

• One of the most reliable sources for quality hires. 

• Employees often recommend people who are a cultural fit and come with a built-in trust factor. 

• Create structured referral programs with incentives to encourage participation. 

Recruitment Agencies or RPO Partners 

• Ideal for specialized or volume hiring needs. 

• RPO providers, in particular, bring in sourcing expertise, tools, and pre-built databases to accelerate hiring. 

Campus Recruitment 

• Great for entry-level or graduate hiring. 

• Build long-term talent pipelines by engaging early with students through internships, hackathons, and pre-placement talks. 

Talent Communities and Job Fairs 

• Online talent communities (like Stack Overflow for developers or AngelList for startups) can help discover high-potential candidates. 

• Physical or virtual job fairs allow face-to-face engagement with interested talent. 

Here are some proven tips to improve sourcing strategies- 

• Start with a sourcing brief: Know the must-haves, good-to-haves, and red flags before you begin searching. 

• Use your ATS (Applicant Tracking System): Past applicants or silver medalists may now be a better fit. 

• Engage before you need to hire: Building relationships early makes outreach easier when a role opens up. 

• Personalize your communication: Generic messages get ignored. Refer to the candidate’s work, interests, or background. 

• Leverage employer branding: Make sure your company has a strong online presence. Candidates often check Glassdoor reviews, career pages, and LinkedIn before responding. 

The most successful recruiters treat sourcing as an ongoing function, not just something triggered by a vacancy. Building and nurturing a talent pipeline helps reduce dependence on last-minute hiring and creates long-term hiring agility. 

Investing in sourcing also shortens time-to-fill, reduces hiring costs, and improves the quality of candidates you bring into the funnel using candidate enrichment methodologies. 

By sourcing candidates strategically, not reactively, you give yourself a competitive edge in the talent market. It’s not just about finding resumes, it’s about finding the right people at the right time with the right message. 

After sourcing comes one of the most crucial steps in the recruitment process: screening and shortlisting candidates. This is where recruiters and hiring managers shift from gathering resumes to evaluating which candidates are actually the best fit- not just on paper, but in context of the role, the team, and the organization’s goals. 

Done right, this step saves time, reduces bad hires, and increases offer acceptance rates. Done poorly, it clogs the interview pipeline with mismatches, delays hiring, and leads to poor candidate experiences. 

Candidate screening particularly involves reviewing job applications to assess whether a candidate meets the minimum qualifications and skills required for the job. It includes- 

• Resume screening: Evaluating education, experience, skills, and career gaps and progression. 

• Application reviews: Checking cover letters, portfolios, and other submitted materials. 

• Pre-screening calls: Brief phone or video interviews to validate information and gauge interest. 

It’s not just about eliminating unsuitable candidates- it’s about identifying those most likely to succeed. Here’s a structured approach hiring teams can follow: 

1. Define Evaluation Criteria

Before you begin, set clear criteria. Align with hiring managers on: 

• Must-have qualifications and certifications 

• Relevant industry or domain experience 

• Technical or soft skills required for the role 

• Culture-fit factors, like adaptability or leadership potential 

Having a scorecard or rubric helps eliminate bias and brings consistency to the shortlisting process. 

2. Use Technology Where Possible

Research by Gartner (2025) shows that AI-driven screening reduces time-to-hire while improving candidate-job fit accuracy. Modern ATS platforms and AI-powered tools can: 

• Auto-rank resumes based on keywords and relevance 

• Flag incomplete applications or mismatches 

• Highlight top candidates based on historical data 

For example, Taggd’s AI powered digital platform saves time and helps recruiters focus on deeper evaluation rather than manual filtering. 

3. Conduct Pre-Employment Screening

This includes: 

• Phone screening: A quick 10 to15-minute call to assess basic communication skills, salary expectations, notice period, and role understanding. 

• Skill assessments: Tests or assignments to validate hard skills like coding, writing, analytics, or customer service. 

• Behavioral assessments: Personality or aptitude tests that assess behavioral competencies of the candidates and indicate culture fit or decision-making styles. 

These tools help validate resumes and uncover potential red flags early. Check out some of the best practices for screening and shortlisting candidates- 

• Don’t just look for the “perfect resume”- look for potential, problem-solving ability, and alignment with your team’s dynamic. 

• Watch out for unconscious bias– standardize your process and use blind screening where possible. 

• Prioritize quality over quantity– shortlist fewer but stronger candidates for the interview stage. 

• Give timely feedback to candidates not shortlisted- it improves your employer brand and keeps the talent pool warm for future roles. 

All these steps matter because with the increase in remote work and global hiring, the average job listing can attract hundreds (if not thousands) of applicants. Without a strong screening and shortlisting process, it’s easy to either miss top talent or waste time on poor fits. 

By building a structured and data-driven approach to candidate screening, you improve hiring outcomes, create better candidate experiences, and strengthen internal alignment between recruiters and hiring managers. 

The interview stage is where you move beyond resumes and screening tools to truly understand candidates- their skills, mindset, and fit for your team and culture. For recruiters and hiring managers, this step requires careful planning, clear communication, and consistent evaluation to make hiring decisions both fair and effective. 

This strategic opportunity lets recruiters connect with talent, showcase your company’s values, and assess whether a candidate can deliver results in your environment. 

Before you meet candidates, here’s how HRs can prepare for candidate interviews- 

• Review the candidate’s profile thoroughly: Understand their background, strengths, and potential gaps. 

• Define the interview objectives: What skills, behaviors, or experiences are you validating? Align with hiring managers on focus areas. Confirm current CTCs and understand expectations. 

• Prepare a structured interview plan: Decide on the format (virtual or in-person), panel members, question types, and time allocation. 

• Share clear communication with candidates: Confirm interview schedule, format, and any materials they should prepare. 

To make this successful, recruiters and hiring managers should use a mix of interview techniques to get a well-rounded view of the candidate: 

• Structured interviews: Asking all candidates the same questions, enabling fair comparisons and reducing bias. 

• Behavioral interviews: Focus on past experiences and actions (“Tell me about a time when…”). This helps predict future performance. 

• Technical interviews: Role-specific tests or problem-solving exercises, especially for specialized roles like developers, designers, or analysts. 

• Situational interviews: Hypothetical scenarios to assess problem-solving and decision-making skills. 

• Panel interviews: Multiple interviewers assess the candidate simultaneously for diverse perspectives. 

• Informal or cultural fit interviews: These assess alignment with company values and team dynamics, often conducted by HR or future peers. 

Once interviews are complete, it’s crucial to: 

• Gather input from all interviewers to form a balanced view. 

• Compare candidate strengths and weaknesses against the job requirements. 

• Identify any red flags or concerns early. 

• Provide timely feedback to candidates, both successful and not, to maintain a positive employer brand.

After identifying the best candidate through interviews and assessments, the next critical phase is making the job offer and ensuring a smooth onboarding process. This step not only finalizes your hiring but also sets the tone for the employee’s journey with your organization. 

A well-managed offer and onboarding experience improves candidate acceptance rates, accelerates productivity, and reduces early turnover. 

The job offer stage involves more than just sending a letter, it’s a negotiation and communication process that needs to be handled thoughtfully: 

• Prepare a clear and detailed offer letter: Include role, compensation, benefits, reporting structure, start date, and any other key terms. 

• Communicate verbally first (if possible): A phone call before sending the formal offer helps clarify details and address questions. 

• Be ready to negotiate: Candidates may want to discuss salary, benefits, or other terms, be prepared to balance company policies with flexibility. 

• Set a deadline for acceptance: This helps manage timelines and keeps the hiring process on track. 

• Confirm receipt and acceptance in writing: Ensure both parties agree on the terms before moving forward. 

Onboarding begins as soon as the candidate accepts the offer and continues through their initial months. It’s the process of integrating the new hire into your company culture, systems, and teams. 

Key onboarding components include: 

• Pre-boarding activities: Share welcome kits, complete paperwork, provide access credentials, and introduce team members virtually if remote. 

• Orientation sessions: Explain company values, policies, tools, and processes. 

• Role-specific training: Equip the employee with the skills and knowledge needed to perform their job effectively. 

• Assigning a buddy or mentor: Helps the new hire navigate informal networks and settle in faster. 

• Regular check-ins and feedback: Scheduled meetings during the first 90 days help address concerns and ensure smooth adjustment. 

Strong onboarding reduces time-to-productivity, increases employee engagement, and improves retention rates. It helps new hires feel valued and confident from day one. 

Remember, onboarding isn’t just HR’s job, it requires collaboration between HR recruiters, hiring managers, IT, and team leaders to create a seamless experience. 

Mastering the steps in recruitment process empowers organizations to attract top talent, improve hiring outcomes, and build teams that thrive. By carefully identifying hiring needs, sourcing strategically, screening thoroughly, and providing thoughtful interviews and onboarding, recruiters and hiring managers can transform recruitment from a reactive task into a strategic advantage. 

Remember, recruitment is not just about filling vacancies, it’s about connecting the right people to the right roles at the right time. Use these steps as a foundation to refine your hiring approach, deliver an outstanding candidate experience, and set your new hires up for long-term success. 

1. What are the 7 steps of the recruitment process? 

The 7 steps of the recruitment process are: 

1. Identify the hiring need 

1. Prepare the job description 

1. Source candidates 

1. Screen and shortlist applicants 

1. Conduct interviews 

1. Select the best candidate 

1. Offer and onboarding 

2. What are the 5 stages of recruitment? 

The 5 stages of recruitment are: 

1. Job analysis and planning 

1. Sourcing candidates 

1. Screening and shortlisting 

1. Interviewing 

1. Selection and hiring 

3. What is the main method of recruitment? 

The main method of recruitment is sourcing candidates, which can be done through job portals, employee referrals, campus hiring, social media, and recruitment agencies. 

Ready to take your recruitment process to the next level? Start applying these proven steps today and watch your talent strategy flourish. Or, consider outsourcing your recruitment to experts at Taggd, freeing your organization to focus on other pressing tasks while ensuring you attract the best talent efficiently and effectively.