We all know that time-to-fill is one of the most important metrics in the talent acquisition game. Many companies set a 30-day goal for filling key positions, from search inception to start date. Other companies see 30 days as a really short, aspirational timeframe, one that can be achieved if everything goes very well, but one that seems a little unrealistic given the many things that can potentially go wrong.

At Seven Step, we believe that 30 days is a perfectly reasonable objective that you should be able to meet in just about every search. The secret is being smart about two things right up front:

• Expectations
• Incentives

In companies that manage time-to-fill carefully, there are usually two players involved moving the hiring process forward:

• Talent acquisition / recruiting
• Hiring managers

To minimize time-to-fill, it's critical to set expectations and provide incentives for both groups. Talent acquisition should understand the urgency of delivering a suitable volume of pre-screened, BDI'd candidates within 15 days. And hiring managers should understand the importance of developing complete and accurate job reqs, to make sure that happens. Hiring managers should also understand the importance of urgency and efficiency in candidate interviewing, making sure not to bog the process down with could-have-been-avoided scheduling delays.

Most importantly, everyone involved should understand how shorter fill times benefit company growth and profitability.

Smart incentive structures can help make all this happen. Maybe it's a quarterly cash bonus based on % of reqs filled in 30 days?  Maybe it's another PTO day added for hitting the goal? Get creative. Get everybody on the same team. Understanding, clear expectations, and the right incentives for everybody involved will help keep your fill times short, consistent, and critically, a big competitive advantage for your company.