Recruitment timelines & costs

Timelines for the recruitment of a new staff member will vary depending on the position recruited for, the selection processes used and the number of applications received.

A brief overview of the timeline for recruiting a position:

The costs of recruitment and selection

It is important to be aware of the costs associated with recruiting, selecting and appointing a new staff member. These may include:

• online advertising costs
• press advertising costs
• travel expenses for selection committee members and candidates for interview
• costs associated with the services of a recruitment agency
• relocation expenses for the successful candidate.

It is also important to remember the hidden costs including the time of the committee members and administrative support staff and the costs associated with a loss of productivity from position vacancies and where committee members are drawn away from their usual duties.

The cost of a poor hiring decision

The cost of a poor hiring decision is much greater than the costs associated with recruiting, selecting, and training a new employee. A poor hiring decision can create a massive 'opportunity cost' in the form of lost revenues and diminished customer goodwill that can far outweigh the 'hard costs' of hiring a new employee.

Making a poor hiring decision not only costs ANU the typical cost per hire figure, but it can also cost in other less tangible ways. There are productivity losses in the shape of low employee morale and extra time spent on training, additional workloads on current staff, lost business relationships and the time each member of the selection committee spends reading applications and conducting interviews.

An example of the cost of a poor hiring decision can be found in the Reference documents.

Imagine investing time and money to hire a new employee, only to find out they aren't right for the position and the process has to be started all over again.

Making the wrong hiring decision is an expensive choice and may cost you more than you realise, but with careful planning and preparation it is possible to get it done right.