Enterprise organizations are often required to respond to changes in workforce and business planning by scaling recruiting efforts that support evolving demands. High-volume hiring strategies can help businesses like yours scale productivity and profitability and attract top talent.  The result is an efficient and quick response hiring strategy that supports business growth and opportunities, while increasing retention.  

Discover what high-volume hiring is, the benefits and challenges it brings, and how to develop an effective hiring strategy for hiring at scale. 

Top six takeaways: 

• High-volume hiring refers to the practice of recruiting and hiring many employees within a relatively short time frame. 
• High-volume hiring is an attractive recruitment approach for businesses that quickly need to hire en masse. 
• Attracting and selecting the right people and managing the hiring process at scale can be challenging. 
• You need a clear and efficient process to manage high-volume hiring. 
• High-volume hiring requires consistent practices and effective tools. 
• In a competitive job market, where speed and accuracy are paramount, having a trusted background check partner by your side can make all the difference. 

Table of Contents

• What Is High-Volume Hiring? 
• 5 Benefits of High-Volume Hiring 
• 5 Challenges of High-Volume Hiring 
• 4 Steps to Establishing a Successful High-Volume Hiring Strategy 
• 5 Tips and Best Practices for High-Volume Hiring 
• Managing Background Check Compliance at Scale 

What Is High-Volume Hiring

High-volume hiring is the practice of recruiting and hiring many employees within a relatively short time frame. Employers often use this approach when they have ‌substantial workforce demand, such as seasonal peaks, expansion into new markets, or dealing with high turnover

High-volume hiring is commonly seen in industries such as retail, hospitality, manufacturing, and call centers, where a significant number of employees are needed to meet fluctuating demand or to fill entry-level positions

The goal of high-volume hiring is to quickly and cost-effectively identify and hire qualified candidates that meet the requirements of the organization.

This type of recruitment typically involves the use of automation and applicant tracking systems. For example, automated applicant tracking systems allow recruiters to review resumes in bulk, saving valuable time

High-volume hiring is often used to fill entry-level roles or specialized roles. This approach also enables companies to identify promising candidates for future openings, store their data, and access it later. 

5 Benefits of High-Volume Hiring

High-volume hiring is an attractive recruitment approach for many businesses that need to hire en masse and quickly. Here are some of the benefits of implementing a high-volume hiring strategy.  

Faster Time to Fill 

High-volume hiring is a powerful accelerator for reducing time to fill, which is a critical metric in talent acquisition. By its nature, this strategy is designed to quickly and efficiently attract droves of potential candidates while streamlining the recruitment process from start to finish

Automating stages such as screening and initial assessments can accelerate candidate evaluation. HR teams can swiftly identify qualified candidates and move them through the hiring pipeline, ultimately making job offers in less time

Furthermore, high-volume hiring often relies on standardized job descriptions and requirements for similar roles. This uniformity simplifies the process of posting positions, screening candidates, and conducting interviews. As a result, organizations can promptly fill vacant positions while being certain that candidates are matched to job roles that make sense for their skills and experience. 

More Adaptability in Staffing Levels 

A high-volume hiring strategy supports greater adaptability in staffing levels by enabling organizations to scale their workforce up or down as needed. Whether it’s a peak season, a sudden demand for business, or an economic downtown, high-volume hiring allows companies to quickly onboard or release many employees

By streamlining and automating mass recruitment processes, organizations can efficiently adjust their workforce size to match demand. 

Access to a Larger Talent Pool 

By casting a wide net, organizations can access a broader range of skills, experiences, and backgrounds. This influx of potential hires increases the chances of finding an immediate fit for current openings and allows employers to build a robust talent pipeline. Not every job seeker will be selected for an immediate role, but you can keep them on file for future hiring

Building a talent pipeline through high-volume hiring helps your organization remain agile and saves time for future hiring efforts because much of the groundwork has been laid. 

Less Manual Effort 

By leveraging technology, employers streamline the hiring process and reduce the time spent by humans on each candidate. Automation helps filter out unsuitable applicants so recruiters can focus on the most qualified candidates

This approach reduces administrative overhead, simplifies applicant tracking, and minimizes the effort required to manage and update numerous job listings. Instead, HR teams can focus on optimizing the recruitment workflow, perfecting the candidate experience, and quickly identifying the best-fit candidates among the high volume of applicants. 

Lower Costs 

High-volume hiring reduces hiring and onboarding costs because recruiters can quickly fill many vacancies with less effort and resources on a per-hire basis. The savings include less time spent on paperwork, interviewing, and training, as well as reduced costs associated with advertising

For example, by consolidating multiple open roles into a single recruitment effort, you can save on advertising and marketing costs by running one campaign instead of several.

5 Challenges of High-Volume Hiring

Managing job application processes at scale comes with its own set of challenges. Discover common barriers to high-volume hiring success and how you can overcome them. 

Screening Candidates Efficiently 

With a large number of applicants, assessing each in a timely, fair, and accurate manner can be challenging. Without a quick, thorough, and repeatable screening process, there’s a risk of incorrectly evaluating candidates or rushing past qualified candidates

To address this challenge, organizations often turn to technology-driven solutions. Applicant tracking systems and AI-powered screening tools can automate the initial stages of candidate evaluation. These systems can be configured to match predefined criteria, ensuring that all applicants are assessed against the same standards. To enhance fairness, it’s crucial to regularly review and update these criteria to minimize potential bias and ensure alignment with job requirements and business needs. 

Building a Diverse Candidate Pool 

Diversity can be a challenge in high-volume hiring situations because the urgency to fill positions may lead to shortcuts in sourcing and recruitment. Bias in your hiring processes, technologies, or job descriptions can make this problem worse

In such scenarios, organizations might over-rely on familiar networks, channels, and sources, which can reduce the diversity of your applicant pool.  Additionally, many organizations prioritize speed‌ when faced with a large number of positions to fill

To overcome this challenge, adopt a proactive and strategic approach to diversity sourcing. Actively seek out diverse candidate pipelines through a variety of channels. These include partnerships with diversity-focused organizations, attending career fairs that include underrepresented groups, and posting on a range of job boards. Make sure your job postings feature inclusive language and that your careers page showcases diversity as a value. 

Managing Hiring and Onboarding at Scale 

In high-volume hiring situations, the sheer number of applicants can be overwhelming to recruiters and hiring managers, potentially leading to errors in the hiring process. Overlooking the step of verifying licenses for medical staff, for example, could have dire consequences for a healthcare institution and its patients

As part of your employee onboarding strategy, you need to provide the necessary training and support to ensure new hires are properly prepared to take on their responsibilities — and this gets complicated when onboarding many hires in multiple roles

To tackle this challenge effectively, organizations should invest in robust applicant tracking systems and onboarding software solutions that can automate many of these tasks. These systems can streamline communication, manage documentation, and track progress for each candidate, reducing administrative overhead and making sure no step is missed. 

Maintaining Compliance 

Maintaining compliance in high-volume hiring situations is challenging due to the need to process a large number of candidates quickly while still following applicable laws and regulations. There’s a risk of overlooking essential compliance steps, such as conducting thorough background checks, verifying qualifications, and adhering to equal employment opportunity (EEO) regulations

A thorough and consistent hiring process helps you treat every candidate equally and equitably, even in high-volume recruiting situations. Implement robust compliance management systems that are tailored to high-volume hiring needs. These systems should include automated checks and verification processes that ensure candidates meet all legal and regulatory requirements

Regular training and certification for HR teams and recruiters on compliance best practices are also important, as everyone involved in the hiring process should be informed about the latest regulations and their responsibilities. 

Safeguarding Candidate Data and Privacy 

When dealing with high volumes of applicants, organizations must protect candidate data and privacy, especially when handling sensitive information during the recruitment process.

Additionally, organizations must follow data protection and privacy laws, such as GDPR.

Look at whether you have a secure data infrastructure and processes. This includes ensuring all sensitive information is stored securely and that only authorized personnel have access. Conduct regular audits to safeguard candidate data. 

4 Steps to Establishing a Successful High-Volume Hiring Strategy

You need a clear and efficient process to manage high-volume hiring. Here are four steps for creating a high-volume recruiting process. 

Determine Roles and Qualifications  

High-volume hiring requires knowing what roles you need to fill and what qualifications are required. Not every role requires this approach. A retailer might not need to quickly onboard a high number of HR generalists, for example, but might need to hire hundreds of sales associates in a short timespan.

Define the skills that lead to success in these roles, as well as what other abilities or experience you’re seeking in candidates. Consider qualifications that are required by law, such as a license to operate heavy machinery.

Once you have a clear idea of what you’re looking for, you can begin to develop or revise job descriptions. 

Set Up Automated Recruiting and Tracking Processes 

Successful high-volume recruiting strategies rely on automation to manage and track applicants, including recruiting portals, applicant tracking systems, and solutions for scheduling and conducting interviews

As top candidates advance, make sure you can automatically track people’s progress through all recruitment stages. This system should include an applicant database to store and organize all relevant applicant information. 

Define Your Evaluation Criteria 

Every high-volume hiring process requires clear, fair, and objective evaluation criteria that consider each candidate’s qualifications and skills. You should also create a selection process designed to identify the most qualified applicants.

Start with basic disqualifiers, as you can train hiring tools to automatically eliminate candidates based on these criteria. If you’re hiring truck drivers, for example, you ‌need candidates who already have their commercial driver’s license. That filter will help your talent acquisition team focus on relevant candidates further into the process. 

Use Global Workforce Screening Tools 

When hiring at scale, you need global background screening solutions that can help you vet candidates quickly and in large numbers. Global workforce screening tools can verify applicant information, such as education, work history, and criminal record, while maintaining compliance across a variety of local hiring regulations.  

5 Tips and Best Practices for High-Volume Hiring

High-volume hiring succeeds when you have consistent, repeatable processes and the right tools and technology. Follow these tips and best practices to elevate your high-volume hiring processes. 

Set Clear Expectations 

When recruiting for a large number of positions, be explicit about the job requirements and the types of candidates you need. Setting clear expectations reduces the likelihood of unsuitable applicants and helps the hiring process run smoothly for all parties‌ involved. 

Choose the Right Technologies  

Recruitment technologies can automate many administrative tasks associated with high-volume hiring. This includes applicant tracking systems, applicant screening tools, and automated interview scheduling. These technologies can save time and money while helping you find the right candidates quickly and efficiently

Managing the logistics of employment verifications and background checks at scale can be especially challenging if you’re using a manual process. A trusted partner can provide tools, like Cisive’s suite of talent intelligence services, to automate these processes so you can be confident in your compliance. 

Track Candidates Throughout the Life Cycle 

The speed and scale of high-volume hiring makes it essential to track candidates at every stage of the hiring process and to ensure that they move forward or are dispositioned. There are many ways to track candidate status, including application sources, the types of positions they apply for, and any communication or feedback HR and hiring managers have with them. 

Hire for Skills, Not Just Credentials 

Even when hiring at volume, your hiring criteria should look beyond credentials. Start by understanding the skills required of the role and what commonalities exist among employees who succeed in your organization. Remember that candidates who have slightly less experience or education but have particular skills or potential can also succeed.

Skills-focused hiring ensures that candidates have the practical abilities they need to excel in their roles. This can reduce the need for extensive training and allow them to contribute immediately.

Assessing skills quickly in high-volume hiring settings requires a streamlined approach. To do this effectively, organizations can implement skill-specific assessments or tests that candidates complete as part of their application process. These assessments should directly measure the essential skills needed for the job. 

Invest in Training and Development 

Investing in training and development can help ensure that your new hires are set up for success. This can include on-the-job training, mentoring programs, and online learning opportunities. By investing in your new hires, you can ensure they’re equipped to handle the demands of the job and grow within your organization. 

Managing Background Check Compliance at Scale

In the fast-paced world of high-volume hiring, organizations face unique challenges and opportunities. The ability to quickly and efficiently onboard a large number of employees while maintaining compliance is crucial for success.  

In the rush to fill positions rapidly, background checks are a critical step in ensuring the safety, integrity, and qualifications of new hires. A reliable partner can offer compliance expertise that helps organizations navigate the complex landscape of legal and regulatory requirements.  

In a competitive job market, having a trusted background check partner by your side can make all the difference.