With 45% of HR teams increasing their recruitment spend to stay ahead in the race for top talent, businesses can no longer afford inefficient hiring processes. In today’s competitive job market, every step of recruitment needs to be faster, sharper, and more candidate-friendly.
That’s where Full Cycle Recruiting comes in. By managing the entire recruitment process from start to finish, companies can create a smoother, more consistent hiring experience — both for their internal teams and potential candidates.
In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about full cycle recruiting, including:
- What it means and why it matters
- The pros and cons of full cycle recruiting
- A breakdown of the six essential steps in the process
- Tips on how to start full cycle recruiting
- And how RediRecruit can make your hiring process easier at every stage
Let’s dive in.
Understanding Full Cycle Recruiting
Full cycle recruiting is a holistic recruitment approach where one recruiter handles the entire process. This involves job preparation, sourcing candidates, conducting interviews, making job offers, and onboarding new hires. Organizations often favor full cycle recruiting because it allows for better candidate experience and streamlined communication.
Full cycle recruiting vs regular recruiting
In regular recruiting, different people manage different areas of the recruitment cycle. For example, a talent source sources candidates, a recruiter conducts screening interviews and creates compensation and benefits packages, and an HR manager onboards new employees.
In contrast, in full cycle recruiting, one person oversees the whole hiring cycle.
Pros of Full Cycle Recruiting
- Better Candidate Experience: One recruiter handles communication, ensuring clarity and consistency.
- Greater Accountability: Recruiters have full ownership of the process, enhancing responsibility.
- Efficient Process: Eliminating hand-offs reduces the chance of errors and delays.
- Improved Communication: Direct contact between recruiters, hiring managers, and candidates improves transparency.
- Stronger Relationships: Recruiters build lasting relationships with candidates, improving engagement.
Cons of Full Cycle Recruiting
- Time-Consuming: Handling every stage can overwhelm recruiters.
- Limited Specialization: Recruiters must manage varied tasks, potentially diluting expertise.
- Scalability Issues: Scaling this approach can be challenging for high-volume hiring.
- Resource Intensive: Requires recruiters with comprehensive skills and tools.
Full cycle recruiting process: 6 steps
Let’s take a look at the six stages of the full cycle recruiting process and the full cycle recruiter’s role at each stage.
Step 1: Preparing
Every successful hiring process starts with preparation. Recruiters collaborate with hiring managers to understand the specific needs of the company. This involves:
- Defining the role and responsibilities
- Creating a detailed and clear job description
- Identifying the ideal candidate profile
- Setting timelines for the hiring process
Preparation ensures everyone is aligned from the start, reducing confusion later on.
Step 2: Sourcing
Sourcing focuses on finding the right candidates. This step involves:
- Posting the job on relevant platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed
- Using Boolean search methods to filter candidates
- Reaching out to passive candidates
- Leveraging employee referrals
A proactive sourcing strategy builds a strong talent pipeline and saves time during screening.
Step 3: Screening
Screening is about shortlisting the most suitable candidates from the talent pool. During this step, recruiters:
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Conduct initial phone or video interviews
- Evaluate basic qualifications and cultural fit
Effective screening ensures only the most promising candidates proceed to the next stage.
Step 4: Selecting
The selection phase dives deeper into candidate evaluation. This stage includes:
- Scheduling technical and behavioral interviews
- Assigning assessments or practical tasks (if required)
- Gathering feedback from interviewers
By the end of this stage, recruiters and hiring managers collaborate to choose the top candidate.
Step 5: Hiring
The hiring step involves offering the job to the chosen candidate and finalizing employment details. It typically covers:
- Preparing and sending a formal offer letter
- Handling salary negotiations
- Conducting reference and background checks
- Completing employment paperwork
A smooth hiring process leaves candidates with a positive impression of the company.
Step 6: Onboarding
Onboarding helps new hires transition into their roles effectively. Key activities include:
- Organizing orientation sessions
- Introducing the new employee to the team
- Providing training materials and resources
- Setting up follow-up meetings to ensure integration
Good onboarding reduces early turnover and sets the foundation for long-term success.
How RediRecruit Helps
RediRecruit assists businesses through each step of the full cycle recruiting process. From preparing detailed job descriptions and sourcing high-quality candidates to meticulous screening, structured selection processes, efficient hiring practices, and seamless onboarding, our expert recruiters ensure your hiring experience is smooth, effective, and tailored to your organization’s needs.
How to start full cycle recruiting
If you’re considering implementing end-to-end recruiting at your organization or want to improve your recruitment process as a full cycle recruiter, here are some tips to get you started:
- Understand the full cycle: Take time to familiarize yourself with all six stages of full cycle recruiting and what they entail.
- Start with a clear idea of the role: You need to know the type of person who will succeed in the role you’re hiring for. Understand the unique mix of knowledge, skills, and experience they will need to thrive. You can get this information through conversations with the hiring manager, team members, or even the employees who currently occupy the role, if any.
- Hone your sourcing skills: Learn about Boolean search in recruitment to source relevant candidates for hard-to-fill roles. Use data to determine most effective channels for sourcing your ideal candidates and focus your efforts there. Track metrics like source of hire and sourcing channel effectiveness.
- Maintain a talent pool: Keep a pool of qualified candidates who have applied for previous roles but have not been offered the job, stay in touch with them, and share new vacancies with them.
- Create structured interview processes: Prepare structured interview with predefined questions every candidate must answer in the same order. Additionally, use an interview evaluation form to help you easily compare candidates.
- Make the most of technology: Managing every step of the recruitment process can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are many tools and types of software available that can automate and simplify your full cycle recruiting process and deliver a positive candidate experience.
- Closely collaborate with hiring managers: Keep in close contact with hiring managers throughout the recruiting process so you can support each other and make the best hiring decision.
- Focus on candidate experience: At every stage in the full cycle recruiting process, pay attention to the candidate experience. Think about how you can make it better—for example, shorter wait times between stages, and faster response times to applications and queries.
- Get feedback from candidates and hiring managers: Collect feedback at the end of the process so you can continue to improve your recruiting experience for everyone involved.
Why Choose RediRecruit for Your Full Cycle Recruiting Needs?
RediRecruit specializes in comprehensive recruitment solutions. We manage every aspect of the hiring process, ensuring a seamless, efficient experience. Our experienced recruiters use innovative technology and personalized strategies to deliver exceptional results. Partner with RediRecruit to enhance your recruitment outcomes, reduce hiring costs, and secure the best talent.
Conclusion
Full cycle recruiting offers numerous advantages, including improved candidate experience, accountability, and communication. However, it requires skilled recruiters, robust processes, and efficient tools. By understanding the steps involved and implementing best practices, organizations can optimize their recruitment strategy. RediRecruit is here to help you at every stage, delivering personalized support and strategic expertise to ensure recruitment success.
