Hiring rarely happens on a perfect schedule. Some roles open suddenly. Others are predictable, but are still high-pressure because of the urgency. That’s why the best time to plan your use of Spark Hire Meet is before a role is active.

Whether you’re hiring today or simply anticipating what’s ahead, this guide outlines how to prepare Spark Hire Meet assessments so you’re ready when the time comes.

⏳ Why Planning Ahead Matters

When a role opens urgently, hiring managers want to default to what’s familiar even if there’s a better way to run the hiring process.

There’s stress associated with an open role and so the hiring manager will want to rush to get the process started as soon as possible.

This can make it challenging to utilize a Spark Hire Meet assessment for the first time.

But, when you prepare in advance you…

• Reduce the time-sensitivity of the prep work
• Give hiring managers confidence before they feel pressure
• Create consistency across roles and teams
• Make Spark Hire Meet plug-and-play when a role opens

🔄 When You’re Hiring Less or Not Hiring at All

Planning ahead can certainly be challenging during a hiring blitz.

This is why slower hiring periods represent a critical time to partner with hiring managers and set yourself up for future success.

Many organizations take the approach of “we’ll work on hiring when we’re hiring” rather than recognizing the importance of hiring the right people and making sure it’s an “always-on” program regardless of whether or not there’s an open role.

Here’s what you can work on with hiring managers during a slower hiring period:

✅ Identify common or likely future roles

• “What roles do we typically backfill a few times per year?”
• “If we grow, what roles will we need to hire again?”
• “Which roles are hard to evaluate using a resume alone?”

✅ Decide which assessment type makes sense

• What’s most important to you (the hiring manager) when evaluating candidates?
  • Context before a face-to-face interview?
  • Data-driven insights for comparing candidates?
  • Hearing from others who have worked with the candidates?
  • Overall speed of the process?

✅ Draft common criteria and competencies

• What behavioral competencies do people on the team need to demonstrate to be successful?
• For certain roles, are there specific experiences that we need concrete examples of?
• If we could assess candidates on the top 3 most important things before a face-to-face interview, what would those be?

✅ Align with hiring managers before it’s urgent

• Show them an example of previously completed Spark Hire Meet assessments
• Connect them with other hiring managers who have had success with Spark Hire Meet
• Reinforce that this will save time when it counts most

💬 What to Say to Hiring Managers During Downtime

Doing this prep work with hiring managers ensures you’re ready to go with the optimal hiring process at a moment’s notice.

You may experience some resistance based on the hiring manager not doing any hiring at the time, but this is the importance of explaining the “why”.

Don’t just ask them to connect to go through these things with no purpose.

Instead, enlighten them about how a slow hiring period is the perfect time to invest on the hiring process so you’re not rushing when a role opens.

All of this is to make sure that when it’s “go-time”, you’re in the ideal position to hire the best person for their team.

Final Thought

Spark Hire Meet works best when it’s ready before you need it.

Taking a few steps now means you’ll never be caught off guard when a role opens.

Need help aligning on a process with a hiring manager? We’re happy to help, even if you’re not hiring yet.