We take forever to hire people – here's why that's brilliant

We recently received feedback that our recruitment process can take a little longer than expected. And while that’s not entirely untrue, there’s a very good reason why we do things the way we do.

A wise man once said to me. "Pav, if you put 5% of your efforts into recruiting, 95% of your time will be spent on dealing with people issues. But if you invest 95% of your efforts into recruiting, then 5% of your time will be spent on dealing with people issues." And boy was he right!

At Bicycle, we chose to adopt the latter. Our recruitment approach is intentionally rigorous. It includes assessments, evidence-based interviews, and real opportunities for candidates to demonstrate their knowledge, experience, and problem-solving approach.

On top of this, we spend a bit of time getting to know people and how they compare to the acceptable behaviours that embody our values and ethos. Our culture is everything to us, so if they're not a match, they don't get through. Period!

Is it the easiest route? No.

Is it the quickest? Also no.

Why does it matter? Hiring well isn’t just about filling a seat quickly. When an agency like ours invests significant time and care into finding the right people, we dramatically reduce the chances of poor hiring outcomes. You know the kind - the kind that leads to misalignment, culture disruption, or those difficult (and let’s face it, often awkward) conversations that sometimes end in termination.

And the results speak for themselves! We’re proud to have a 96% retention rate. That’s 96% of our team choosing to stay, grow, and thrive with us, because they were hired through a process that respected their potential and ensured we’d be a great match for each other.

So while our method may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s one that works for our people, our clients, and most importantly, our culture.

And with the impending changes in the Employment Rights Bill, I feel that other businesses need to adopt rigorous measures like ours to ensure they aren't inundated with excessive people issues because they naively chose to invest just 5% of their time in hiring.