CTYMom-

Our experience has been that when you are having a hard time sourcing candidates the issue is usually with the Job Description or the interviews themselves. If the JD is to vague everyone is applying, if it is too detailed you get no responses. Do you use generic job descriptions? Do you include key competencies in your JD's? Are your interviewers properly trained to ask the right questions?
The metrics you probably want to look at are time-to-hire and cost-per-hire. New hire interviews can often give you ideas as to how to improve some of your processes and pain points. We have also done what we call reverse engineering, basically interviewing recent hires as to how the process was for them and what were the pain points.
Drop me a PM if you want more.

We do use a key competency focused job description. We also give interviewees a chance to observe the job, so that they have a true understanding of what we are offering.

I like the idea of reverse engineering the interviews to find the pain points. We hire in groups and have a group that recently started. I can work with them to get their feedback.

Thanks for the suggestions!

CTYMom,
The hiring process usually reflects the organization. What does this hiring process inform/tell you about your organization??
Try to avoid the good/bad hire routine.
What good or bad for one organization is...............well you know.
Nero

I once consulted with a company that actually needed sales people, yet they were convinced, because it was credit counseling, that they needed people with counseling and teaching backgrounds. It was a consultative sell, but it was still selling. Hard, cold numbers people were expected to meet in order to keep their jobs. Counselors and teachers don't work like that. They hired these people and although they were excellent at the consultative part, they couldn't close sales. Doesn't matter what you teach or coach. These people walked in expecting to be counselors, not salespeople. All but one of the counselors were gone (resigned or fired) within the first month. They started hiring people with sales experience. Most of those people are still there and thriving.

Lesson learned -- make sure it is crystal clear what the goals and purpose of the job are and precisely how that ties to the business.