How to Lose a Good Job Candidate
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How to Lose a Good Job Candidate
A protracted hiring process often has qualified job candidates questioning an organization's ability to make quick decisions—and, consequently, accepting a position elsewhere. -
Slow Burn
57% of workers said the most frustrating part of a job search is the long wait after an interview. -
Lost Opportunity
23% said they lose interest in a potential employer if they don't hear back from the employer within one week after the initial interview, and another 46% lose interest if there's no status update from one to two weeks after the interview. -
Culture Concern
32% said that a protracted hiring process makes them question the organization's ability to make other decisions. -
Hiring Deadline
39% said that a job hiring process that takes seven to 14 days to complete after the interview is too long, and 24% said 15 to 21 days is too long. -
Best Practices: Make the Time
Commit to hiring as part of your strategic business plan and get all needed parties on board. Block calendars for interviews. Set reminders for timely follow-ups. -
Best Practices: Boost Agility
Review job descriptions and salary ranges to assess where you have enough flexibility to more rapidly bring on a strong candidate into an appropriate slot. -
Best Practices: Streamline Interviews
Conduct preliminary ones via phone, Skype or FaceTime. Then consolidate in-person interviews to one day—then get immediate feedback from all interviewers to determine interest levels. -
Best Practices: Set Expectations
Make timelines for status updates and final decisions clear to candidates. If there are delays, give them a heads-up. Silence is often interpreted as a lack of interest or indecision. -
Best Practices: Expedite the Offer Process
You can reduce "time to offer" by making a verbal commitment that is contingent on satisfactory reference and background checks.
Do you ever wonder why promising IT job candidates lose interest in joining your department after you've interviewed them? Maybe it's because you've unintentionally given them "the silent treatment," i.e., you waited too long to either give them a status update or make a hiring decision after the interview, according to a recent survey from Robert Half. The majority of workers, in fact, say long waits after interviews make for the most frustrating part of a job search. Many lose interest in a potential employer if they don't get an update just one week after the interview. In many cases, they interpret these delays as a reflection of a company's inability to make quick decisions—a critical quality in this era of rapid business and tech shifts. "Professionals in fields such as compliance, cyber-security, big data and finance can receive four to six offers within a week," said Paul McDonald, senior executive director of Robert Half. "Candidates with several options often choose the organization that shows the most interest and has an organized recruiting process … If people feel their career potential will be stifled by a slow-moving organization they will take themselves out of the running." Robert Half also has posted best practices for addressing this issue, and we've adapted some of those here. More than 1,000 U.S. workers took part in the research.