3 reasons why not to hire slow

You would think with all the technology at our fingertips hiring cycles would be getting faster but they're not. It could be the uncertainty in the market or the uncertainty the hiring manager is experiencing in their own job. What if I make a mistake? How will it impact my company? How will it impact my reputation as a manager? Managers seem to be experiencing analysis-paralysis in the hiring process.

Companies who used to move quickly when they saw a strong candidate are now adding steps to the process: cognitive testing, behavioural assessments, phone interviews, second phone interviews, multiple in-person interviews. With all the time in between interviews and the challenge of aligning busy schedules the process becomes unnecessarily prolonged.

Candidates begin to lose interest. Passive candidates with multiple opportunities begin to gravitate towards other employers where their experience is less drawn out and managers are decisive.

I can’t tell you how many hiring managers come back to me after slowly deliberating on a hiring decision and the candidate has already taken another job or now has multiple competing offers. Hiring slow is bad for business.

No evidence that a longer process is better

There is no empirical evidence that suggests that prolonging the hiring process will result in a better candidate. In fact, the opposite is likely to be true as stronger candidates will opt for a faster-moving employer.

Internal Stress

Positions are vacant for a reason. Most likely it’s because someone has left and undoubtedly other employees are bearing the additional workload. Employees tend to be good about this to a certain extent, but the overload takes its toll. Eventually, the increased workload will have a negative effect on their morale and quality of life as they are spending more and more hours at the office because a decision isn’t being made.

The best candidates are not available for very long

The best candidates are just not on the market very long that’s the reality of high performing individuals. To expect them to wait around through a long drawn out process is a risky proposition. You are simply providing your competitor with the opportunity to swoop in and hire them from underneath you.

I’m not saying that due diligence shouldn’t be done in the hiring process, that wouldn’t make sense either. I am saying that we need to move more quickly. Speed, diligence and a positive candidate experience must all be present in an effective hiring process.