What Happens if Your Hiring Process Takes Too Long?

There’s a lot of pressure on a company to make the right hiring decisions. The wrong choices can lead to decreased employee morale, a dip in productivity and a waste of financial resources. But taking too long to make a hiring choice can also be problematic.  

Three reasons to speed up a slow hiring process 

Dragging your feet after an interview can negatively impact your hiring process in the following ways: 

You might lose the best candidates. 

Top candidates might be juggling multiple job offers. If they’re highly qualified and in-demand, they may just go with the first company who calls them back. When a candidate is looking for a new job, there’s a reason—they’re ready to leave their current job and they won’t want to wait around a long time for your email. If you sit on a decision too long, you will likely lose out on your top choices.  

It’s not a good look for an open position.

When you take too long to make a hiring choice, it sends the signal that the position isn’t a critical one that needs to be filled quickly. Again, when you’re working with top candidates, they want a position that’s in high demand, so they in turn will be in high demand. Taking too long tarnishes this reputation. 

It can harm your reputation.

A slow hiring process can also create the impression that your company is behind the times. This can lead candidates to infer that other processes take time, such as promotions, raises and company decisions in general. Candidates looking for a fast-paced, modern environment may view your company as being in the dark ages.  

How long is too long? 

It depends on the candidate, but for some, a process that takes longer than 7-14 days is too long to wait. In the very least, follow-up communication to keep a candidate in the loop should happen within a day or so of the interview.  

What can you do? 

If uncertainties about the quality of hiring matches has you second-guessing yourself, it can help to work with a staffing agency. Recruiters are experts at matching highly qualified professionals with the right positions, and they have access to deep pools of talent. This way, you can rest assured you’re being placed with candidates who possess the talent to excel at a job, making your hiring decision much easier (and faster). 

Inter-Connect can help. We’ll work with you to understand your staffing needs and find qualified candidates that fit. To learn more, contact us today!