How long does it take to hire someone?
The truth is, it depends. Being a third-party recruiter for over 10 years, I have seen it take anywhere from one week to one month or longer. Generally, the more technical or senior a role is, the more time it will take to find, qualify, and hire the right candidate.
No matter what role you’re hiring for, it’s best to expedite the process—without sacrificing critical steps to ensure the right decision is made, of course. It's all too common for top talent to accept competing offers or reconsider leaving their current role when the interview process takes too long.
Get to know your ideal candidate.
Before you start searching, paint a picture of who would be most successful in the role you are hiring for. Consider their personality in addition to their qualifications and experience. Jot down a few bullet points about their goals and values. What makes them excited to join your team specifically?
While it’s unlikely that a real candidate will perfectly embody this persona, it will serve as a reference to help you make quick, informed decisions during the hiring process.
Establish a structure and stand by it.
It is crucial to lay out your hiring process before seeking candidates and stick to it until making a hire. This allows you and any third-party recruiters you are working with to set candidates’ expectations ahead of interviews, assessments, and additional steps.
Making even small changes to your hiring process after engaging with candidates can cause delays and confusion. To prevent this from happening, create contingency plans that accommodate unexpected events and scheduled time off for members of your hiring team.
Move with urgency.
As third-party recruiters, this is my team’s approach to every role we fill. Urgency helps secure the best possible candidates before they move on to other opportunities. While it’s important not to rush things, I’ve seen countless companies miss out on candidates they’re excited about due to unnecessarily slow hiring processes.
While reducing the number of steps in your process may seem like a natural first step, you may be able to keep the same number of steps if you minimize downtime between them. A fast-moving process that includes detailed screening steps ensures you are making the right hire for your company while keeping candidates interested.
Minimize the number of interviews required.
Interview-heavy processes often cause candidates to lose interest or pursue other opportunities. This is especially true when scheduling interviews weeks to months apart from each other.
For most positions, 1 or 2 interviews are sufficient, but I have seen effective processes with as many as 8 interviews. I have also seen companies lose great entry- and mid-level candidates due to long, drawn-out interview stages. Typically, only executive leadership and highly technical roles require 3 or more stages.
Streamline post-interview screening.
I recommend conducting as many screening steps as possible early in the process. Covering non-negotiables in an initial screening call can quickly rule out unqualified candidates, streamline your process, and keep the right talent engaged.
The more steps required after interviews, the more likely candidates are to lose interest and move on. Minimizing post-interview steps allows you to make a quick decision and extend an offer as soon as possible.
Partner with recruiters to expedite the process.
Third-party recruiters like our team move the ball forward while advocating for the best outcome for both companies and candidates.
We launch custom searches for passive talent to connect you with candidates you won’t find anywhere else. We also help you navigate through challenges that may arise during the hiring process.
Take the first step toward elevating your search with a results-driven partnership by contacting our recruiters. We will be in touch within 24 hours.
