Are You Letting Time Kill Your Hiring Success?

There is a head-spinning relationship between time and one’s ability to close a deal or lock down great talent. Those in the recruiting industry know time is the enemy and it is a relentless deal killer. Our recruiting experts understand interest declines over time. Therefore, it is imperative to make quick decisions during the interest phase of the interview process.  

How Time Kills your Chance of Hiring  

Let’s say you have a couple of great candidates waiting in the lineup for your new role. You are evaluating these candidates with your hiring team for a little over a week. During this process, you unintentionally let these candidates wait on the back burner while your hiring team evaluates. Two to three weeks after your interviews with interested candidates you finally come to a decision and extend a job offer.  

This is how time kills your chance of scoring the best talent, the candidate you want to hire has moved on and is no longer interested in your company or the position. Or perhaps they have accepted a position elsewhere. All that time spent deliberating was pointless and you are left with no one to fill your open role. Of course, you can go with your second choice, but they were the latter for a reason. 

Establish Hiring Timelines  

“It’s important to establish a timeline for any search project. How long is the role open for? What does your schedule look like for interviews (providing interview time windows, etc.)? Are there any upcoming events that may cause interview or hiring challenges (vacations, holidays, etc.)? Don’t lose top talent to time, stay ahead of it.” 

– Pete Bolog, PeopleSolutions Client Relationship Manager – Life Sciences and Engineering 

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. 

It takes time to build relationships, however, don’t drag your feet and miss out on a great candidate. When candidates are eager to accept your position, it is best to get to the next step quickly before they lose interest. Continuously communicate with your recruiter and candidates to ease any uncertainty or to simply kill the process. (Which is okay, not everyone is a great fit. That said, don’t waste the recruiter or candidates’ time. Let them know.) Establish a timed system with your team to narrow down prospects, quickly assess applicants and be in touch, often.