Shorten Your Interview Process

If you are losing candidates due to competing offers or going off the market you need to consider your interview process immediately. According to Tony Parker, Director of Delivery at eHire, “A shorter interview cycle provides companies with access to the best talent as good candidates typically go off the market quickly.” 

Another consideration to shorten the interview process is candidate experience. One of eHire’s Search Directors, Brooke Gorman says “The best and most experienced candidates want a detailed interview process. If they are serious, they want to interview with serious buyers.” That shorter interview time holds candidate excitement about the role, and candidate enthusiasm wanes when it drags on for weeks. 

eHire published results from our interview survey and almost 75% of candidates aren’t interested in a role if there are more than three steps in the interview process. 

Standardization

Before you even begin posting jobs your team needs to start thinking about a standardized process. That means knowing how you’re assessing them, who is involved in the interviews, and how long the process will take. Having these answers will create a seamless candidate experience. 

There are a few items we encourage our clients to consider when kicking off their search. 

The first is the identification of the core competencies of the role. This should be simple if you already have a job description ready. If everyone involved in the interview process is aware of how they are measuring candidates, it is much easier to agree on selecting the right person. Preparedness also creates more fairness in the hiring model. We suggest a rating system on three to five core competencies for the role. 

eHire also asks that companies have an interview schedule ready. This means knowing exactly how many steps are in the interview process and who owns each step. When this information is communicated in the early stages of the candidate screening process it establishes confidence in the hiring team and tells candidates the company is serious about hiring.

Streamlining

Establishing a standardized process helps with streamlining but there are other ways to reduce time to hire. Embracing technology like specific calendar-sharing applications, digital interview scorecards, feedback automation, and communication tools can shorten the interview cycle. 

Also, consider each step of the interview process. For example, if a certain screening tool or test hasn’t correlated with individual success after someone is hired it may frustrate the candidates and lengthen the decision-making process. Introducing candidates to employees who aren’t directly integrated into the daily operations of that specific job or department may be an extraneous step, as well.

Lastly, consider agencies to help shorten the interview process. eHire has a time to hire of 45 days for complex skill sets and 30 days for more functional roles. eHire sends candidates over who are interview-ready to help reduce the time you spend screening candidates or sifting through applications. 

If you want more advice on the interview process or are interested in learning more about working with eHire, reach out to marketing@ehire.com and we’ll get your job search kicked off within a matter of days.