In short: most good candidates are lost between interviews, not at the offer, because a hiring process runs at the pace of the interviewers' calendars. A predictable process keeps them: fixed interview dates, feedback within 3 working days, and a decision date that is kept.
Most good candidates are not lost at the offer. They are lost between interviews.
We often run a hiring process at the pace of our calendar, not the candidate's. Feedback takes longer than promised. The second interview waits for the one person who is travelling. The third waits for the boss.
Meanwhile the candidate is interviewing somewhere else. The company that moves with intention looks like the company that truly wants them.
It happens to us too. We have lost a candidate we really wanted to a competitor. Recruiters do not win every time. We took it in our stride, and then we ran a post-mortem to learn from how we handled it.
We do not need to rush. We need to be predictable:
- Fix the interview dates before the first interview, with every interviewer.
- Give feedback within 3 working days, even if the answer is "not yet".
- Tell the candidate when the decision will be made, then keep to it.
How long does your process take from first interview to offer?
If you are hiring in Southeast Asia, talk to our recruitment team before you open the process. Our HR advisory work covers manpower planning and hiring requirements.
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