IT’S TAKING LONGER THAN EVER TO GET HIRED
In first half of 2017, the average process took almost 24 days
Job seekers should prepare for a lengthy interview process — landing a new gig has never taken longer. Despite the low unemployment rate, which dropped from 4.4% to 4.3% last month, many would-be employees remain frustrated with longer-thanever wait times throughout the hiring process.
For the first half of 2017, the average hiring time (from start to finish of the interview process) has been 23.8 days, according to a new study by Glassdoor, an employment website that allows both employees and employers to review companies, jobs and interview practices. That number is up almost a full day more compared with 2014’s average of 22.9 days, and it gets longer depending on the industry.
“Hiring times for more sophisticated jobs always take longer than they do for lowerskilled jobs,” said Andrew Chamberlain, Glassdoor’s chief economist. “They’re not as much on the line for lower-level jobs.”
The study compiled data from nearly 84,000 interview surveys in the U.S. left on the site from Jan. 1 to June 13.
While at first glance it would make sense that a lower unemployment rate equals faster hiring times, Chamberlain said it’s actually the opposite.
One reason for a slower selection process is the additional screening methods companies use to find talent.
These can include background checks, skills tests, group interviews and presentations, among other things. In
2010, Glassdoor reported that
25% of companies used background checks to hire. By 2014, it was up to 42%.
The additional screenings may supply human resource departments with more information on a potential hire, but they do not necessarily expedite the process.
“HR spends too much time on making sure their assessments are perfect vs. the same amount of effort on moving people through the process quickly,” said Jason Averbook, an HR analyst and CEO of Leapgen, a consulting firm for HR organizations.
Much of the background information, Averbook says, can be found online before the interview process begins with tools such as Linkedin.
But making a hiring mistake can be very expensive, costing the company losses in productivity, staff time spent interviewing and even costs associated with outside recruiting firms.
“Employers are very picky,” said Robin Ryan, career coach and author of the book 60 Seconds & You’re Hired! Ryan recalls one client who went to 13 interviews for a single job only to be told by the company that because they couldn’t make a decision that they weren’t going to hire anyone at all.
Ryan said job shopping in the summer can be especially brutal, particularly in August when so many members of a team involved in a hiring decision may be out on vacation.
Also, she says, managers are not always equipped to interview people.
“They don’t ask the right questions during the interview process, and then they end up being torn between two candidates,” she says.
Lower-level jobs that require little training or education such as retail, food and cashier positions, have quicker turnaround times. More important than region though, Chamberlain says, is industry.
Washington, D.C., an area with a high concentration of government jobs, topped the list with the longest hiring time, an average of 32.2 days. Government jobs specifically took the longest, an average of 53.8 days. Other industries that kept applicants waiting were aerospace and defense (averaging 32.6 days) and energy and utilities (averaging 28.8 days).
Meanwhile, Kansas City, Kan., a city with a disproportionate number of retail, food service and other “blue-collar” jobs, had the shortest average interview time at only 16.9 days. Nationwide, waiters, delivery drivers and retail associates could expect to wait only 8 to 8.5 days to land a new job.
While this might all seem daunting to job seekers, Chamberlain said a prolonged-interview process is not necessarily a bad thing.
“It can be frustrating, especially if you’re unemployed,” he says. “But it’s like going on dates. You want to make sure it’s a good fit. Generally, companies are more careful and willing to take more time if you’re an asset.”
To remain upbeat throughout the process, Ryan recommends asking for an interview time frame at the end of the first meeting.
“And don’t stop job hunting for other jobs,” she says, “until you accept an offer.”
Washington, D.C., had the longest average time (32.2 days). Kansas City, Kan., had the shortest (16.9 days).