If you currently scroll through LinkedIn, posts like this and similar ones are not uncommon:
“Nine rounds of applications. For a sales job.”
“All of the four candidates presented dropped out. The feedback was ‘process too long’ – after several interviews with specialist departments, customers, HR and management, which lasted over seven weeks.”
These and other similar stories can be found in abundance, including conversations within your own personal circle of colleagues, acquaintances and friends. There are reports of three, five or more rounds that have to be completed in the search for a new position.
You can’t afford wrong decisions
The reasons are understandable at first glance. Many HR departments currently cannot afford to make the wrong decision, especially in C-level positions. Every wrong hiring decision wastes time and, in the long run, money, resources that are currently in short supply at many companies. In management positions or roles in agile frameworks, future employees must work closely with many departments. So it seems to make sense to check beforehand whether all positions are suitable before the same position has to be advertised again in six months.
The consequences can be dire
It’s one thing to choose such a process for good reasons. But then the processes also have to be optimized. And this is precisely what often doesn’t seem to work. The result is loop after loop of interviews, debriefings, and feedback rounds that tie up not only the applicants’ time, but also the employees’ time. The consequences are even worse. Although the company has – in the best case scenario – found its absolute dream candidate with the perfect fit, the price for this is high.
For talented people who only receive a rejection at the end of such an application marathon, the earth is burned forever. What will definitely be remembered is not the friendly manager, the thorough recruiting and the polite and thoughtful rejection, but above all the exhausting endurance run. Another application or even a recommendation for differently qualified job seekers is very unlikely.
Recruiting processes deserve a critical look
All of this can be prevented by taking a critical look at the recruiting processes. The time-to-hire also benefits from this, which can be eight to twelve weeks depending on the industry. This is shown by analyzes such as the current Time-To-Hire Compass by Robert Half (more on this in the upcoming print edition of Human Resources Management) and the Xing Application Report 2025. If, for example, you want the talent to speak to different managers, these appointments should, if possible, take place on the same day and the feedback from those concerned should be obtained promptly.
Recruiting is not a one-way street; the first impression of the company also counts and cannot be repeated. If talented people notice that you value their time and make an effort to respect it, you can part ways amicably even after a rejection. And instead of frustration, there may be hope that there will be another chance for your dream job in the company in the future.
Angela Heider-Willms is responsible for reporting on the topics of transformation, change management and leadership. She also deals with the topic of diversity.
