The answer is often something like, well, it depends on the role, your availability, and the availability of the team members involved in the recruit. Has the role been approved? Are you ready to onboard this candidate once identified? Is this a priority role? How has the role become available? (the response here may also highlight other issues or obstacles) and this list goes on!

It is extremely important for Hiring Managers to 'qualify' the recruit to ensure they are not wasting anybody's time.

Sure, there are often genuine reasons for delays, particularly with newly created roles or more senior roles with stakeholders scattered across different time zones, and this is to be expected; therefore, the same can be communicated with the candidates to align their expectations.

But it is when the recruit becomes a low priority that things become quite challenging. When this happens, the candidates become disengaged; they are exposed to other opportunities and may also question the genuine value of the role in question. A good Recruiter is an expert at managing their candidates' expectations and consulting with their client to realign everybody's focus and efforts.

So how long is too long, you might ask? Reviewing a short list of candidates should be something we attend to ASAP; any longer than three days is not ideal. Coordinating interviews thereafter should also be done ASAP, although within the week unless the candidate has shared information with us that they are at the final stages elsewhere; then, this needs to be expedited and pushed through the interview process ASAP if the client identifies a good match.

After first-stage interviews, other decision-makers may be invited into the interview process, and behavioural testing may be required. We need to ensure that we move swiftly through these steps and communicate with all parties regularly throughout this process, reminding the candidate that they should share any news with you ASAP regarding any changes in their situation.

The common theme here to ensure a successful recruit is "Communication".

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic!