How many times do you interview a job applicant before making an offer? A new survey from The Harris Poll conducted on behalf of Express Employment Professionals says U.S. hiring decision-makers conduct an average of five interviews. While jobseekers agree that more than one interview is necessary, they say three on average is optimal.
Benefits of Multiple Interviews
The value of conducting multiple interviews shouldn’t be understated. Decision-makers say meeting more than once allows them to better evaluate an applicant’s personality (50%), their skills (48%), and compatibility with the company’s culture (47%).
Jobseekers say participating in multiple interviews provides the opportunity to ask follow-up questions (56%), gain information on the position (56%), meet multiple people at the company (47%), and ensure the company’s culture is a good fit for them (47%).
Drawbacks of a Long Process
However, drawing out the interview process has its downfalls. According to decision-makers, drawbacks include taking additional time (50%), candidates accepting other offers (44%), and extending the timeframe until the position can be filled (41%). Jobseekers say the negatives are the additional time taken (52%), drawing out the time until they can find a job (45%), and additional costs, such as travel expenses and time away from their other job or responsibilities (39%).
While waiting to hear back from companies, in an effort to get face-to-face time or check the status of their application, some job candidates may choose to visit a company’s physical location unannounced. These applicants are described positively by 77% of hiring decision-makers who say they are motivated (57%), take initiative (46%), and are driven (40%).
Streamline the Process
If you’re holding more than three interviews per candidate, it may be time to streamline your interview process. Consider reworking the job application to gain critical information sooner, reduce meetings by inviting multiple interviewers to meet candidates at the same time, or include virtual interviews in the process. While 51% of decision-makers conduct interviews in person, 40% utilize a combination of in-person and virtual meetings.
Learn more about hiring trends for the second half of 2023 in the Job Insights Report at ExpressPros.com/JobInsights-US.
To provide accurate and timely employment forecasts for business leaders, Express Employment Professionals commissions an ongoing Job Insights survey to track employment and hiring trends across a wide range of industries. The survey was conducted within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express among 1,010 U.S. hiring decision-makers from June 8 to 22, 2023, and 1,006 jobseekers from June 13 to 16, 2023.
