Dive Brief:
- According to research from Glassdoor, it is now taking longer to get though the job interview process than before.
- Based on a sample (4,250) of 344,250 interview reviews across six countries (France, Germany, U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia), the research found the average time taken in the interview process has risen by 3.3-3.7 days since 2009. The average overall job interview process takes 22.9 days in the U.S. This trend remains even after controlling for differences in job titles, companies, industries and many other factors.
- Jobs in France, Germany and the United Kingdom were found to each take on average four to nine days longer than in the United States and Canada.
Dive Insight:
Glassdoor reports differences in hiring times across countries is partly because labor markets in some countries simply do a better job at matching job seekers and companies. The difference also partly reflects variations in regulations, culture and other institutions such as union membership.
In the U.S., hiring times have increased by over 10 days in the past four years (12 days to 22.9 days). The Glassdoor reports that more employee background checks, skills tests, drug tests and other "screening" methods may be to blame.
Job titles were also found as playing an integral role in determining time taken to hire candidates, with more complex jobs requiring intense (and longer) applicant screening. From the HR perspective, this research questions the efforts put into critical (and much promoted) "time to hire" metrics in the U.S. Is that effort really paying off?
