Q. Why does it take so long for agencies and companies to make hiring decisions? Over the past two and a half months, I’ve been back to one firm three times and have interviewed with nine people so far. I keep being told that no decision has been made and I remain a finalist.
A. Two factors normally are at play when hiring decisions are drawn out: (1) internal questions about whether the position really needs to be filled and (2) fear of making a hiring mistake. In the first instance, hiring managers appear to drag out the process to determine if its possible to get the job done without a new hire. This frustrates candidates as well as current employees who feel overworked. In the second case, hiring managers want to make sure they don’t make a mistake in who they hire. Some say they’d rather limp along without someone rather than make the wrong choice.
It is not uncommon for job candidates to meet with human resources for initial screening, then be interviewed by the hiring manager. Increasingly, the candidate meets peers in the department before meeting the head of the function. Scheduling such meetings is not a simple process, thus resulting in multiple visits–all taking time to arrange. And, unfortunately, many organizations do a lousy job of communicating the status of the process with prospective candidates. Patience and perseverance is required more than ever. Good luck.