Innovations in technology are revolutionising the world of recruitment. And yet, some employers still maintain a lengthy application process. In some cases, job seekers need to endure a number of interviews (some hitting double digits) before receiving a job offer.

One such Australian organisation has a standard six-round interview process for all roles, regardless of seniority. Some applicants have experienced an interview process involving:

• A functional interview
• Skills interview
• Cultural interview
• Peer interview
• Two video interviews

The job on offer was not a CEO position, but a standard mid-level role in a mid-size company. Many of the questions were repetitive, with little apparent communication from one interview stage to the next.

This begs the question, how many rounds of interviews is normal for modern businesses?

What factors should human resources and hiring managers consider?

How much time can we ask of candidates and interviewers?

We must consider the time commitment that companies expect from candidates. We must also think about how much time existing employees need to dedicate to conducting interviews.

Aim to set a maximum time limit for each candidate. You might ask for 3 one-hour interviews, or you could invite candidates for a two-hour aptitude test instead. Consider the most efficient approach to find out what you need.

What is the purpose of each interview?

Human resources and hiring managers should establish what they need to learn from each interview stage. What insights about a candidate's skills and experience can we learn from the fourth interview that we can’t obtain in the second?

Aim to define a unique purpose for each interview. You may want to merge several sessions into one if they achieve the same goal.

What influences a lengthy interview process?

Organisations may be displaying a level of arrogance regarding the level of interest in the role. Some organisations believe that the strength of their brand will attract candidates who are happy to go through a lengthy process. Or perhaps there’s a consensus culture in which people struggle to make decisions.

Consider why you require multiple rounds of interviews. Is there a clear purpose for each session? Or has the recruitment process, from job application to final interview, taken on a life of its own?

How is the hiring process changing?

Skills-based interview processes

Faced with ongoing skills shortages, organisations can no longer search for candidates using traditional methods. Hiring managers are trying new approaches, such as:

• Skills-based hiring
• Early in career development and recruitment 
• Hire-Train-Deploy models

Opting for a new strategy will impact how you interview candidates. Job seekers may not have directly relevant examples of their workplace skills and experiences, but will instead be drawing upon life experience. This changes the understanding of what the ‘perfect’ candidate looks like.

Outsourced recruitment processes

Working with external suppliers, like Enterprise Solutions at Hays, can save your interviewers a lot of time. Even if you maintain in-house interviews, you can offload much of the initial screening and assessment to a third-party recruitment provider.

Outsourced assessment and selection processes are particularly popular. This approach allows candidates to show aptitude beyond the static interview format, as well as illustrating to employers the scope of the applicants, including soft skills.

AI’s influence on the interview process

Leading authorities in recruitment now use AI to assist with filtering and selection. Technologies such as blockchain, for example, enable fast and accurate verification of work histories.

By adopting AI technology to enhance the initial screening process, we can make it more precise and more efficient. With a strong initial screening strategy in place, candidates that progress beyond this stage won’t need to jump through so many hoops.

Can we make the hiring process fairer?

There are always ways to make the hiring process fairer and more efficient for candidates and employers alike. A lengthy interview process is in itself unfair, alienating candidates who are unable to afford frequent time off from work, have care-giving responsibilities, or struggle to travel.

At Enterprise Solutions at Hays we can offer expert guidance on:

• Creating the right job description to attract candidates.
• Hosting initial phone interviews.
• Planning and hosting in-person interviews.
• Hosting pre-interview assessments.

The key questions job seekers are asking: how many interviews to get a job?

Two interviews are usually sufficient to gain all the necessary insights required to make a hiring decision. We also recommend some form of initial assessment to decide who gets to the interview stage, and occasionally, some follow up conversations to iron out the details.

So, do six interviews really result in better hires or people who stay longer and perform better?

Get in touch with our team to review and discuss opportunities to enhance your hiring process.

Read more expert guidance on improving your interview process 

• Pre-employment screening: Our guide to getting it right
• AI in recruitment: What's the impact? 
• Six strategies for attracting tech talent