Yes, it’s true that it’s rarely been as challenging in identifying and capturing the interest of top talent as it is today.  The challenge is compounded when you consider how time-challenged companies and hiring manager are in following through in landing talent.

Yet, without a well-honed plan for interviewing and vetting candidates in a timely manner, the best candidates will lose interest and move on quickly.

I hear this often with top talent.  When they see delays in feedback or long gaps between interview steps, they can be quick to (often incorrectly) presume that the company doesn’t consider the role an important priority.  Or they will draw hasty conclusions about the hiring manager not being confident in knowing what they want.

Candidates anticipate feedback within days (not weeks) and the most effective firms handle this within hours.

To be sure, part of this is managing expectations and that can be handled by a recruiter and the hiring manager themselves up-front.  The danger, however, resides in when the process deviates from the plan.

The obvious answer, of course, is to be prepared to give the hiring process the priority it needs.  A few extra hours today can often save you weeks of headache down the road.