In recruitment, we often talk to candidates who have interview fatigue – a real-life phenomenon that kicks in due to lengthy and onerous hiring processes.
Interview fatigue usually occurs when there are multiple stages of interviews for the same position, decision paralysis on behalf of the recruiter or a poor talent acquisition plan – all leading to burnout in both candidates and hiring managers.
We are starting to see a similar phenomenon in hiring managers, which I’ve dubbed ‘recruitment fatigue’.
Recruitment fatigue is often brought on by conducting too many interviews in short succession. The hiring manager may be struggling to find the ‘perfect candidate’ or losing great candidates in the process, which means they never quite get to the point of offer and acceptance.
In a perfect world, every interview you conduct should be the like first – excited that this could be the right person, lots of energy, a multitude of comprehensive questions, eager to sell your company and the role, and a meeting to showcase what a great manager you will be to work with.
If you can’t confidently say that your interviews are the same quality as they were the first time around, you probably have recruitment fatigue…and it shows.
My tips to overcome recruitment fatigue:
Brief your recruitment partner properly:
Spend time with them, set clear expectations, and determine what is essential and what is desirable. Work with them to find great talent for you.
Be ready to respond and communicate:
Fast communication is within 24 hours, and often quicker – this results in super-engaged recruiters and candidates.
Commit time to hiring:
Don’t leave the interview process to the last minute – interviewing in 2 weeks’ time is not committed hiring.
Decipher whether you have decision paralysis:
Decision paralysis occurs when we have to select from options that are difficult to compare.
Plan interviews:
Ensure you’ve evaluated your mental capacity, time, and ability to fully engage before biting off more than you can chew.
I believe that proper preparation is key to avoiding recruitment fatigue. Planning interviews in advance is essential, so I’ve left some of my best interviewing tips below.
Proper preparation is key:
Don’t forget, you’re the hiring manager:
This is what your employer knew you could do when they hired you. When it comes to diarising your interviews, make sure you set aside enough time to do it properly.
Plan interviews based on your mental capacity:
An interview scheduled five minutes after a three-hour finance meeting is probably not the best idea.
If you can manage back-to-back interviews, go for it:
But give yourself time to have a break, consider each interview, make notes, grab a coffee – schedule interviews with both you and the candidate in mind.
Don’t rush:
Hiring and interviewing should never be ‘get it over and done with’ – rushing the interview will only end up increasing your chances of a bad hire. But give yourself time to have a break, consider each interview, make notes, grab a coffee – schedule interviews with both you and the candidate in mind.
Reject professionally:
Learn from the rejection – can you alter the search or your expectations? Does your job specification align with your reason to reject?
Stay up-to-date:
If your hiring process is lengthy, complex, unnecessary or old fashioned – change it.
Prep your questions in advance:
Do you have clear questions to be asked? Will they provide the answer you need? Are you constantly asking the same thing? Make sure you finesse your questions way before you start.
Bring more than one reviewer:
As a hiring manager, having subject matter experts can help you accurately measure the skills of the candidate. If you’re exhausted, having two people to gauge the candidate and provide fair feedback makes decisions easier.
Narrow the candidates down:
When you sit down to check through your applications or candidate submissions, have you re-read their CV? Have you spoken with the recruiter to get their feedback? Are you interviewing the right person?
It’s a better idea to reject candidates during the CV review process than during the interview stage. It’s a waste of time to interview multiple candidates and find out those who you suspected wouldn’t be right for the role are subpar.
By narrowing your choices for an interview, you’re ensuring you have access to suitable people for the role you’re offering, saving you some valuable time and energy.
Lean on your recruiter
After two or three rounds of multiple interviews, you might feel that the right candidate doesn’t exist, but fortunately, that’s not true. Your recruiter is looking for the exact skills that you want, but are you communicating with them and learning from past interviews and candidate submissions?
The right candidate – driven and determined to perform for you and your company – is out there somewhere. Don’t let your recruitment fatigue settle for something less.
Find out more about how identifi Global can help you find your perfect fit, without the extra stress. Contact us.
