Exploring Why the IT Hiring Process is Lengthy
Why companies are adding more steps before making an offer.
If you’re a hiring manager or an IT professional seeking a new position, you’ve probably noticed that the hiring process is quite lengthy. What used to take a few weeks can now stretch well over six weeks and sometimes much longer.
The average hiring time for IT roles has increased to 41 days, up from 31 days just last year. Meanwhile, the best candidates are typically off the market in 10 days. This mismatch between how fast top talent moves and how slowly companies make decisions means businesses risk missing out on top talent.
What’s Behind the Slowdown?
While there is no single reason for the lengthy hiring process, it is a mix of caution, high expectations, and process overload:
1. Companies Want the “Perfect Fit”
Hiring managers often expect candidates to check every single box on the job description and usually want extra skills on top of that. The fear of hiring the wrong person adds caution to the process, so more interviews, tests, and decision-makers are added.
2. More Assessments
About 80% of companies now include tests during the hiring process to gauge technical and soft skills. In IT, this can mean coding challenges, logic tests, and/or personality quizzes, while also going through multiple rounds of interviews. While these tools are supposed to speed up hiring, they can backfire because they can lengthen the process too much, frustrating candidates.
3. Still Not Enough Time
Even though 27% of recruiters now use generative AI and 76% use automation to handle repetitive tasks, these tools don’t always fix busy hiring managers’ schedules. Managers struggle to dedicate time to create a thoughtful hiring process when juggling projects, client demands, and year-end goals.
Hiring great IT talent is not simple, but a slow, overly complicated process often does more harm than good. Companies that streamline hiring, communicate clearly, and make timely decisions are far more likely to secure top talent. With today’s fast-moving market, speed and efficiency are no longer just nice to have; they’re a competitive advantage.
Learn more about current IT hiring challenges and download our eBook, Analyzing the Top IT Hiring Challenges.
