How Many Interview Rounds Do You Need?

While the interviewee may not always relish a long interview process, there are reasons for a company to consider hosting multiple interviews for certain positions. Many would agree that the longer the job interview process, the more taxing, draining, and stressful it becomes.

Returning for multiple interviews increases the pressure and causes candidates to set their hearts on a job more than they might with just one interview, which may make it a tougher blow if they don’t get hired.

How Many Interviewing Steps To Include?

When deciding how many interviewing steps to include in the screening process at your company, it might be helpful to know what other professionals are doing. Items that take time include internal communications, detailed candidate screening, multiple interview rounds, and follow-ups. According to an Indeed interview timeline, the time between applicant submissions and actually hiring for the new role can take up to eight weeks or more.

Pros Of A Long Interview Process

Is 15-30 minutes enough time to determine if someone has the skills required to excel in the role? There are certainly pros to hosting a longer job interview process that gives you a more in-depth look at your candidates.  When you’re hiring for an important role that requires a special skill set, it’s critical to get the right person for the job.

Cons Of A Long Interview Process

While it’s clear there are many reasons to hold multiple job interviews for a key role, there are a few downsides to such a lengthy process.

• It costs the company time and money

• You’re taking up other people’s time

• Multiple interviews don’t always add value

If you feel that 30 minutes is not enough, don’t be afraid to invest more time to ensure that all of your questions are answered without having to call the interviewee back on a separate occasion. If you are able to bring these qualities to the table, the number of steps in the interviewing process won’t matter as much because you’ll be able to pull valuable information from the candidates when you speak to them.