Report: Delay may keep good hires from taking the job

Timing is everything, the saying goes, and for firms trying to hire, it could make the difference between securing the candidate and losing out. For 57 percent of workers responding to a Robert Half survey, the most frustrating part of the job search is the long wait after an interview to hear if they got the job.

Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) said they lose interest in the firm if they don’t hear back within one week after the initial interview. Another 46 percent lose interest if there’s no status update from one-to-two weeks post-interview.

Hiring managers who fail to make timely decisions face a number of consequences, most notably losing candidates.

When faced with a lengthy hiring process, 39 percent of survey respondents lose interest and pursue other roles, while 18 percent decide to stay put in their current jobs.

Nearly one-third (32 percent) said a protracted hiring process makes them question the organization’s ability to make other decisions. “If people feel their career potential will be stifled by a slow-moving organization, they will take themselves out of the running,” said Paul McDonald, senior executive director of Robert Half.