So after reading an interesting post by my friend Tim Sackett recently, I stopped to think about the “ideal” length of the recruiting process. Here’s Tim:

People won't read a 700 page book, they want 300.  No one wants to watch a three hour movie, make it two.  Why do we have to have an hour meeting, make it thirty minutes. Being too long is not a weakness you want to have in today’s world.  Being too long is now a sign that you probably don't really know what you're doing.  If you can't be short and concise, you're looked at as ‘old fashioned'. That's what your candidates are thinking of your selection process.  You try and tell yourself, and your leadership, that we ‘take our time' because we want to ‘make the right decision'. But your competition is making those same decisions in half the time.  You're old fashion. You're broken.  You're taking too long. Source: http://www.timsackett.com/2014/08/21/its-too-long/

Here’s a short video where I give both sides of the issue (subscribers click through to view):

So, what’s the right answer for you and your organization? Read the rest of my thoughts on the subject in my post on Talent Acquisition Process Length at the Brandon Hall Group blog.