How Many Interviews Are Too Many?

After sending out countless resumes and poignant cover letters, your finally landed an interview. Congratulations. Now it’s time to focus on the interview. You study the company. You pick up your best suit from the dry cleaners. You rehearse your questions and answers. You listen to uplifting music on your headphones. You’re  ready. You’re not even nervous. You walk in full of confidence.

The interviewer laughs at your humor and writes down your insightful observations. She even asks you to elaborate on how you thought you could improve the company. After 35 minutes, you feel you have the job. It’s yours. You were born for this position. And then it happens: You’re thanked for your time, and asked if you’d be willing to come back for another interview. You realize this is just the beginning. You’ll have to do this all over again, perhaps even a few times. It’s the new normal in interviewing.

This article explains, “Increasing your quality of hire by having a structured and multi-phased interview process can increase the financial performance of your organization. What organizations often struggle with is just how many interviews it takes to get a good quality hire. The number of interviews required often depends on the type of position, including what level of skills, education, and experience is necessary for the role as well as what level of responsibility the employee will have once hired.”

The interview process can be an emotional rollercoaster for prospective employees. Interviews are stressful no matter how jovial the interviewer, and a series of interviews, which typically involve a panel at some point, will make anyone sweat. But hiring is a critical process for everyone involved, and investing time in the process benefits both the company and the interviewees.

Like with any relationship, it’s about finding the best fit, and this takes time. Getting to know one another requires face-to-face exchanges, and several interviews allows candidates who simply have a bad day to reveal their true selves over time. However, some people believe the process is too bloated with bureaucracy, which leads to the question: How many interviews are too many?

Photo courtesy of bpsusf.