Interview to Job Offer:
How Long Should It Take?

by Barry S.
(Dallas, TX)

What are you seeing in terms of the time it takes for companies to complete interviews and extend offers? I'm interviewing for a VP Sales opportunity that I'm well qualified for, but the feedback has been slow in coming. The recruiter I'm working with says that I'm still being considered, but 6 weeks have passed since my first interview. My headhunter says that no one has been called back for a second interview yet. Any thoughts on how to handle the delay?

Barry -

The unfortunate reality is that the time line from interview to offer gets longer the higher you go in the organization. It's not unusual for senior level spots to take 3-4 months to close, and in many cases, the process can take much longer.

You would think that the hiring manager and the organization have a vested interest in filling the position. Delays in the process, however, raise very legitimate questions about the importance of the position to the organization. It's easy to conclude that if there's no sense of urgency in filling the position, it must not be a critical role in the organization.

This is usually not the case. Companies create their own obstacles in this process...consider the need for phone interviews with 5-6 candidates. Then interviews with the top 3-4. First round interviews usually involve coordination of multiple schedules (on both sides). Debrief may take another few days. Then round 2 interviews start. More scheduling. The finalist might need to meet with the CEO. This is usually a scheduling nightmare. References need to be checked; a compensation package needs to be negotiated and approved internally, a relocation trip with the family might be needed before an offer is accepted.

Elapsed time can easily stretch out.

Suppose you're the runner up? Chances are the company will not want to "shut you down" - i.e. tell you that you're number 2 - they'll want to keep you "warm", in case their first choice ultimately rejects their offer.

Hopefully you can understand why the process drags on. Scheduling is often a big part of timing issues. Senior level candidates tend to meet with senior level members of the team. Coordinating those schedules can be a real challenge.

I would suggest that you keep in close touch with the recruiter, and if you can find a reason to reconnect with the hiring manager periodically(e.g. forward an interesting article), do so. Keep the recruiter in the loop on this.

Being flexible in the face of lengthy delays is important. Trying to speed up the process by suggesting you have another offer in hand is not a good strategy. Some hiring managers react very poorly to being pushed on timing. If you legitimately have another offer, it's OK to let the recruiter and the hiring manager know. But, make sure it's an offer you plan to accept before trying to leverage it.

In short, it's hard to have patience when you're the candidate, especially if you're unemployed. Companies and hiring managers are juggling many priorities, and often times, hiring just takes a back seat.

As a recruiter, I try to remind my clients that their workload can be significantly reduced if they take the time to move the hiring process forward.

The best advice I can give you is to keep your pipeline of opportunities full. This will make the waiting on any one position a little more manageable.