What is Happening to the Hiring Process?

Recently, law firms have begun to take an unnecessarily long and tedious approach when it comes to hiring staff positions. Many firms are opting to conduct many more interviews, which is both slowing down the hiring process and adding unnecessary stress to candidates.

The talent pool has opened up ever so slightly and this has given a false sense of security that there are “others” out there when there are not. Firms are taking forever to respond, stretching out the interview process into three to five rounds when in most instances, a great hire can be accomplished in two interviews.

Despite claims the additional interviews will allow for a more thorough evaluation of candidates, the truth is this approach is more of an inconvenience than an advantage. Candidates typically have to take time off work or make special arrangements to attend each interview. This can be both inconvenient and costly.

Hybrid working schedules are making in-person interviews difficult, not only to attend but to schedule. Additionally, this approach can create unnecessary delays in the hiring process, as firms are forced to wait for all the interviews to be completed before making a decision. This can be frustrating for both candidates and firms, who may lose out on top prospects due to the extended timeline of the hiring process.

In some cases, conducting multiple interviews can also create confusion for candidates who receive either conflicting feedback or not enough feedback, on their progress in the hiring process. This can be discouraging for candidates and can detract from the overall experience of the job search. The longer firms take to interview, the candidate loses momentum and interest in the firm. It demonstrates the firm is “not that into” the candidate and candidates move on.

In today's fast-paced business environment, time is of the essence, and lengthy hiring processes can negatively impact a firm's ability to respond to changing market conditions or acquire top talent in a timely fashion. The trend towards conducting so many multiple interviews for staff positions in law firms appears to be unnecessary and counter-productive.