3 Hidden Factors That Affect the Hiring Process

Image Courtesy of Sergey Nivens; BigStock

You’ve recently graduated from college. You’re ready for a change. Or maybe you’re reentering the workforce after time spent away. At any rate, it’s time to find a job. The question is, how long should you expect the process to take?

From finding the job posting itself, to scoring an interview, to getting an offer and actually getting started, knowing how much time to budget for finding a new job can be tricky. Individuals who are simply moving jobs have more flexibility with this, while recent grads with loans are in more of a hurry to get things figured out.

A New Grad vs. Mid-Level Executive

Consider Maria. Maria recently graduated from college and can’t wait to enter the workforce. She’s ready to start sending out resumes and applying for jobs.

Now consider Stan. Stan is a mid-level executive with four years of experience. He’s ready for a change and is thinking for applying for a new job outside of his current company.

Maria has never applied for a full-time position before. It’s been a few years since Stan has. How long should both of them expect the process to take?

As far as researching companies goes, there really isn’t a right or wrong amount of time to spend looking for a job. It all depends on how quickly you want to get the process started. Just make sure to thoroughly research a company before applying to make sure you’re good fits for each other. Don’t forget to use the hidden market to your advantage as well.

It’s the part that comes after the application that can get a bit murky. Once you’ve applied for the job, how long can you expect the hiring process to take?

Related: Why You Don’t Have Time To Find A Job

Realistically speaking, there are a lot of factors that affect how long the hiring process takes, including:

How many applications the company receives

After several weeks went by without hearing anything from one of the companies she applied for, Maria had given up and moved on to other options. However, it turned out they had received more than 100 applications and were simply sorting through them.

How good of a network you have

Several of the companies Stan interviewed at never actually posted the position. He knew members of the hiring committee who were able to refer him and help him secure an interview. Having a good network can help speed up the process immensely. Try using our My Contacts tool to keep all your connections in one place and make networking with people and companies easy.

How desperate the company is to fill the position. One of the companies Maria applied at had recently lost several staff members and was in a hurry to find someone and get them started. For this opportunity, the process moved pretty quickly — Maria attended two interviews, had a follow-up phone call, and received an offer within two weeks of applying.

The bottom line is there is no concrete timeline to help you plan your job search. Be prepared for the hiring process to last anywhere from two weeks to two months once you start sending out applications. Any more than three months, however, and it’s best to move on, as the process most likely isn’t going anywhere.