If you’ve been pounding the pavement for a job these days, you’ve probably noticed that it’s taking longer and longer to get an interview. Worse yet, the interviews seem never to stop. Don’t be discouraged, it’s not just you.
The healthcare industry is big on large group interviews, says Carole Martin, author of "Boost Your Hiring IQ." And there isn't always strength in numbers. "I almost think of these as an inquisition rather than an interview," says Martin. A gauntlet of interviews with different people can be equally counter productive. "Each person has his or her agenda," says Martin. "So what does that really do to the bigger picture?"
A recent article in The New York Times noted that some recruiters are going overboard with eight or nine rounds of interviews, multiple presentations, time-consuming challenges and quizzes. Jobs are staying unfilled much longer now—23 business days today compared to just 15 in mid-2009, according to a new measure of Labor Department data by the economists Steven J. Davis, Jason Faberman and John Haltiwanger. There are simply too many people chasing too few jobs. And tight-budgeted employers want the best for the least.
“There’s a fear that the economy is going to go down again, so the message you get from C.F.O.’s is to be careful about hiring someone,” said John Sullivan, a management professor at San Francisco State University who runs a human resources consulting business. “There’s this great fear of making a mistake, of wasting money in a tight economy.”
Employers are ratcheting up interviews and screening, in part, because they feel that many job candidates may not be up to speed when it comes to skills and the latest technologies. This applies particularly to college grads and job seekers who have been out of work for a year or more.
In addition to upping the frustration level for job seekers, multiple interviews can hit one’s pocket book. There are parking fees, parking tickets, $4/gallon gas and trips to Starbucks while waiting for interviews.
The informal consensus among today’s job seekers seems to be that two interviews should be enough for junior candidates, and four should tell employers all they need to know about senior level new hires. On the high end, an employer might want to see if the new person fits in with the corporate culture or whether key players accept the individual in a tightly knit team.
If you’re a recent grad or someone who’s been out of work for some time, make sure your skills are up to date and even exceed the specs of the job. Then bite the bullet and go on those multiple interviews.
Image courtesy of Ambro/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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