Published on Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007
There are scores of questions a nervous interviewee faces right from what to wear to an interview, how to conduct oneself, what to talk about and how to answer tricky queries.
More astonishingly, there are some uncertainties on the other side of the interviewing table. Carrying out an interview is no mean task in itself, yet the biggest question confounding interviewers is the acceptable length of interviewing time.
Uptight candidates also wonder anxiously how long they will be on the grill!
So, ideally how long should an interview take?
Well, recruitment takes time and is never known for quick decisions. A thorough hiring process requires time to measure candidate quality and ponder on the assessment. It may entail taking the dialogue through multiple levels, broken into numerous interviews.
Generally speaking, there is no hard and fast rule for interviewing time and interviews stretch as long as necessary to determine candidate competence and motivation. Nevertheless, following are a few pointers for maintaining optimal interviewing length:
An eye on the clock – While the exact time taken may vary from organisation to organisation, typically, an interview should last for more than an hour. For entry or mid-level positions, it can be 30 – 50 minutes, whereas senior posts warrant at least 50 - 70 minutes.
It is important to remember that the duration will vary for face-to-face, telephonic and virtual interviews. Again, panel or board interviews take longer than those with individual interviewers. The industry, scope of job, role and complexity are major determinants.
Make the right moves – Preliminary interviews are basically conducted to determine whether the candidates are qualified for intense interviewing and are of a shorter duration. For instance, at job fairs initial screening lasts for just two to three minutes.
At times, even third and fourth interviews may seem necessary. As a recruiter rightly points out, “No matter how much time you spend, it’s impossible to get a complete and accurate assessment of a person in one interview”. The going gets tougher as these subsequent interviews may take an hour and a half to even two.
Stem the tide – It has been observed that some interviews run longer than even two or three hours due to difficulties in assessing candidate characteristics and complex work histories. A few even come with a two-day itinerary. In fact, a top IT company is known for its long-winded sessions in multiple interviews. Interviewers should bear in mind that long evaluation sessions are not only draining for them, but it annoys and exhausts the ones at the receiving end too.
Going back five to six times for ‘clarifying further aspects’ can break the best of the candidates. So, try to avoid extending the dialogue unnecessarily. Also, if an interview needs to take ‘all day’, allow the interviewee short breaks.
Put your cards on the table – It is prudent to set an agenda and establish some kind of a time limit for the interview. Outlining a timetable in advance will help hiring managers properly manage the time spent in the interview and cover all aspects even while wrapping up the session in time. Therefore, plan an appropriate and convenient setting to avoid needless interruptions eating into interviewing time.
Informing the applicants about the approximate duration and what it will cover further helps in sticking to the schedule. Please do not rush the candidates, take the time to make them feel comfortable and relaxed. Also, allow for overrunning as a conversation may elongate at times.
Take a bow – All said and done, while there is nothing like a perfect interviewing duration, recruiters should try to keep it short and sweet as far as possible. When encore evaluations are necessary, they can even launch innovative measures to keep candidates going from interview to interview without losing their enthusiasm.
Top management consultant and writer, Lou Adler sums it up best with, “I can’t see how anyone would want to hire for an important position without at least five to eight hours of total interviewing time”.
More astonishingly, there are some uncertainties on the other side of the interviewing table. Carrying out an interview is no mean task in itself, yet the biggest question confounding interviewers is the acceptable length of interviewing time.
Uptight candidates also wonder anxiously how long they will be on the grill!
So, ideally how long should an interview take?
Well, recruitment takes time and is never known for quick decisions. A thorough hiring process requires time to measure candidate quality and ponder on the assessment. It may entail taking the dialogue through multiple levels, broken into numerous interviews.
Generally speaking, there is no hard and fast rule for interviewing time and interviews stretch as long as necessary to determine candidate competence and motivation. Nevertheless, following are a few pointers for maintaining optimal interviewing length:
An eye on the clock – While the exact time taken may vary from organisation to organisation, typically, an interview should last for more than an hour. For entry or mid-level positions, it can be 30 – 50 minutes, whereas senior posts warrant at least 50 - 70 minutes.
It is important to remember that the duration will vary for face-to-face, telephonic and virtual interviews. Again, panel or board interviews take longer than those with individual interviewers. The industry, scope of job, role and complexity are major determinants.
Make the right moves – Preliminary interviews are basically conducted to determine whether the candidates are qualified for intense interviewing and are of a shorter duration. For instance, at job fairs initial screening lasts for just two to three minutes.
At times, even third and fourth interviews may seem necessary. As a recruiter rightly points out, “No matter how much time you spend, it’s impossible to get a complete and accurate assessment of a person in one interview”. The going gets tougher as these subsequent interviews may take an hour and a half to even two.
Stem the tide – It has been observed that some interviews run longer than even two or three hours due to difficulties in assessing candidate characteristics and complex work histories. A few even come with a two-day itinerary. In fact, a top IT company is known for its long-winded sessions in multiple interviews. Interviewers should bear in mind that long evaluation sessions are not only draining for them, but it annoys and exhausts the ones at the receiving end too.
Going back five to six times for ‘clarifying further aspects’ can break the best of the candidates. So, try to avoid extending the dialogue unnecessarily. Also, if an interview needs to take ‘all day’, allow the interviewee short breaks.
Put your cards on the table – It is prudent to set an agenda and establish some kind of a time limit for the interview. Outlining a timetable in advance will help hiring managers properly manage the time spent in the interview and cover all aspects even while wrapping up the session in time. Therefore, plan an appropriate and convenient setting to avoid needless interruptions eating into interviewing time.
Informing the applicants about the approximate duration and what it will cover further helps in sticking to the schedule. Please do not rush the candidates, take the time to make them feel comfortable and relaxed. Also, allow for overrunning as a conversation may elongate at times.
Take a bow – All said and done, while there is nothing like a perfect interviewing duration, recruiters should try to keep it short and sweet as far as possible. When encore evaluations are necessary, they can even launch innovative measures to keep candidates going from interview to interview without losing their enthusiasm.
Top management consultant and writer, Lou Adler sums it up best with, “I can’t see how anyone would want to hire for an important position without at least five to eight hours of total interviewing time”.
PAYAL CHANANIA
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