Is anyone else completely burned out by today’s hiring process?
I’ve been unemployed for over 6 months, and one thing that has really stood out is how exhausting interview processes have become.
It seems like every company wants 3-6 interviews, personality assessments, skills assessments, culture interviews, leadership interviews, and sometimes even projects or presentations. By the time you get through the process, you’ve invested hours and hours into a role with no guarantee of an offer.
I understand employers want to make sure it’s the right fit. Hiring mistakes are expensive. But from a candidate’s perspective, especially for experienced professionals with a proven track record, these marathon interview processes can actually be a red flag.
If a company needs 5 interviews and multiple assessments to determine whether someone can do the job, it makes me wonder how decisions get made internally which makes me want to check out.
As a high performer, I find myself questioning whether the investment of time is worth it. I could be applying elsewhere, networking, consulting, or interviewing with companies that can make a decision in two conversations instead of 6.
The irony is that the strongest candidates often have options. The longer the process drags out, the more likely employers are to lose the people they actually want.
Maybe I’m just frustrated after 6 months of job searching, but it feels like hiring has become unnecessarily complicated. At some point, the process starts feeling less like due diligence and more like a test of endurance.
Has anyone else experienced this?