When filling an open position, time is usually of the essence and you want to know when to expect a resume on your desk and ultimately your new employee filling that empty seat. The time it takes from start to finish can vary greatly due to the attractiveness of the role, the interview process, the supply/demand of skills needed, and how the compensation matches up with the background needed. While recruiters want to get the applicant in front of you as soon as possible, they also want to make sure that they are a good fit for the company and vice versa given all of these factors.  

From Recruiter’s Search to Your Desk 

While the initial stages of a search do return results, sometimes within a day, it takes time for the best options to make their way through the process to your desk. Good recruiters want to provide top-quality candidates that have the experience and are excited to fill the posted position. Only candidates that recruiters feel are a match for what both the candidate and client are looking for making it in front of companies, but sifting through and qualifying those candidates takes time. Because of this, it may take a week or two from the time the recruiter gets the search to qualify a few candidates and present their resumes to you.  

Aligning Schedules 

Ideally, a very qualified candidate is available to come in for an interview tomorrow. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case, given that most are working elsewhere, and thus need to find time in their schedule for any in-person meetings. Good recruiters will want to meet a candidate face-to-face before an introduction to the hiring manager, which can take several days to find a convenient time and meet. Afterward, send the resume to the hiring manager and then setting up that interview can add another week to the process. Tack on another week if the one or two finalists must come back and meet a top executive. 

Overall Timeline 

Everything above may have to be repeated several times over in order for the right fit to align for both the candidate and the client. Making an offer and negotiating an acceptance can take another week. But wait, there’s more! A background check or drug test can add an additional week and only after getting the green light on that will the candidate resign and put in their two-week notice. Adding all this together is approximately two months from start to finish, and that’s if things go smoothly. The factors mentioned above can greatly affect this timeline, ranging from just a few weeks to three or four months. 

If you have read this to the end and still need clarification on the process or have concerns, please give us a call at 713-357-9565. We want to give unbiased answers to your questions, whether you choose to engage our help or not. 

Happy Hunting!