It’s no surprise that the interview stage is the longest part of the hiring process, often taking nearly half of the total time to hire, according to our recent study of 30,000 hires across various industries and countries.

The interview process involves coordinating schedules, aligning goals, and sharing feedback, making it challenging for recruiters to move candidates through this stage quickly. Despite its importance in assessing a candidate’s fit and competency, delays in interviewing can create bottlenecks. These delays can lead to poor candidate experiences, recruiter fatigue, and top applicants accepting other offers.

Our study revealed that the average interview process takes 9 days. However, the fastest 25% of hires complete it in just 3 days, while the slowest 10% take as long as 18 days.

To address this issue and improve your hiring efficiency, follow this checklist to streamline your interview process and attract top talent before your competition does.

1. Create Urgency

Set a clear timeline for filling the open position and explain to your team why it’s important to hire by a specific date. For example, you might need the role filled to meet quarterly goals or support a new project. If your team understands the impact of the new hire, they’re more likely to prioritize the process.

Our study found that internal hires and referrals tend to be slower, averaging 14 and 17 days, respectively. Hiring managers might not feel the same urgency with familiar candidates, so closely monitor their progress.

2. Establish a Clear Plan of Action (PoA)

Define the types of interviews needed to evaluate candidates, create an order for these evaluations, assign team members to each round, and decide how many candidates should advance through each stage of the process.

3. Collect Feedback

Ensure that everyone on the hiring team knows what type of feedback they need to provide after each interview and where it should be recorded (e.g., applicant tracking system [ATS], Slack, email). Consider scheduling an extra 10 minutes at the end of each interview for team members to complete individual or group evaluations.

4. Avoid Scheduling Issues

Effective scheduling is crucial. Use your ATS or Google Calendar to find a time that works for everyone involved in the interviews, such as executive leadership, team leads, and department heads. Avoid starting email threads for scheduling—use scheduling tools instead.

Prompt feedback will help you schedule follow-up interviews more quickly. The faster you determine which candidates should advance, the faster you can arrange their next interview.

5. Explore Interview Alternatives

Consider alternatives to traditional in-person meetings. Many recruiters start with a phone screen, follow with an online evaluation, and then conduct video interviews before inviting candidates to the office. These methods can build rapport with candidates before a live visit and are useful for out-of-town applicants or remote team members.

Explore online evaluation and assessment tools in our marketplace for various skills, from coding to soft skills.

6. Utilize Technology

Our study found that hiring managers using mobile apps for recruitment hired an average of two days faster than those who only used desktop computers. Ensure your hiring team is familiar with the tech tools available to them. As a recruiter, leverage your knowledge of these resources to enhance your hiring process.