Strong engineers rarely stay on the market for long, and they often have more than one offer. A slow process is one of the most common reasons good candidates are lost. Speed and quality aren't opposites: a well-designed process is both.
Agree the brief before you start
Write down the must-have skills, the nice-to-haves, the salary range and who makes the final decision. Most delays happen when these change halfway through.
Keep stages to a minimum
- Two or three stages are enough for most roles: a first conversation, a technical stage and a final meeting.
- Book interview slots in advance, so candidates can move from one stage to the next within days.
- Give feedback within 24 to 48 hours. Silence is often read as a no.
Make the technical stage realistic
Choose a task close to the real job, and keep take-home exercises to a few hours at most. Many experienced engineers will turn down a process with a long unpaid test, especially if they're already interviewing elsewhere.
Sell the role as well as test for it
Tell candidates about the product, the team, the technology and how they'll grow. Every interviewer should be able to answer "why join us?" well.
Be ready to make an offer
- Get budget and sign-off agreed before the final stage.
- Benchmark the salary against the current market. Here's how.
- Make the offer quickly, and expect counter-offers from the candidate's current employer.
We help clients run fast, fair processes every week. Tell us about your role and we'll suggest a process that fits.
