New report reveals consequences of longer hiring time frames in organisations
The hiring process in Australia is now taking an average of five weeks to complete, according to new research, as employers become more cautious before committing to new talent.
Findings from Robert Half's latest poll found that more than half of employers in Australia are now taking five weeks or more to hire permanent staff.
This includes 31% who said they take six weeks or more to hire, and another 19% who said they take five weeks.
According to Robert Half, this new average is noticeably longer than the four-week period that 70% of employees said they waited for a job offer in 2017.
Nicole Gorton, director at Robert Half, attributed the longer waiting time to employers' cautiousness in hiring.
"The length of today's hiring process reflects how cautious and considered businesses are being before committing to a permanent hire. Employers are balancing the need to move quickly with the pressure to make the right long-term hire, often creating a tension between speed and precision," Gorton said.
Impact of longer hiring times
But the extended recruitment time frame has led to negative consequences for organisations, according to 92% of businesses.
Some 44% of employers said longer hiring times have led to an increased workload for existing staff. They also reported:
- Delayed project timelines (32%)
- Increased turnover of existing staff (30%)
- Reduced team morale (29%)
- Decline in service quality (26%)
- Lost revenue and/or business opportunities (22%)
"Every week lost in the hiring process has a ripple effect across the organisation, whether it is overworked teams, missed deadlines, and in some cases, lost revenue," Gorton said.
"The cost of hiring slowly is not always visible on the balance sheet, but it can be deeply felt in morale and productivity."
The causes of longer hiring
Robert Half's report reflects similar findings across the world about recruitment times getting longer.
In Canada, a report earlier this year also showed that 94% of hiring managers believe that it's taking them longer to fill open roles than two years ago.
A separate report from SmartRecruiters also revealed that the global median time to hire has risen to 38 days, which rises to 40 days in the United Kingdom and 55 days in Germany.
In Australia, attracting candidates (60%) emerged as the top reason behind the longer hiring times, according to Robert Half.
Employers are also facing challenges in screening CVs and shortlisting candidates (56%), a growing problem worldwide as artificial intelligence tools make it easier for jobseekers to apply to different organisations.
"Companies are not only competing for talent but also working harder to identify the right mix of skills and cultural fit in a hiring landscape shaped by shifting priorities and growing pressure to get decisions right," Gorton said.
Other challenges in the recruitment process include:
- Scheduling and conducting interviews (40%)
- Decision-making (40%)
- Defining the role and/or writing the job description (37%)
- Checking references or conducting background checks (28%)
Gorton said these findings show that bottlenecks in hiring aren't solely administrative.
"In a market with high candidate availability, AI tools can help streamline parts of the process, but they also increase the need for thorough screening to distinguish genuine capability from surface-level signals," she said.
These trends indicate the need for a "structural shift" in how businesses approach talent acquisition, according to Gorton.
"Success is no longer measured by simply filling a vacancy, but by how effectively an organisation can balance fit, speed, rigour, and employee wellbeing in the recruitment process," she said.
