Hiring Held Hostage: It's Not the Candidates, It's You (Kinda)

You know that feeling when your car won't start and everyone keeps asking if you checked the battery? Meanwhile, the real problem is that you're out of gas.

That's what's happening with hiring right now.

"When you take too long to decide, you're not just losing one candidate—you're signaling to the entire talent market that your process is broken." — I've seen this play out hundreds of times since writing Don't Suck at Recruiting.

And guess what? The data keeps proving me right.

In the quest for "perfect candidates," there's a moment you probably know all too well.

A great candidate appears. References check out. Your team likes them. Then...

Crickets.

No decisions. No offers. Just a slow, painful waiting game while that dream candidate quietly updates their LinkedIn status to "open to work" (which is code for "someone please rescue me from this hiring limbo").

Last week, I asked what's actually gumming up hiring processes, and the answer wasn't the usual suspects like a shallow talent pool or endless interview rounds.

My poll showed 59% pointed the finger squarely at one thing: Decisions Take Forever! (Cue that frustrated sigh. Been there, haven't you?)

This isn't just a minor inconvenience; it's a full blown roadblock.

Think about it: great candidates get snatched up, momentum stalls, and your team continues to operate with gaps.

It's like having a flat tire and debating for weeks on which spare to use.

The High Cost of Hiring Gridlock

Let's get real—this decision paralysis isn't just annoying, it's costing you BIG time.

According to Recruitee, the average cost per hire is approximately $4,700, with executive hiring costing around $28,000 on average.

But that doesn't account for the invisible costs:

• Lost productivity while positions stay open
• Burned out team members covering extra work
• Damaged employer brand when candidates share their experience (and trust me, they will)
• The opportunity cost when top talent goes to competitors

We know that high turnover can cost up to 50% to 200% of an employee's annual salary to replace someone.

Now, layer on the lost productivity and missed opportunities while you're waiting to make a hire. It's a drain on resources and morale.

What's the real cost to your business when positions stay open for months because decisions drag on?

And here's a stat that should make your CFO lose sleep: companies with a positive candidate experiences are 3x more likely to improve employee retention.

Translation: Slow decisions = watching your money burn.

Why the Holdup? The Real Reasons Your Hiring Decisions Crawl

After working with hundreds of companies on their hiring processes, I've identified the three biggest culprits creating your hiring standstill:

1?? Too Many Stakeholders, Too Few Deciders

The Problem: When everyone needs to give input but nobody has the final call, hiring becomes a game of corporate hot potato. It's like a band with ten lead singers—chaotic and hella off key.

I once worked with a tech company where for every role, they had the same seven people interviewed each candidate, but nobody felt authorized to say "yes" without consulting everyone else first and getting buy in.

Their time to hire?

78 freaking days—nearly double the industry average!

How many amazing candidates have slipped through your fingers while decisions lingered in committee limbo?

The Fix: Designate a decision maker with veto power. Input is great; consensus is nice; but someone needs to step up and make the call.

?? Action Step: Create a hiring decision chart that clearly shows who gives opinions and who pulls the trigger. I advise my clients to use a simple table: list each interviewer in rows, what they're evaluating in columns, and mark one person as "Final Decision Maker." It does not have to be fancy—just clarity about who's responsible for what. Then share it with everyone involved before you start interviewing.

Related: Strategies to Combat Unconscious Bias

2?? Fear of the "Wrong" Hire

The Problem: Nobody wants to make a mistake, but endless deliberation often leads to missing out on the right hire. Perfection is the enemy of progress (and a filled role).

And I get it—according to the US Department of Labor, a bad hire can cost up to 30% of that employee's first year earnings.

But you know what costs more?

Positions that stay open for months and months while you search for unicorns wearing jetpacks and purple shoes on Tuesdays.

The Fix: Reframe the risk calculation. The goal isn't finding the "perfect" candidate; it's finding the right candidate who can grow with proper onboarding and support from you.

?? Action Step: What I've seen work well is setting a firm decision date before you even start interviewing. Mark it on the calendar and communicate it with the hiring team. If you haven't made a hire by that date, you must either make an offer to your top candidate or admit your job requirements need a reality check.

Related: Performance Reviews Still Suck—Here's How to Fix Them

3?? Feedback Black Holes

The Problem: Without clear roles and timelines for deciding, applications can sit in inboxes like forgotten leftovers. Interview feedback gets collected—then disappears into thin air.

The Fix: Don't let feedback become a black hole. Create a ruberic (standardized feedback system) that forces quick, structured input and feedback after every single interview, every single time.

?? Action Step: Set up a simple rating system with 3-5 key points for each job. This rubric helps all interviewers assess candidates in the same way. Make sure everyone submits their ratings within 24 hours. Then, combine the scores to see who stands out—both the strong candidates and the weaker ones. Remember, vague feedback like "not a good fit" doesn’t help anyone.

Related: Why Feedback Fails—And How to Fix It Fast

The 2 Day Decision Rule That's Transforming Hiring

One of my clients implemented what we call the "2 Day Decision Rule" and cut their time to hire by 40%.

Here's how it works:

• Final interview happens.
• Hiring team submits feedback within 24 hours.
• Decision maker must make a yes/no call within 2 days of the final interview.
• If it's a "no," they must articulate why in specific terms.
• If they can't articulate why it's a "no," it becomes a "yes."

This simple rule forces clarity and prevents the "let's wait and see if someone better comes along" trap that kills hiring momentum.

As one client put it, "If you can't decide in 2 days, you're not undecided—you're just afraid to commit."

The Candidate Experience Connection

Here's what's wild about slow decisions: they don't just hurt your hiring process; they damage your entire brand.

According to Gallup, 66% of job applicants accepted a job offer because of a positive candidate experience.

But guess what destroys candidate experience faster than anything else?

Radio silence after interviews.

Slow decisions create a ripple effect:

• Candidates feel disrespected
• They tell their network about it (and their 500+ LinkedIn connections)
• Your employer brand suffers
• Future recruiting efforts become harder

What would it feel like to have your team fully staffed with great talent because you never lost candidates to slow decisions?

Speeding up your decision making isn't just about filling roles faster—it's about protecting your reputation as an employer.

Unlocking Your Hiring Flow: Breaking Free From Gridlock

If "decisions take forever" is your biggest hiring bottleneck, here are three things you can do today:

1. Define Decision Makers (and Give Them Authority) Clearly outline who is responsible for the final hiring decision at each stage. Think of it like a relay race—everyone has a role, but someone needs to cross the finish line.
2. Have Clear Timelines (and Stick to Them) Set realistic deadlines for each step of the hiring process, including feedback and decisions. Hold everyone accountable. A well defined timeline creates urgency and keeps things moving.
3. Embrace Imperfect Action Recognize that no hire is 100% guaranteed. Focus on making informed decisions based on the available data and trust your team's judgment. As the saying goes, "A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week."

How would your hiring process transform if you cut your decision timeline in half?

Remember what every Mandalorian knows: "This is the way."

Have a hiring process with clear decision points, stick to them religiously, and you'll build a reputation as an employer who respects candidates' time.

The companies winning the talent war aren't always offering the highest salaries or the flashiest perks. They're the ones making decisions quickly and treating candidates with respect throughout the process.

Need help building a more efficient hiring process?

Book a call, and let's change your hiring from bottlenecked to breakthrough.

Share a hiring win you've experienced in the comments below.

#Hiring #Recruiting #CandidateExperience #FutureOfWork #ThinkPeopleCulture

And if you want more strategies to streamline your hiring process, check out Don't Suck at Recruiting for practical approaches that actually work.