Dive Brief:

• Virtual interviews are here to stay, according to the Oct. 14 results of an Indeed survey. The job site polled more than 1,100 U.S. employers of varying size.
• Eighty-two percent of respondents said they adopted virtual candidate interviews because of the pandemic, and nearly all — 93% — said they’ll continue to use virtual interviews in the future.
• Employers said the practice has brought several benefits, including shorter time-to-hire ranges, a simplified employer process and a better candidate experience.

Dive Insight:

Time-to-hire can be an especially important focus for companies in growth periods, according to some research.

In a 2018 Spark Hire survey, nearly half of respondents said it took them about seven to 14 days to get from application to offer letter. A quarter put that range between 15 and 30 days. But nearly all — even those respondents with the shortest time-to-hire window — said they had room to improve.

Indeed’s finding that a shift to virtual interviews driven by the pandemic has streamlined hiring processes is perhaps unsurprising, especially as it agrees with October 2020 survey results from talent assessment software company Criteria.

But despite that time saved, Robert Half research from earlier this year indicated that nationwide time to hire may ultimately be ticking up as employers enjoy a larger talent pool than ever before.

That’s risky, a spokesperson for the firm said earlier this year: Employers that lag behind their peers will lose out on the best talent, he noted, while those that are transparent with candidates and move efficiently through the process will enjoy a recruiting edge.