The owner sounded confident on Monday.
“We’re finally ready,” he said. “We just need a strong Controller. Good people, good culture. This should be straightforward.”
By Friday, he was calling back, frustrated.
He’d interviewed a candidate on Tuesday who checked every box: technically strong, steady under pressure, experienced cleaning up a messy close. She left smiling. The owner told his team, “I think this is our person.”
Then the process stalled, for no reason than everyone being busy and in no hurry to close the deal. One leader was traveling. Another wanted one more interview. Compensation hadn’t been finalized. No one wanted to rush.
Friday afternoon, the candidate emailed: she’d accepted another offer. That company went from first call to offer in nine days. This team was twelve days in and hadn’t scheduled round two.
The owner said it plainly: “We lost her, and we didn’t even do anything wrong.”
That’s the problem. In today’s market, “not doing anything wrong” isn’t enough to win.
Sound familiar? At NW Recruiting Partners, we work to ensure quality isn’t sacrificed for speed (or vice versa). Here’s what you should know.
Slow Hiring Costs More Than You Think
Long hiring processes feel careful. In reality, they usually create four predictable outcomes:
- You lose the best candidates. Strong performers don’t wait weeks while companies deliberate; they have other options.
- You invite counteroffers. Time gives current employers room to counter, and it works more often than competitors expect.
- You burn out your team. Open roles spread the extra workload and quietly frustrate your A-players.
- You create revenue drag. Open seats in critical areas can slow decisions and delay results.
“We can’t move faster; we’re too busy,” owners often say. But the truth is often: you’re busy because the role is open.
Candidates Don’t Ghost. Processes Do.
Candidates don’t just evaluate the role. They evaluate how your team operates. Slow signals friction, but speed signals competence. If your team isn’t appearing aligned and organized, top candidates will walk away.
Most delays come from the same breakdowns, and each one erodes momentum and trust:
- No clear decision-maker
- Vague definition of success
- Unsettled compensation
- Too many interview rounds
- Poor scheduling discipline
The Fix: A 10-Business-Day Hiring Plan
This approach works for most key roles in privately held businesses. Executive roles may take longer, but the principle is the same: momentum matters.
Day 0: One hour of alignment
Before talking to candidates, align on:
- Outcomes: 3–5 results the role must deliver in six months
- Must-haves: 4–6 max
- Compensation: range and walk-away point
- Interview panel: lean and defined
- Decision-maker: one person owns the call
Days 1–2: Intake and outreach
Run a focused intake, then launch targeted outreach. Strong candidates are working at their current jobs, not browsing job boards.
Days 3–6: Focused round one interviews
Keep it tight (30 minutes). Confirm must-haves, assess judgment and communication, validate the story. Use a scorecard.
Days 6–8: Decision-driving round two
Go deeper with real stakeholders. Use scenarios or work samples:
- “The close is late and messy. What do you do in the first 30 days?”
- “Margins are slipping with no clear explanation, so where do you start?”
Days 8–9: References and offer prep
Check references while momentum is high. Finalize compensation, start date, and offer details.
Day 10: Offer and close
A strong verbal offer reinforces why they were chosen, what success looks like, and what the first 30 to 60 days will hold.
Remember: moving fast doesn’t mean lowering the bar. Speed itself doesn’t win the hire, but rather the clarity it reveals. For fast, smart hiring, stick with guardrails such as:
- Use scorecards—not gut feel
- Ask proof questions, not hypotheticals
- Limit rounds (two is enough for most roles)
- Debrief the same day
- Communicate with top candidates every 48 hours
Most of all, track what really matters: time-to-decision. Aim for a first interview within 3-5 business days, a final decision within 48 hours, and an offer the same or next day. If you can’t hit these competitive benchmarks, someone else will.
Hiring is a sales process. You’re selling the role, the opportunity, and the way your leaders operate. Speed communicates confidence, but delays communicate doubt. Talk to NW Recruiting Partners for the support you need to execute searches quickly, accurately, and with total confidence.
