Interview Order Matters

Interview order and how it impacts hiring success. Why, in this case, it pays to be last.

Most people are so pleased to secure an interview they pay no attention to where they are slotted into the interviewing order, and that can be a big mistake.

And the first shall be last. Research suggests that the first person to be interviewed is the least likely person to be hired; and that people in the second half of the process are statistically more apt to be hired than those in the first half.

What you can do

Try not to allow yourself to be randomly assigned to the process, by asking the person who calls you (usually and HR person), the timeframe for their process.

When you have the answer to that, let them know that it would be more convenient for you at a time in the second half; without saying, “I heard that people in the second half of the process are more apt to be hired, so put me in that section.”