Tue, 26 Feb 2013The average duration of a job interview process for successful applicants has increased by more than a quarter over the last five years, according to recruitment group Randstad.

Randstad’s poll of 2,000 UK workers said that those who change jobs spent an average of seven hours preparing for and taking part in job interviews, an increase of an hour and a half compared to five years ago.

The average number of interviews firms conduct before hiring has risen significantly over the past five years, from 1.6 to 2.4 for junior roles and 2.6 to 3.4 for senior positions.

Extra vetting of credentials including qualifications, Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks and references has also added to lengthier hiring processes, with the time taken to secure a new job rising from an average of eight weeks and five days a half-decade back, to 10 weeks and five days now.

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