If you’re a hiring manager, the window between identifying a great applicant and losing them to a competitor is tighter than ever. And yet, we see it time and time again — delays in screening, slow internal processes, or waiting for all applications to land before engaging with any.

Here’s the truth: by the time you’re ready, your ideal candidate might already be gone.

Candidates are job seekers — not job waiters

When a candidate applies for your role or is put forward by an agency, it’s often not the only opportunity they’re exploring. In fact, the moment you engage with them, they start mentally picturing themselves in your team. But if they hear nothing back for days (or worse, weeks), they naturally start questioning their place in the process — and begin to look elsewhere.

The cost of silence

Delayed responses do more than just cost you candidates.

They also:

• Damage your reputation: Candidates talk. If the experience feels cold or disorganised, they’ll share it — with peers, on forums, or worse, on LinkedIn.

• Frustrate your recruitment partners: Agencies operate best with collaboration and feedback. If CVs go into a void, they’ll hesitate to prioritise your briefs in future.

• Make you look indecisive: Slow movement suggests internal confusion or lack of urgency. That’s a red flag for top-tier professionals seeking confident, competent employers.

Urgency = Professionalism

Speed doesn’t mean compromising on quality. It means showing candidates (and your recruitment partners) that:

• You’re organised and decisive

• You respect their time and energy

• You know good talent doesn’t hang around

Even a quick message to acknowledge a CV and let us know when to expect feedback makes a big difference.

You snooze, you lose — literally

Great candidates are busy. The ones we speak to often have multiple irons in the fire. If they don’t feel traction with your process, they’ll go where the energy is — and that’s usually with the employer who moves first.

Make time — or lose talent

We understand hiring is one of many priorities. But if you want to attract and secure top talent, hiring needs to feel like a priority. Even a 15-minute screening call or quick CV review within 48 hours can keep momentum alive and show candidates they’re not just a number in a pile.

In short? Respect the process, respect the people — and act fast.

Because if you don’t move, someone else will.