A good hiring process these days isn’t just limited to using job boards or having a good ATS at hand. You have to go the extra mile.
This requires extra effort, mainly because 60% of job seekers have a poor candidate experience. And most of them won’t hesitate to drop out mid-process or ghost your offer entirely.
That’s one reason why candidates drop out, and no amount of sourcing tools can help if you don’t fix the basics.
This guide will show you how the hiring process actually works in 2025, why it breaks down, and what to do about it.
We’ll cover pointers like:
And more.
Hiring processes vary a lot.
If you recruit with an in-house recruitment team, it’ll be different. If you rely entirely on AI (a very bad idea), your hiring process will differ. If you choose to go with a recruitment agency (ideal choice in most cases), you’ll have a different hiring experience.
However, most hiring processes follow the basics:
It may seem simple enough, but it’s not.
Every step can be an opening for more delays. Or confusion. Or just throw the entire team off the track and back to square one.
So let’s talk about the biggest hiring process problems and what to do about them.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), it takes an average of 42 days to fill a nonexecutive role.
If you don’t set clear expectations during that timeframe, your candidates will drop out of the process. 62% of those candidates will straight up drop out of the hiring process if it takes too long.
And for good reason.
They can’t sit around waiting for a “We regret to inform you that…” reply and begin their job search again.
You have to keep them in the loop with a structured process, reasonable updates, and visibility into what comes next.
Here are a few steps to solve this issue:
Good candidates don’t wait up a lot. And the really, really good ones never do.
That extra round that you’re planning? They won’t stick around for it.
Because after a while, it starts to look like your team can’t make decisions.
25% of the candidates drop out at the interview stage.
Mostly because they felt undervalued, and the company didn’t seem like a good fit to them (yes, that can happen)
Here’s what you can do to limit the dropouts from happening:
The rest is up to the candidate. If they feel like dropping out, they will.
But having a good hiring workflow in place helps reduce the number.
You found the right candidate.
The interview went great. But now… nothing.
Hiring stalls because internal decision-making breaks down.
And by the time you finally get approval, your candidate has accepted another offer.
According to industry reports, candidates expect feedback within 48 hours.
Yet most companies take 5+ days. That gap kills momentum.
Do this instead:
Poor communication is one of the most common reasons candidates drop out.
No updates mean they assume the worst.
Even great companies lose top talent simply because they left someone hanging.
And it’s not just about who you hire.
The experience matters even for those who don’t get the job.
Here are two simple ways to improve:
A consistent communication process improves the candidate experience.
And it strengthens how your company is remembered, even by the people you do not hire.
Candidates aren’t just comparing offers — they’re comparing experiences.
They want to know:
But most hiring processes never show that side.
How to improve this:
In 2025, candidates care as much about how they’ll work as what they’ll work on.
If you don’t show it, they’ll assume it’s not there.
You’ve done all the hard work… sourced, screened, and interviewed. But when it comes to the offer? Lowball. Vague. Or just too late.
Even one misstep here can cost you the hire.
Because candidates are 2x more likely to accept a job when salary and benefits are discussed early and clearly.
No one wants to guess if the offer is “good enough.”
Show them it is + why.
If you're the one conducting the interview, preparation matters just as much.
Here’s how to make sure you’re ready to evaluate candidates effectively.
And create a great experience while doing it:
Hiring doesn’t fall apart because of one big mistake. It breaks down because of small delays, unclear messaging, or too many steps that add up.
Whether you're an HR leader trying to optimize your hiring process, or a job seeker preparing for your next interview, the goal is the same: clear communication, smart decisions, and faster outcomes.
And if you want to reduce manual work and improve hiring speed?
Tools like Quil help recruiters automate interview notes, generate candidate summaries, and sync everything into your ATS without lifting a finger. That means fewer delays, better alignment, and more hires.
Quil is an AI notetaker that assists you with automation. It counters redundant tasks like note-taking and manual updates to your Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Plus, it integrates with your favorite platforms like Zoho Recruit, HubSpot, and Salesforce, making the entire hiring process feel like a breeze.
It usually starts with job posting, then interviews, evaluations, and ends with an offer. But the experience depends on how clear and organized the employer is.
On average, 3-6 weeks. But fast-moving companies often close in 2 weeks or less.
Because it builds trust. Even a quick update tells candidates you respect their time.
AI notetakers like Quil automate admin work, create consistent candidate records, and help teams move faster, without sacrificing quality.
