I am the HR manager for a relatively small firm in a competitive industry, where talent is at a premium. Recently, our line managers have said they’re unhappy about the time we are taking to fill vacancies. To a large extent, I share their concern. It is not so much that there is a shortage of candidates but that too many candidates at all levels are dropping out of the recruitment process.

Currently, it typically involves the line manager, the departmental head, myself in HR, and our managing director, who insists on interviewing the final choice for every role himself. Each of us has our own perspective and everybody wants a say in the decision, but we are all busy people and arranging several interviews with all parties often takes longer than is ideal. Recruitment is a crucial decision and we don’t want to rush it and compromise on quality, but too many candidates seem to “slip off the hook”.