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How Many Interviews Should You Conduct with Candidates?

The hiring process is often more extensive and intricate than what hiring managers and candidates would prefer. However, it’s the interview phase that holds particular significance. Deciding on the ideal number of interviews for candidates requires careful consideration.

Achieving the right balance in the number of interviews is crucial. It allows you to collect sufficient information and gain insights into a candidate’s personality, helping you assess their suitability for your team. At the same time, candidates operate on their timelines, and requesting too many interviews may result in losing out on top talent for a position.

Essentially, determining how many interviews is too many is a case-by-case evaluation. Each candidate and their unique circumstances should be examined to make the best decision. Let’s delve into the question of how many interviews you should conduct with candidates.


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Factors That Influence the Number of Interviews You Should Conduct

You might need to consider several factors when creating your interview parameters for a given candidate. Here are some top considerations:

Job Complexity and Leadership Role

If a position comes with more responsibilities, is a leadership role, or is an executive-level spot, you’ll need to make a deeper and more intensive assessment of each candidate’s abilities. You may need to request up to five interviews for an executive position to thoroughly evaluate the candidate’s knowledge, capabilities, and suitability for the role.

For entry-level positions, you can probably significantly minimize your interview frequency with anywhere from two to three maximum.

Industry Norms—What Is Everyone Else Doing?

While you shouldn’t base everything on what the industry and your competition are doing, it could help you to understand the industry norms and best practices regarding how many interviews is necessary. When you understand and comply with these norms, you will find an organic benchmark for candidate assessment and streamline your hiring process.

Company Culture and Value Alignment

Company culture and values alignment is more important than ever, so you must determine whether a candidate will fit and find long-term success in your company. Conducting additional interviews can help you gauge the culture fit and can help prevent disruptions, paving the way for a harmonious work environment for everyone.

5 Different Types of Interviews and Why They’re Necessary

Another way to determine how many interviews to conduct with candidates is by understanding what each interview is and what it offers you and the candidate.

Here are five different types of interviews you might conduct with candidates.

1. The Initial Phone Call Screening or Video Conference Interview

The initial interview or phone screening typically serves as a preliminary assessment to help gauge basic interest and qualifications. It serves a crucial purpose in helping to quickly and efficiently filter out candidates who aren’t the right fit.


RELATED: 10 Best Phone Interview Questions to Ask Candidates


2. The Technical Evaluation

A technical evaluation is important for roles that require specific technical skills, such as coding or using a specific software program, wherein a separate technical assessment can help in your decision-making. It’s important to know the practical skills and the level of familiarity someone in a technical position has, allowing them to do the job effectively and efficiently.

3. The Core Interview

The core interview is sometimes the first face-to-face encounter between an interviewer and a candidate. It is the one wherein you go over the candidate’s resume and background, asking critical questions, and getting a basic idea of whether they are a fit for the company, based on qualifications, personality, and enthusiasm.

4. The Interview Focused on Cultural Fit and Team Dynamics

You may incorporate this interview into the previously noted interview, depending on the weight you place on cultural fit. For an increasing number of companies, however, fitting into a carefully curated company culture is essential. You may need to conduct more than one interview that focuses on cultural alignment to help avoid any potential issues and conflicts in the future.

5. The Final Face-to-Face Interview

By the time you reach this phase of the hiring process, you will likely interview one or two candidates at most. This final interview offers you an opportunity to assess the candidate’s interpersonal skills and clarify any remaining doubts to ensure you make the best possible decision. This interview is the last step before deciding to select a final candidate and extend an offer.


RELATED: Using Panel Interviews to Speed Up the Hiring Process


Do You Know How Many Interviews Are Too Many?

The number of interviews you conduct depends on the candidate, your interview structure, and your company. Generally speaking, four to five interviews are considered normal for leadership positions. For entry and mid-level roles, three interviews are usually sufficient.

Overall, the interview process can be challenging for everyone involved, but it helps to know how many interviews you will ultimately end up conducting. It helps you establish and adhere to a standard protocol that reduces the time-to-hire and saves everyone’s valuable time and resources.

If you need help navigating the interviewing and hiring process, our experts at Insight Global can help.

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