---

Where the leaks happen (and why they matter)

Here’s what a typical hiring funnel looks like:

1. ✅ Application or outreach
2. 🧐 CV review
3. 📞 Recruiter screen
4. 👥 Interviews (tech, panel, final)
5. 📩 Offer
6. 🧍 Start date

Which looks great, but here’s where the leaks creep in:

---

Leak #1: No consistent CV review process

• Hiring managers take 5+ days to respond
• Feedback is “meh, not quite right” with no explanation
• Strong candidates drop out before even hearing back

Fix:

• Set a response SLA – e.g. CVs must be reviewed within 48 hours.
• Use a scorecard for CV review (yes, really – even at this stage).

---

Leak #2: Poorly run recruiter screens

• Repetitive or irrelevant questions
• No insight shared about the company or process
• Candidate finishes feeling like they’ve just been “qualified,” not engaged

Fix:

• Make the screen useful for both sides.
• Use it to qualify, yes – but also to sell the role, set expectations, and humanise the experience.
• And please, stop reading the CV out loud.

---

Leak #3: Long delays between stages

• “We just need to check the panel’s availability”
• “We’re waiting for one more decision before we move you forward”

Nothing happens for 5+ days

Fix:
Set internal SLAs for each stage:

• Interviews scheduled within 48 hours
• Feedback within 24 hours
• No final interviews until all prior feedback is in

Batch interviews. Pre-book panels. Cut the dead time.

---

Leak #4: Vague or inconsistent interview feedback

• “Didn’t feel like a good fit”
• “Smart, but not sure they’re hungry enough”
• One interviewer says yes, another says no, and there’s no clear reason

Fix:

Scorecards. Structure. Calibration.

Interviewers should know:

• What competencies they’re testing
• What a strong answer looks like
• How to record feedback that’s actually actionable

(👀 Watch this space – we’re covering this properly next week.)

---

Leak #5: Delayed offers or unclear approvals

• The panel says yes but the offer takes a week to go out
• Comp ranges need re-checking
• Someone’s on holiday and can’t approve the headcount

Fix:

• Build your offer process like a product launch – with a plan.
• Pre-align on comp. Automate approvals. Create a template.
• Speed kills doubt.

---

What to track (and why it helps)

If you want to find your leaks, start tracking these:

• CV-to-screen conversion rate
• Screen-to-interview conversion rate
• Interview-to-offer rate
• Offer-to-accept rate
• Time in stage (for each step)

If you spot big drop-offs or long delays, dig into why.
That’s where the fix lives.

---

Final thought

Leaky funnels don’t just slow hiring down – they quietly destroy confidence.
Internally, people stop trusting the process.
Externally, great candidates go quiet or take other offers.

You don’t need a 15-step hiring process to hire well.
You need a process that’s consistent, quick, and respectful of everyone’s time – including your own.

---

Let’s talk about how we can reduce your time to hire and increase your offer acceptance rates – while delivering a candidate experience that sets you apart.