Hiring should be a strategic, streamlined process. But for many hiring managers, it feels like a mystery wrapped in bureaucracy.

You submit a hiring request. Weeks go by. You follow up. Another delay. Before you know it, three to four months have passed, and your team is still missing a critical piece.

The worst part? You have little to no control over the process.

This isn’t just inconvenient—it’s costly. A vacant position drains productivity, increases stress, and can even impact your own performance.

But why does internal hiring take so long? And more importantly—what can you do about it?

The Root of the Problem: No Urgency, No Competition

Unlike external recruiting firms that thrive on speed and results, internal recruiters don’t have competition.

This lack of pressure creates a system where:

• There’s no true motivation for efficiency.
• Recruiters control the process, but hiring managers suffer the consequences.
• Time-to-fill metrics are ignored, leading to unnecessarily long hiring cycles.

Internal recruiters aren’t necessarily slow because they want to be. They’re juggling multiple roles, navigating HR policies, and often working within rigid corporate structures that slow everything down.

But that doesn’t change the fact that hiring delays hurt your department, your workload, and your company’s bottom line.

The Hidden Cost of a Slow Hiring Process

Every extra day a position remains unfilled carries real consequences.

1. Lost Productivity

• A missing team member means more work falls on you and your existing employees.
• Critical projects slow down, deadlines slip, and momentum is lost.

2. Increased Burnout & Team Frustration

• Your team has to pick up the slack—leading to frustration, exhaustion, and disengagement.
• Overworked employees are more likely to resent the hiring delays and even start looking for other jobs.

3. Business Revenue Takes a Hit

• Whether it’s sales, marketing, engineering, or operations, a missing employee means lost opportunities.
• Delays in filling revenue-generating roles can directly impact financial performance.

4. Hiring Becomes Even Harder

• The longer a position stays open, the harder it becomes to fill.
• Candidates may see long hiring processes as a red flag, making your company less attractive to top talent.

How to Take Back Control of the Hiring Process

Internal hiring may be slow, but you don’t have to be a passive participant. Here’s how you can regain control, speed up the process, and ensure better hires.

1. Set Clear Expectations from Day One

• When submitting a hiring request, ask for a clear timeline.
• Establish benchmarks: When should you expect to review candidates? When will interviews happen?
• Get recruiters to commit to real deadlines.

2. Make the Role a Priority

• Show recruiters why this hire matters.
• Quantify the impact: How much revenue is being lost? How much work is being delayed?
• Push for urgency by making it clear that every day of delay affects the business.

3. Take an Active Role in the Process

• Don’t wait for updates—ask for them. Weekly check-ins keep things moving.
• Get involved in sourcing: Use your network, LinkedIn, and employee referrals to bring candidates into the pipeline faster.
• Suggest pre-scheduled interview slots to reduce scheduling delays.

4. Push for Process Improvements

• Advocate for better recruiting technology if outdated systems are slowing things down.
• Request a streamlined approval process to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
• Encourage proactive hiring—start sourcing before a vacancy even occurs.

5. Consider External Help

• If internal recruiting is slow, consider working with an external recruiter for hard-to-fill roles.
• While there may be a cost, the speed and quality of hiring may outweigh the delay.