7 Ways To Reduce Hiring Time And Still Hire Top Talent

By Roberta Matuson, Forbes, November 18, 2025

Executives love to say, “We just can’t find good people.” But let’s be honest: the problem isn’t the labor market. It’s your talent strategy.

U.S. job openings in some key areas remain high, time-to-fill is off the charts, and executives are convinced that there is always someone better just around the corner. Spoiler alert: good is good enough.

Here’s how to significantly reduce your time to hire and fill jobs with great people.

1. Stop Writing Job Postings Like Legal Documents
Cut the fluff. Focus on the five skills that actually matter. The clearer the role, the faster the right candidates show up. Hiring managers will also be able to assess candidates more rapidly with clearer job descriptions.

And while you’re rewriting job descriptions, be sure to think through what you’re looking for in a replacement, as often the job someone has left is no longer the position you need filled to meet tomorrow’s needs.

2. Eliminate The “Nice To Have” Wish List
Most companies filter out great people because they’re chasing a unicorn. Think of all the time and energy you’ll be saving when you hire for the skills you actually need.

Define what success looks like in 90 days and hire for that. Invest in developing your talent and it won’t be long before they have the skills you’ve been wishing for. In return, you get a new hire who will be with you for a long time to come.

3. Shorten The Interview Cycle
Is it really necessary for Don in accounting (who happens to be on three week safari) to interview a new hire you’re bringing on in marketing? My guess is no.

Make a list of everyone assigned to interview your next new hire in order of importance. If this list is more than three people, draw a line through the middle of the list and give the bottom half their time back. By doing so, you’ll slash your time to hire in half, without sacrificing quality.

4. Provide Hiring Managers With Training On How To Select For Success
Most hiring managers have never had formal training on interviewing and employee selection. So, they do what most hiring managers do. They stumble through the selection process and waste valuable time doing so. They also lose great candidates in the process.

An effective approach is to bring someone into your organization who can teach your team how to successfully and efficiently hire personnel. As tempting as it might be to use an online program for this, exercise caution. Acquisition of skills takes hold when managers practice what they learn in real-time, with someone who can observe and provide guidance.

5. Train Hiring Managers How To Make Hiring Decisions Faster
We’ve all been in interviews (or maybe even conducted them) where after the first five minutes, we knew how things would or should end. Yet, the interview went on until the top of the hour.

As a leader in your organization, it’s up to you to show hiring managers what great looks like so they can move with confidence. Let them know it’s okay to end an interview early, if it’s apparent that the person they’re interviewing isn’t right for the job. Just be sure to remind them to do so courteously.

6. Keep Your Pipeline Warm
Make it a point to stay in touch with past finalists, referrals, and former employees you’d be willing to rehire. This way when a role opens, you’re not starting from scratch.

Make a note on your calendar to check in quarterly with your network. A simple, “Hey, I was thinking of you,” text or message on LinkedIn is easy to do and won’t take more than a minute of your time.

7. Sell The Opportunity, Not The Job
Most of us have experienced the frustration of making a job offer that was declined. Great candidates want to work for a great company that offers them the opportunity to make an impact, while also growing their career. If you can articulate the real value of the opportunity you’re presenting, people will decide quickly to accept your offer.

The quicker you can get to a “yes” in hiring, the more time you’ll have to focus on creating new opportunities for the awesome staff you’ve hired.

Other recent interesting articles pertaining to how best to hire and manage great talent:

7 Meeting Habits That Separate Managers From Leaders (Forbes, November 4, 2025)

The Seven Moments Of Truth In Executive Onboarding (Forbes, November 3, 2025

Business Leaders Are Looking Inward to Bridge Talent Gaps (Inc. November 3, 2025)

What A Company’s Communication Style During The Hiring Process Reveals About Its Culture (Forbes, November 3, 2025)

6 Low-Lift Ways To Coach Employees In The Flow Of Work (HBR, November 2, 2025)

Want to Promote the Right Person? Science Says Promote From Within (Inc, November 2, 2025)

AI and the Coming White-Collar Political Upheaval (WSJ, November 5, 2025)

How Did We End Up With Performance Reviews, Anyway? (WSJ, November 5, 2025)

New Layoff Tactics Bring New Blunders (WSJ, November 19, 2025)

7 Ways To Reduce Hiring Time And Still Hire Top Talent (Forbes, November 18, 2025)