Job seekers across the UK are being subjected to marathon interview processes, with some facing as many as 11 separate stages before a hiring decision is made. This shift towards rigorous 'skills-based' assessment is becoming the standard, but it's leaving candidates exhausted and causing companies to lose promising applicants.
The 14-Hour Ordeal: One Candidate's Story
James Bore from Woking experienced this gruelling system firsthand. In 2018, he applied for a security engineering role at a major finance firm. What began as a promising opportunity quickly spiralled into a series of seven interviews, two coding tests, a panel interview, and a presentation. "I thought it was just the seven stages, and then they decided to extend it," James told Metro. The company then proposed extending the process to 11 stages, after James had already invested 14 hours of work.
"It just made me feel like it was a complete waste of time," he explained. With two other job offers secured after only one or two interviews elsewhere, James decided to withdraw. "It wasn't that they were offering more money... The work wasn't more interesting, so at that point, I thought I'd save them some effort."
The Data Behind the Hiring Shift
James's experience is no longer an outlier. According to TestGorilla's 2025 survey, a staggering 85% of companies now prefer skills-based hiring over traditional CV and interview methods. This marks an 8% increase in just 12 months. Employers report satisfaction with this approach, with 82% happy with hires made this way, compared to 67% who used other methods.
The most popular tool is role-specific testing, used by 75% of employers. Self-report tests follow at 31%, with assignments and work samples used by 16%. However, this rigour comes at a cost. Data from Indeed reveals that 50% of hiring companies admit to losing good candidates because their process took too long.
Lengthy Delays and Candidate Drop-Out
The UK's hiring timeline has stretched significantly. StandOutCV reports it now takes an average of 4.9 weeks to fill a role. Government positions take six weeks, with banking and finance close behind at 5.9 weeks. This drawn-out process leads to widespread candidate abandonment. James is among the 64% of jobseekers who have quit an application due to excessive delays.
He criticises the power imbalance, particularly for those out of work. "They obviously don't respect potential employees' time, so they aren't going to respect their actual employee's time," he argues. "More rounds doesn't mean you're getting more out of it. Ultimately, what you need to know is, can the person do the job?... If you need more than one or two interviews to decide that, you're doing something wrong."
Expert Warning: A Sign of Dysfunction
Jim Moore, an employee relations expert at Hamilton Nash, agrees. "Long drawn-out interview processes can end up exhausting applicants and decision-makers alike," he states. "Anything beyond three or four interview stages would suggest that the business isn't making effective decisions. If an organisation needs 11 interviews to choose, it might be a sign of risk aversion or a lack of internal alignment."
He warns candidates to see exploitative practices as a red flag for workplace culture and reminds businesses that while assessment tasks are acceptable, they must avoid exploiting candidates for free labour. For trial shifts, he notes candidates may be entitled to minimum wage.
"The more stages a candidate endures, the more demoralising any rejection can feel," Moore adds. "As a candidate, see such exploitative practices as a sign of a workplace culture that doesn't value your time. That's not somewhere you want to work."
