Organizations studying hiring report that employers are increasingly missing hiring goals and taking far too long to bring talent on board. Many employers bemoan a lack of qualified workers, as well as an oversupply of unqualified applicants clogging the system. Technology, particularly AI, promises solutions, but problems persist, so what’s the answer?
Current Status
GoodTime, a provider of AI-powered HR technology centered on hiring, commissioned a November 2025 study of 504 senior talent acquisition executives. The study, which gathered responses from tech, manufacturing, finance, retail, and healthcare sectors, found that 90% of the companies missed their hiring goals.
The GoodTime report says that nearly all the organizations rely on AI, but there’s a problem: Fake or AI-generated candidates are the No. 1 anticipated hiring threat for 2026.
Besides the GoodTime report, other research also shows the problem. In its report identifying the top future-of-work trends for HR this year, research and advisory firm Gartner reports that AI has made hiring an arms race as candidates turn to AI to stand out and employers use it to winnow the glut of unqualified candidates and to avoid malicious actors.
“This leaves organizations faced with an overburdened and fraud-ridden process at the very moment recruiting headcount is under increased scrutiny,” the Gartner report says. To combat the problem, Gartner predicts HR will combine the use of emerging AI tools with the use of humans for in-person interviews and experiential skills assessments.
Why Does Hiring Take So Long?
In a February blog post, cloud-based applicant tracking platform The Applicant Manager delved into why hiring often takes too long. Poor planning topped the list. When organizations begin recruiting before they have a clear understanding of what they want in a candidate, delays ensue.
Poorly written and overly complex job descriptions also lead to slow hiring, as well as a process that requires too many approval steps. “If job requisitions, salary approvals, or hiring decisions need to go through multiple departments or senior executives, bottlenecks are inevitable,” the post says.
Also, sometimes employers rely on outdated methods of screening résumés, leading to days or weeks of manual sorting through applications, the post adds. Poor communication between recruiters and hiring managers, as well as a lengthy interview process, is also to blame.
Costs of Missed Hiring Goals
When hiring takes so long, employers feel the hurt. Staffing firm Equiliem outlines the costs of slow hiring in a 2025 report:
- Lost candidates who accept other offers while waiting for a potential employer to finish a cumbersome process;
- Increased workload that puts a strain on current employees;
- Damaged reputation when word spreads about an employer seeming too slow or even ghosting candidates; and
- Higher costs, as vacancies, increased overtime, and missed production targets take a toll.
Staffing and recruiting firm Robert Half pointed out more effects of slow hiring in an October 2025 article: employee burnout, higher turnover, and lower team morale, among other harms.
Ways To Get Hiring Right
So, what are successful talent acquisition teams doing right? Robert Half outlines strategies to streamline the process:
- Write a targeted job description. This will attract the candidates who meet the qualifications for the job so time isn’t wasted reviewing applications from unqualified candidates.
- Set a timeline and stick to it. Include deadlines for reviewing applications, conducting interviews, checking references, and making decisions. Block time on decision-makers’ calendars for interviews to avoid scheduling issues.
- Streamline the interview process. Start with initial screenings via phone or video. Then, when it’s time for on-site interviews, try to consolidate those meetings into one or two days. Also, limit the number of rounds and involve only the essential stakeholders.
- Make offers quickly and decisively. When the best candidate is identified, extend a verbal offer contingent on background and reference checks. Then focus on nailing down internal details, such as job responsibilities, compensation, and perks and benefits. Then move fast to put an agreed-upon offer in writing.