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Why interviewing just one more candidate can save you weeks
One of the most common hiring mistakes I see clients make is trying to “save time” by only interviewing one or two candidates for a role.
On paper it feels efficient.
In reality, it’s usually the slowest path to a hire.
We always do everything we can to ensure the people we submit are engaged, qualified, and genuinely excited about the opportunity. But ultimately, we’re dealing with humans and emotions and humans change their minds.
They accept counteroffers, they decide to stay where they’re comfortable, another role pops up unexpectedly - Life happens.
That’s not poor process, it’s just reality.
The hidden risk of “just one or two”
When you only interview one or two people, you’re putting all your eggs in one basket.
If either candidate drops out or isn’t quite right, you’re suddenly:
Re-briefing
Re-shortlisting
Rebooking interviews
Losing momentum
And often adding another 1–2 weeks to the process
That’s the real time cost most teams don’t factor in.
Why moving jobs is harder than we think
Something we often forget as hiring managers is this - It is almost always easier for someone to stay than to move. Changing jobs isn’t just changing work, It’s:
different commute
different routines
new team dynamics
A potential of changes in time spent with family
new systems
loss of emotional connections and comfort
Even great opportunities can feel risky, so even strong candidates sometimes hesitate at the last minute and that’s normal.
But if you only had one option… now you’re back to square one.
A simple rule of thumb
A small shift in approach can dramatically improve outcomes:
1 role → interview at least 3 candidates
2 roles → 4–5 candidates
That extra one or two interviews gives you:
better benchmarking
stronger comparison
a backup if someone drops out
faster decision-making
less chance of restarting the process
And more importantly it keeps momentum going.
This doesn’t mean slowing down the process!
Interviewing more people doesn’t mean dragging the process out, you can still move fast.
The key is:
schedule interviews close together
avoid gaps between stages
provide quick feedback
make hiring a priority that week
In most cases, interviewing one extra person costs you an extra hour - Not having a backup can cost you weeks.
Summary
Hiring is rarely delayed because of “too many good candidates”.
It’s delayed because there weren’t enough options when something changed. - Always give yourself a bench because in recruitment, momentum is everything.