Interview statistics

Here are some interesting interview statistics gathered from all over the web.

Interview sources

Where do applications that result in interviews come from?

• Career Sites - 27.35%
• Job Boards - 18.76%
• Referrals - 15.83%
• Internal Hire - 15.25%
• Agency - 4.52%

Interestingly, referrals are 5x more effective than all other sources of hiring. That is, a referral candidate is more likely to succeed in the job.

Another interesting fact is candidates don’t want to complete an application that will take longer than 20 minutes. So, if you find a long job application - persist because you will be competing against fewer people!

What do recruiters look for?

91% of employers prefer their candidates to have work experience, and 65% of them prefer their candidates to have relevant work experience. Make sure your resume highlights your relevant work experience to boost your chance of getting an interview.

41% of employers say that they might not interview a candidate if they can’t find them online. Places they look:

• LinkedIn - 87% 
• Facebook - 43% 
• Twitter - 22%
• Blog - 11% 
• Instagram - 8% 
• Youtube - 6% 
• Snapchat - 3%

The bottom line is have an (up-to-date) LinkedIn profile if you want to get an interview.

Interview duration

How many interviews should you expect to have before an offer?

• Three - 51%
• Four - 22%
• Two - 17%
• Five or More - 9%
• One - 1%

How long do you have to wait before each interview?

• Phone Interview - 8.2 days
• Group Panel Interview - 6.8 days
• One-on-one Interview - 5.3 days
• Background Check - 3.4 days
• Presentation - 4.2 days
• IQ Test - 4.4 days
• Job Skills Test - 1.5 days
• Personality Test -1.3 days
• Drug Test - 0.8 days

How long does it usually take to get an offer

• 5-6 Weeks - 35%
• 3-4 Weeks - 31%
• 7-8 Weeks - 23%
• 1-2 Weeks - 8%
• 9+ Weeks - 3%

A career coach can guide you through the interview process.

You might also be interested in reading: The (statistically) perfect resume.