It helps structure the hiring process, but in today’s fast-moving job market, waiting for a full candidate lineup may do more harm than good.
The slate concept in hiring refers to gathering a set number of candidates—typically three to five—before starting interviews or advancing anyone to the next stage in the process. When I began recruiting over 25 years ago, this approach was widely used. Employers would wait until they had a full group of candidates lined up before moving forward with first or second interviews.
The purpose of assembling a slate was to evaluate candidates as a group, either before the first interview began or before moving anyone to the second round. This approach helped create a sense of structure and comparison. But that structure depended on conditions that no longer exist in most hiring environments. Here’s everything you need to know:
Speed of the process. Hiring timelines used to be much slower. It was common for companies to interview just three candidates for one role, and that was considered enough. Now, hiring moves faster. Companies review more applicants and expect quicker results. Candidates also expect faster communication and are less willing to wait. Delays in the process often lead to losing strong candidates who have already moved forward elsewhere.
The slate concept may still work for executive roles with longer timelines.
Volume of opportunities. Candidates today explore more job opportunities at the same time. They are actively interviewing with several companies, often making quick decisions once they receive an offer. It is also much easier for candidates and employers to connect. This increase in access creates more movement on both sides. Candidates do not stay on the market for long, which makes it difficult to hold off on interviews while building a complete slate.
Slate doesn’t work at the contributor level. The slate model no longer works well for individual contributor roles. Waiting to gather four or five candidates before taking any action can lead to unnecessary delays. One candidate might drop out while you are still looking for the fourth. You find a replacement, but now another one drops out. This cycle repeats and wastes valuable time. It does not help achieve the goal of hiring the strongest candidate as soon as possible.
There are some exceptions. For high-level positions, such as VP or C-suite roles, the slate approach can still work. These candidates usually change jobs less frequently and move through a slower hiring process. But for most roles, especially at the contributor level, the slate concept is no longer effective.
Hiring managers need to adjust their approach. Moving quickly and engaging with strong candidates early in the process leads to better results. If you have any questions or need guidance, feel free to reach out. You can call me at (703) 356-2190 or send an email to brock@cmicareers.com. I look forward to hearing from you!