Let’s get one thing straight: multiple rounds of interviews are absurd. Yes, you heard me right—absurd. In today’s job market, the hiring process has become so bloated and drawn out that it feels less like applying for a position and more like auditioning for one of those cringe-worthy speed dating shows. You know the type—the ones where the contestants jump through hoops trying to prove their worth, only to be judged and discarded based on superficial, snap judgments. Sound familiar?
Interviewing Overload: What Are We Even Doing?
Here’s the thing: most of us understand that a job interview is necessary. Fine. But at what point did it become acceptable to drag candidates through endless rounds of interviews, panels, tests, and psych evaluations like they’re competing for a reality show prize instead of a paycheck?
Round one: phone screening. Fine, sure. It makes sense. But then there’s round two: a technical interview. Okay, we’ll bite. After all, you want to know if we can do the job, right? But then, here comes round three: an interview with the manager. Alright, now we’re starting to wonder why this couldn’t have been combined with round two.
By round four, we’re being shuffled into a panel interview where we meet people who we might never actually work with. Then there’s a “culture fit” round—because God forbid we don’t perfectly fit into the company’s cookie-cutter mold of corporate robot. And if we’re lucky, maybe—just maybe—we get through all that nonsense for the “final round.” But wait, what’s this? A fifth round for a case study?
Let me be clear: this level of nonsense isn’t just stupid—it’s insulting.
The Objectification of Candidates
Let’s call it what it is: objectification. The multi-round interview process has become a grotesque, drawn-out display of power, where candidates are stripped of their humanity and turned into contestants on a game show.
These companies are essentially saying, “Dance for us, and maybe we’ll throw you a bone.” It’s dehumanizing. Each round is just another layer of judgment, another chance to be picked apart and analyzed like some weird social experiment. It’s no longer about skills or experience; it’s about enduring endless scrutiny, hoping you’ll come out the other end without your dignity completely shattered.
You’re not a job candidate anymore. You’re a contestant on Survivor: Corporate Edition. And the prize? An offer for a job you might not even want anymore after jumping through all these hoops. The cherry on top is when they “go in another direction” after sucking up weeks of your life with interviews.
Speed Dating TV Shows: The Perfect Analogy
Remember those speed dating TV shows? The ones where people cycle through different contestants, making snap judgments on whether someone’s “worth” dating based on a few minutes of superficial conversation? That’s what these multi-round interviews feel like.
Each round is another mini-date where you’re expected to perform. You have to be charming, interesting, but not too bold. Competent, but not cocky. You have to say the “right” things, project the “right” energy, and heaven forbid you make a wrong move—because then it’s all over. Swipe left, goodbye.
It’s nothing more than a thinly veiled power trip, where companies get to feel like the Bachelor, with a bouquet of candidates lined up, waiting to see who gets the rose. Meanwhile, you’re left wondering if you said the right thing or made the right impression on people who, let’s be honest, probably don’t even remember your name.
Efficiency? I Don’t Think So
Some HR departments defend this circus by claiming that multiple rounds ensure the “right fit” for the company. But here’s the kicker: in a world that moves at lightning speed, this approach is a complete waste of time.
Instead of moving swiftly and efficiently, these companies bloat their hiring processes, scaring off top talent who—newsflash—don’t have time for this mess. By the time a company drags you through five rounds, another one has already made an offer. The only people who stick around for the full gauntlet are the ones who are desperate enough—or masochistic enough—to tolerate the humiliation.
It’s not about quality; it’s about control. These companies want to feel like they’re in control, that they’re the ones holding all the power. But in reality, they’re shooting themselves in the foot by creating a system that alienates the very people they’re trying to hire.
Why Is This Still Happening?
So why do companies continue this insanity? One word: laziness. Instead of putting in the work to streamline their processes, they throw up these barriers and drag candidates through multiple rounds because, well, that’s how it’s always been done.
It’s easier for them to waste our time than it is for them to actually refine their hiring process. They don’t have to sit through five rounds of nonsense—they just have to show up for one interview per round while we rearrange our lives around their schedules. They’ve got nothing to lose. But we do.
The Solution: Respect the Candidate’s Time
Here’s a radical thought: how about respecting candidates’ time? How about treating them like actual humans, not contestants on some twisted corporate dating show? One or two rounds of interviews is more than enough to assess someone’s skills, personality, and fit. Anything beyond that is a waste of time—for both parties.
If a company can’t make a decision after two rounds, that’s a sign of their indecisiveness, not a reflection on the candidate. Maybe it’s time they reexamine their hiring practices instead of putting candidates through this soul-crushing marathon of interviews.
Final Thoughts
Multiple interview rounds are not just stupid—they’re harmful. They’re a lazy, outdated system that reduces candidates to commodities, wastes everyone’s time, and puts companies in a false position of power. It’s high time we stop pretending that this is acceptable and start holding companies accountable for treating job candidates with the respect and dignity they deserve.
Because let’s face it: nobody signed up to be on Corporate Bachelor, and it’s about time the hiring process reflected that.