We work with hiring managers across Northern Ireland every day, and trust us — a low interview-to-hire ratio as frustrating as it is costly. You could be missing out on brilliant people because your process isn’t doing its job.
So let’s fix it. Here are 5 ways to tighten things up, make better hiring decisions faster, and protect your team's sanity in the process.
1. Get real about your job spec
Too many employers list every skill under the sun, toss in “must be a team player,” and wonder why they’re not getting the right applicants. Be specific. What are the must-haves? What’s trainable? What’s just nice to have?
💡 Fix it: Work with a recruiter (like us 👋) to sharpen the spec so it actually reflects the role, your company, and the kind of person who’ll thrive there.
2. Screen smarter, not longer
Some companies are still doing three-stage interviews for entry-level roles. Others are bringing in every decent CV for a chat. Neither is a good look.
Your screening process should help you identify potential, not drain your week. If your first interview doesn’t weed out people who clearly aren’t the right fit, you need to rethink your questions — or your criteria.
💡 Tip: Use screening calls to quickly get a feel for motivation, cultural fit and key skill gaps. Not everything needs an hour and a PowerPoint.
3. Involve the right people
You don’t need the whole leadership team sitting in on every interview. But you do need the hiring manager involved early — not just at final stage.
We’ve seen NI companies lose out on great hires because the person they’d be reporting to didn’t speak to them until decision time — and by then, the candidate had gone cold.
💡 Keep it tight: Have 1–2 decision-makers consistently involved throughout. Keep your process consistent and your communication sharp.
4. Speed things up
The best talent in NI doesn’t sit around waiting for weeks. They’re snapped up. And yet, we still hear: "We’ll let you know after the holidays." "We just need one more person to sign off." "We’ll interview two more just to be sure."
You don't have to RUSH things, but have a process in place that’s agile, clear, and respects the candidate’s time too.
💡 What to do: Set timelines before you start. Stick to them. And if you like someone — move.
5. Measure, review, tweak - and, most importantly, GET FEEDBACK
If you’re regularly interviewing five, six, even ten people for one successful hire, something’s broken. It might be your expectations. It might be the brief. It might even be your reputation in the market (tough truth, but it matters).
📊 Take a step back: Track your numbers. Look at drop-off points. Ask for candidate feedback. Use that insight to tighten things up going forward.
Want help getting your ratio right?
We get it — recruitment is time-consuming. But when you partner with an agency that gets the NI market, understands your business, and isn’t afraid to push back when needed, you’ll hire better and faster.
At VANRATH, we work with clients across Northern Ireland to streamline hiring processes, sharpen job specs, and line up interview-ready candidates who actually match what you’re looking for.
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