With the rise of excessive multi-stage hiring, more Irish jobseekers are required to jump through hoops in order to secure roles.

Anna Daly was joined by a panel on Lunchtime Live to unpack the reasons behind an increasingly gruelling interview regime.

Is the hiring process too long?

Moira Grassic, COO of Peninsula Ireland HR, joined Anna in studio.

She was concerned that this long process could be losing potential candidates on the basis that they get bored and feel discouraged from the company they have applied for, as there could be a lack of engagement between the candidate and the employer after the application has started.

“The whole recruitment process is the beginning of a relationship, and you want to make sure that the relationship starts off really strong,” she said.

Not only is the candidate investing their time with preparation and research, but also from an employer's perspective, they are also taking time out of their day to conduct each interview.

“It’s an investment in both parties,” said the Peninsula Ireland employee.

Pat McDonagh, founder of Supermac's, stated he doesn’t “see the logic in doing four to five interviews,” adding that an overly long recruitment process is “ridiculous” from an employer's perspective.

The Galway businessman argued that if employers carefully review a candidate’s track record and conduct two to three interviews, that should be more than sufficient to make a clear hiring decision.

The rise of working from home

The Global FDI director of Morgan McKinley, Trayc Keevans explained believes that the job market is in a “more complex situation.”

Since the Covid-19 pandemic and the establishment of remote and hybrid working, Keevans expressed that this requires significantly more “trust levels and better communication on the part of the employee.”

By the end of December 2024, 17.5% of Irish job postings were for remote or hybrid roles, more than four times higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to the 2025 Irish Jobs and Hiring Trends Report.

Ms Keevans noted that due to this adjustment in the workplace, more bases must be covered in the hiring process.

She also mentioned that companies are also becoming increasingly more risk averse since the 2020 pandemic.

“A hiring mistake can be very expensive,” she added.

However, Keevans agreed that it is crucial to ensure that the candidate's experience needs to be positive.

Grassic also encouraged listeners to ask how long the recruitment process is going to be and to not be afraid to ask for a specific timeline.

“It shows your enthusiasm to go and work with them."

Written by Annemarie Roberts.