Have You Ever Tried Speed Dating? What About Job Speed Dating? | Resumark Blog - Get Paid to Post Resume and Search Jobs Online

November 30th, 2009 by Sergey Novoselov

Speed dating might not be just for singles anymore as some companies are using a similar format while interviewing candidates. If it leads to success in personal life, it may as well work in business. This format allows companies to accelerate the selection process and compare applicants more easily while decreasing the risk of losing great candidates in the normally long interview process which can sometimes take weeks or even months.

Non-traditional recruiting method has many advantages for job seekers as well. First of all, it’s a great opportunity to talk to many potential employers. It also gives an idea on how many people are looking for a job in your industry. Entry level candidates can gain valuable interviewing experience. In the end, even if you are not offered a job, you can still get some tips or recommendations from employers.

Job speed dating interview usually lasts less than 10 minutes. After each interview job seekers rotate and move to a different employer. The goal is to have as many interviews as possible. But is the interview preparation process any different?

The speed interview format doesn’t give much time to reflect on the results and make any necessary adjustments before the next round. You have just one shot and a few minutes to make a great impression on each employer. As a result, it’s even more important for you to prepare ahead of time. Prior to interview, learn about the employers attending the event. Find out as much information about them as possible.

The timing of your follow up is also very important. Some companies extend their offers within hours of the interview. That means you need to send thank you letters shortly after you finish with it. It would be a great idea to develop a template letter beforehand and, then, add a few key points specific to your interviewer.

Have you been on a speed interview and how did it work for you? Please let us know.

Posted in Interviewing, Job News, Job Search, Recruiting & Hiring | You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.

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Valerie says:

December 1, 2009 at 10:25 am

Sounds like a stressful process to me! Is it just a way of singling out good candidates for a second formal interview or do some companies make a decision on the basis of 10 minutes in a hectic atmosphere?

Sergey N. says:

December 1, 2009 at 11:01 am

Hi Valerie! Yes, I believe most companies use this as a pre-screening process. I’ve heard of a recruiting event in Germany where about one third of the applicants got invited for the follow up interview. There was another event in Detroit for entry level positions targeting younger candidates where some of them got job offers after the first interview.

John M. Kurilko says:

December 2, 2009 at 1:44 pm

How do I find out about speed interviewing events? I have heard about speed interviewing through Linkedin and internet sources, but I have not seen any information on where I can participate locally in one of these. How can I best find out where and when these local events are held? Thank You.

Jeff Kirby says:

December 2, 2009 at 4:01 pm

It seems like a great way for companies to weed out the chaff, but how can either the employer or the job seeker possibly get a well-rounded impression of the other after less than 10 minutes? I understand that time is money, but this just sounds like a great way to let some good candidates fall through the cracks in favor of those who can talk a good game for ten minutes.

LK Thome says:

December 2, 2009 at 9:58 pm

How do you find out more? Is there a website or agency that setup these events?

December 3, 2009 at 12:26 am

Reportedly there is a company in Europe (A4e) that organizes this type of events. Not sure if there are any other agencies specializing in job speed dating, but we’ve heard that employers themselves conducted similar events in US.

Donna C says:

December 3, 2009 at 5:32 pm

Isn’t this called a ‘job fair’? How superficial can the screening process get? How lazy can HR people get? What you get is a ‘pig in a poke’ — a ‘poke’ is a bag, and it means that no matter how it wiggles, you have no idea of the quality within. How can anyone really get capabilities, particularly in complex areas, in 10 minutes? I also cannot imagine an easier way to enable discrimination–age, appearance, sex and disabilities. Ultimately it’s bad for companies, because in 10 minutes, one after another, even smart HR people can’t get the match in needs for complex, professional areas they know little about: examples are IT, MIS, operations, marketing and sales.

Job Search 2010 - 10 New Year’s Resolutions for a Successful Job Search | Resumark Blog - Get Paid to Post Resume and Search Jobs Online says:

January 3, 2010 at 8:00 pm

[...] cover letters that get results and we suggest you study it before sending out your next resume.9. Consider Job Speed Interviewing This non-traditional recruiting method is similar to speed-dating and has been getting some [...]

Christie Panter says:

January 29, 2010 at 11:46 pm

I’m with you John. It’s frustrating to hear about a new strategy with no information about how to get involved. I think speed interviews are a great idea. Potential employers are able to get a solid first impression that covers the basics: hygiene, confidence, positive attitude, friendliness, enthusiasm, etc. More complex matters can be addressed in subsequent interviews once a candidate is able to demonstrate basic competency. Employers don’t want to waste an hour of interview time on a person who has a great resume but can’t back it up in person.

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