British jobseekers poised for the speed interview

Hot on the heels of the speed-dating phenomenon, busy Britonsí hectic lifestyles are now influencing the way most of us would like to look for work.

A staggering 87 per cent of UK jobseekers would welcome the widespread introduction of the ëspeed-interviewí ñ a 15-minute session for candidates and employers to get the measure of each other before proceeding to a longer interview. The research, commissioned by recruitment fair totaljobs live, reveals that we feel we waste precious time at interviews for jobs we know aren''t right for us from the moment we walk through the door.

In traditional interviews, 76 per cent of candidates make up their minds about a company within fifteen minutes, with a highly decisive quarter of these ready to walk or work within five minutes. Despite this, politeness prevails as the majority of jobseekers persevere with hopeless interviews as theyíre too embarrassed to terminate the session.

It seems that jobseekers are crying out for the rules of the game to change to fit into our modern lives. Alarmingly, a quarter of candidates have actually turned down an interview because they simply couldnít find time to squeeze it in. A further 61 per cent claimed that making time to attend interviews is a problem when trying to juggle work, family and social life.

Keith Robinson, web site director for totaljobs.com commented: ìAs we have seen with the recent speed-dating phenomenon, we donít even have time for proper dinner dates any more, so itís not surprising that people are looking to apply the same hard and fast rules elsewhere. Recruitment is a serious business, and the speed-interview is not a substitute for a formal, in-depth interview ñ itís simply a way of helping candidates decide which companies theyíd like to concentrate their time and efforts on.

ìYet whilst jobseekers may be ready for the new interview style, our own anecdotal evidence suggests that employers still view the concept with caution. The traditional interview is seen by recruiters as a low-risk, tried and tested way of hiring, and I predict that it will be some time yet before the speed-interview becomes a standard part of business practice. At totaljobs live, candidates can at least meet several employers in a short space of time, and get a feel about the company before going on to the formal interview stage.î

Totaljobs.com is hosting totaljobs live on 9 and 10 September, at Londonís Business Design Centre. A number of companies will be recruiting for a wide range of vacancies, from retail management to a career with the NHS. Jobseekers will also be able to pick up top tips from career gurus John Lees (author of How to Get a Job you''ll Love) and Lesley Everett (Lesley has featured on GMTVís LK Today, and Trisha), who will be giving seminars throughout the recruitment fair.