We asked our LinkedIn network one simple question: what’s slowing your hiring down most?
It was a quick poll, not a formal study, but the answers matched almost exactly what we hear from hiring managers every week:
- Internal approvals: 44%
- Too many applicants: 22%
- Too many interview stages: 22%
- Not enough good applicants: 11%
We’ve seen every one of these play out, many times over. Here’s what’s really going on behind the numbers, what tends to help, and where we can step in.
Internal approvals: the silent deal-breaker
Almost half of you said approvals are the biggest drag, and honestly, we’re not surprised.
You find the right person. The team is excited. Then the offer sits in someone’s inbox for over a week while the candidate’s phone keeps ringing with other opportunities. In creative and digital, where great people are in demand, they rarely wait.
What helps:
- Map who really needs to say yes. Some people in the chain are there out of habit, not necessity.
- Trust your hiring managers. Give them clear authority within an agreed budget and scope.
- Agree a timeline up front. “Sign-off within 48 hours” is a small promise with a big payoff.
- Keep the candidate in the loop. “We’re finalising approvals and you’ll hear from us by Thursday” beats silence every time.
How Artisan helps: We keep candidates warm and informed while approvals are happening, and we’ll gently (and honestly) flag when a delay is putting your preferred hire at risk. We’ll also help you shape an offer that’s ready to go the moment you are.
Too many applicants: a good problem that doesn’t feel like one
A flood of applications feels like a win, until it’s Monday morning and you’re staring at 300 CVs with a team that’s already stretched.
This is where a lot of businesses reach for automation, and automation can be brilliant for the right jobs: scheduling, reminders, status updates and admin. But when software alone decides who gets seen, good people get filtered out for the wrong reasons. A non-linear career path. A portfolio that doesn’t fit a keyword box. A career break. Those are often exactly the people you’d want to meet.
What helps:
- Write the role honestly and clearly. What’s the job, what does success look like, and what’s genuinely non-negotiable?
- Let tech handle the admin, and let people make the calls. Save time on the repetitive stuff, but have a real person review the shortlist.
- Bring in a specialist for the first look. Someone who understands your sector can spot potential that a filter will miss.
How Artisan helps: We use automation across our own business to move faster, but there’s a person at every stage. A real recruiter reads the portfolio, has the conversation and puts forward only the people worth your time, so you meet a handful of great candidates instead of wading through hundreds.
Too many interview stages: when thorough becomes exhausting
Careful hiring is a good thing. But four rounds, a presentation and a take-home task spread over six weeks tells a candidate a lot about what working with you might be like, and not always what you intended.
The best candidates usually have options. A drawn-out process is often the reason they take one of them.
What helps:
- Make every stage earn its place. If two interviews cover the same ground, combine them.
- Try panel interviews to cut the back-and-forth.
- Be upfront. Tell candidates how many stages to expect, how long it will take and who they’ll meet.
- Respect their time. Keep tasks short and relevant, and always give feedback.
How Artisan helps: We’ve seen which processes keep great people engaged and which ones lose them in round three. We’ll help you streamline your process without lowering the bar, and we’ll look after your candidates’ experience from first call to first day.
Not enough good applicants: the opposite problem
For about one in ten of you, the issue is the reverse: plenty of activity, not enough quality. In competitive markets like Sydney and Melbourne, the strongest people often aren’t actively applying. They’re employed, they’re busy, and they’re already being approached by others.
What helps:
- Show why someone would want to work with you: your culture, your growth opportunities, your flexibility and the work itself.
- Look beyond job ads. Referrals, industry communities and direct conversations reach people who’d never see a listing.
- Be open about pay and expectations early. It builds trust and weeds out mismatches faster.
How Artisan helps: Our network is built on years of real conversations with creative, digital and marketing professionals, including the ones who aren’t looking until the right opportunity appears. We’ll tell you what the market looks like right now, and we’ll help you make your role stand out.
Automation for the admin. Humans for the decisions.
Hiring is, at its heart, about people. Technology can take care of the repetitive work, but it can’t read between the lines of a portfolio, sense whether someone will thrive in your team or tell a candidate honestly how a role will really feel.
That’s why we’re passionate about putting the humans back in AI. We use automation to move faster behind the scenes, and we keep real people involved at every stage: the call, the briefing, the shortlist, the offer and the follow-up.
Feeling stuck? Let’s talk.
We’ve seen it all, from stalled approvals to overflowing inboxes to great candidates lost at the final hurdle, and we can help with all of it. Whether you’re hiring for a permanent role or a contract, or you’re a candidate wondering what’s next, our team is here to help.
Get in touch with the Artisan team.
