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A new study, published in Management Science and adapted for a broader audience in this new HBR article, explores how candidate response time, or how quickly someone replies to an employer’s message, can influence hiring decisions. Researchers analyzed 11 million-plus Fiverr transactions (a global freelance marketplace) and conducted controlled experiments with over 8,600 participants. Response speed mattered: a one-hour delay made candidates 46% less likely to be hired, while a delay of more than 24 hours reduced the likelihood by 90%. In fact, people regularly chose candidates who replied quickly even when a higher-quality option was available. Faster replies were often interpreted as signs that candidates were competent, easy to work with, and likely to remain responsive. While the study is based on gig-work data, the research offers a useful prompt for examining where bias may quietly influence an organization’s hiring decisions. Reflection for Hiring Managers: Think back to a candidate you considered a top hire at the time who ultimately underperformed and/or was not the right fit. What factors created that initial positive impression? Were those factors influenced by what personally impressed you more so than those factors that are more relevant and predictive of job performance? Reviewing these decisions can reveal hidden biases and help teams improve future hiring choices. As a bonus, I’m resharing my post highlighting a guide from the SIOP Foundation and CHRO Association with 13 questions for evaluating AI-based hiring tools, since bias can live in the tools we use to hire, not just in how we personally evaluate candidates.
