5 Questions Hiring Managers Consider When Reposting Jobs

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Updated on 11/20/19

Hiring managers do not want to repost jobs. Beyond the hassle of doing work they’ve already done, hiring managers must delay filling the vacant position by at least a month or two. And the work that position needs to complete doesn’t stop.

On the other side, reposting is the last thing candidates want to see happen. They rarely know why reposting happens in any individual situation, but they are left to assume the most logical conclusion which is the hiring manager considered all the candidates and found them to be lacking.

Hiring managers do not take the decision to repost lightly. Reposting means starting all over at square one. After going through the hiring process only to not select someone, the hiring manager is tired and frustrated. But in many circumstances, reposting is the best course of action from a long-term perspective. It is better to get the right person later than the wrong person now.

Hiring managers ask themselves these questions when considering whether to repost a job:

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Do I Have a Candidate Who Can Do the Job?

woman in empty work space — redheadpictures/Getty Images

Before reposting, hiring managers make sure they absolutely must do so. They rethink all their decisions. They reconsider all their candidates to make sure they don’t need to interview anyone else or hire one of the interviewees. Before discounting the entire field and starting the hiring process over, hiring managers make sure they have thought through all the candidates to be sure there isn’t one who can do the job.

Then, they weigh their options, which leads to the next questions.

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If I Hire Now, How Much Do I Have to Develop the New Hire Right Away?

Sometimes you can finish in first place in a hiring competition and still not get the job. This often happens because the hiring manager cannot spend the necessary time developing the new hire. Without the needed development, the new hire would not be successful. Hiring the top candidate would be a disservice to the candidate, manager and organization.

Many times, a person can come into a job without being ready for every aspect of it. People learn on the job, and a manager can guide a new hire’s development in ways to get the new hire up to speed on all parts of the job. But some parts of a job are more important than others. If a hiring manager does not have a candidate who can perform the critical parts of the job right away, reposting might be necessary particularly when the manager’s available time is in short supply.

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If I Repost Now, What Do I Expect My Applicant Pool Will Look Like?

Many say the definition of insanity is doing something over and over and expecting different results. This rings true for hiring managers when they think about reposting.

Sure, there will be people who did not see the job posting the first time who may apply, but it is probably unreasonable for a hiring manager to think the applicant pool will be significantly different.

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Can I Afford to Wait to Repost?

If the hiring manager believes the applicant pool will not be significantly different now, perhaps the pool will be different later. Again, the work keeps pouring in, so it may not be possible for the hiring manager to repost.

But if the hiring manager can wait, it may be a good idea to let a little time pass between postings. Different people will see the posting, and that is exactly what the hiring manager needs.

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Should I Change What I’m Looking for?

In addition to reflecting upon the candidates, the hiring manager needs to reflect on him or herself. Perhaps the hiring manager has too high of expectations. Maybe there isn’t a person who can meet these expectations.

If the expectations need to change, the hiring manager can do one of two things. One, the hiring manager can amend the posting language and advertise again. Two, the hiring manager can reevaluate the existing pool against the new expectations.

In government, hiring managers usually choose the first option. This allows them to look at a whole new pool of applicants who have applied to a posting reflecting the new expectations. Human resources departments have a strong say in making hiring managers go this way. Human resources departments see this as the more fair and transparent option which limits the likelihood a candidate will file a lawsuit for discrimination or unfair hiring practices.