Morning interviews offer better success in recruitment, says study

A new study has revealed that something as tedious as interviewing candidates in the morning rather than the afternoon can offer better results for recruiters and businesses in the long run.

A recent study conducted by organisational psychologist and chief executive of Informed Decisions, Shiran Danoch, found that interviewer bias may lead to better outcomes for candidates interviewed in the morning compared to the afternoon.

By overlooking thousands of job interviews, an assessment was made that “specific interviewers have a consistent tendency to be harsher or more lenient in their scores depending on the time of day”.

Speaking on the study, Guy Thornton, founder of Practice Aptitude Tests, lists some of the factors that may have an effect on this assessment and how timing bias can influence the success of candidates:

1. Decision fatigue: “As the day progresses and more interviews are lined up, decision fatigue becomes an important factor in how recruiters evaluate candidates. This phenomenon refers to the deteriorating quality as a result of having to make numerous choices throughout the day.

“The morning is when our mental energy is at its peak, enabling recruiters to analyse candidates more thoroughly and positively. Their ability to weigh up information objectively may decline throughout the day, leading to harsher or less favourable assessments.”

2. Primacy effect: “The primacy effect is a cognitive bias that can influence recruitment by causing people to place more importance on the first information they encounter. This occurs because the brain prioritises initial details, storing them in long-term memory, which has a larger capacity than short-term memory. As short-term memory becomes quickly saturated with new information, the first impression tends to have a lasting impact.

“This plays a significant role in interview settings, as people tend to give greater importance to the first items or experiences in a sequence. Candidates who interview earlier in the day may leave a more lasting impression simply because they are among the first encountered.”

3. Peak productivity and focus: “Most of us experience higher levels of productivity and mental clarity earlier in the day. For recruiters, their ability to focus and engage with candidates could be at its strongest during morning interviews.

“This enhanced state of mind may result in a more attentive and enthusiastic interaction, giving morning candidates an edge over those later in the day when the interviewer is less energetic or mentally sharp.”

4. Comparison bias: “When interviewing candidates earlier in the day, recruiters often assess them against an ideal standard or job description. However, as more interviews are conducted throughout the day, later candidates may be compared against those who came before them.

“This is known as ‘comparison bias’, and it can work against afternoon candidates if earlier interviewees set a high standard. By being one of the first in the day, morning candidates could benefit from an untainted opinion or reference.”

5. Mood and stress levels: “Our mood naturally fluctuates throughout the day; mornings are often a more favourable time for mood and stress levels. Morning interviews can take advantage of this, as they occur before the day’s challenges or complications have had a chance to arise, creating a calmer and more positive atmosphere.”

“As the day progresses and stress accumulates, recruiters may become more irritable or distracted by external factors unrelated to the interview itself. This heightened stress can negatively impact their interactions with candidates later in the day, potentially influencing the outcome.”

“Understanding these dynamics is key to tailoring your approach and maximising your chances of success, regardless of the time of day your interview is scheduled,” said Thornton.