If you’re dealing with a lack of time to interview candidates, you’re not failing—your schedule is. You posted a role because you need relief, not another project. Then the applicants poured in, your inbox ballooned, and suddenly “hiring help” turned into 47 tabs, endless scrolling, and that nagging feeling that you’ll miss a great person because you can’t look at everyone.
So you do what busy owners do: skim a few at night, star a handful of “maybes,” and promise yourself you’ll start interviews soon—when life calms down.
But what if you could narrow the pile down to two real finalists without doing a dozen interviews first?
Why more applicants can actually slow you down
A big stack of applicants sounds like momentum, but it often creates the opposite: decision fatigue. In SmartRecruiters’ Recruiting Benchmarks 2025 report, the average role sees 73 applicants per role, yet only 3 applicants are interviewed—and the global median time to hire is 38 days (SmartRecruiters, 2025). When you’re already overloaded, “38 days” can feel like you’re carrying the job on your back for another month.
The bigger risk is what happens when you rush because you’re tired. Forbes cites the U.S. Department of Labor estimate that a bad hire can cost at least 30% of the employee’s first-year earnings (Fatemi, 2016). That’s why the goal isn’t “interview faster.” It’s “filter smarter,” so you spend your limited time only on people who have already shown they can do the work.
The shift that saves time: proof first, interviews last
Instead of trying to “talk your way” into certainty, flip the process. Start with a small work sample (a tiny, paid test), and only interview the finalists who pass. Harvard Business Review recommends using a work sample test because tests that mimic the real tasks are among the best indicators of future performance (Bohnet, 2017).
This isn’t just a “nice idea,” either. A meta-analysis on work sample tests reports a corrected validity of about .33 for predicting job performance—meaning it’s a genuinely useful way to spot real ability, not just a confident interview style (Roth, Bobko, & McFarland, 2005).
The 15-minute filter (simple enough to run on a Tuesday)
Start by writing three outcomes you want in the next 30 days—short, clear results (not a long job description). Then give a tiny paid test that takes 10–20 minutes. For a VA, that might be cleaning up a messy Google Doc into a checklist, rewriting two captions in your tone, or drafting one customer reply using your guidelines. After that, score the result 1–5 on accuracy, clarity, speed, initiative, and communication. Finally, do one short call with the top one or two candidates—now the call is for fit, not guessing skills.
If you want a guardrail so you don’t hire out of desperation, read Avoid Hiring the Wrong VA: A Simple System That Protects Your Time and Sanity. And if your bigger challenge is sourcing (not screening), start here: Where to Find a Virtual Assistant When You Don’t Even Know Where to Start.
Here’s the moment you’re really after: opening your laptop and seeing a short list that makes you breathe again. Not 127 applicants. Not 40 “maybes.” Just a few candidates who already proved they can follow instructions, communicate clearly, and deliver clean work. That’s what fixes the lack of time to interview candidates—because you’re no longer relying on interviews to do all the heavy lifting.
If you want help setting this up so you can stop drowning in screening and start delegating with confidence, book a quick matchmaking consult and get support finding a virtual assistant who actually fits your business needs. Keep it simple in the call: what outcomes you want, what tools you use, what “good” looks like, and what you want off your plate this week.
Before you book, take five minutes to skim Where to Find a Virtual Assistant When You Don’t Even Know Where to Start so your goals are crystal clear and the next step feels easy.
Sources
- Bohnet, I. (2017, June 12). 7 practical ways to reduce bias in your hiring process. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2017/06/7-practical-ways-to-reduce-bias-in-your-hiring-process
- Fatemi, F. (2016, September 28). The true cost of a bad hire—It’s more than you think. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/falonfatemi/2016/09/28/the-true-cost-of-a-bad-hire-its-more-than-you-think/
- Roth, P. L., Bobko, P., & McFarland, L. A. (2005). A meta-analysis of work sample test validity. (PDF copy). https://homepages.se.edu/cvonbergen/files/2013/01/A-Meta-Analysis-of-Work-Sample-Test-Validity.pdf
- SmartRecruiters. (2025). Recruiting Benchmarks 2025 (Report). https://ta.smartrecruiters.com/rs/664-NIC-529/images/Recruitment-Benchmarks-2025-Report.pdf?version=0
About the Author
AI Content Strategist | Udemy Instructor For 1M+ Students | Podcast Pioneer Since 2005 | Helping Entrepreneurs Scale with Systems & Virtual Teams
Scott Paton is a pioneer in digital education, podcasting, and AI-powered content creation. With over 1 million students across 120+ Udemy courses, he’s spent nearly two decades helping creators and entrepreneurs master emerging media long before they hit the mainstream.
Scott started podcasting in 2005, producing over 50 podcasts since — many in partnership with top industry voices. As AI reshapes content workflows, Scott now leads the charge in automated media production, using advanced AI systems & tools like HeyGen, Opus, Castmagic, ChatGPT, and Nano Banana to help brands and creators rapidly scale their content output — without sacrificing quality or personal voice.
He's also the founder of a Virtual Assistant agency based in the Philippines, designed specifically to support real estate investors and small businesses with backend operations, marketing, and content support — a hybrid of human talent and AI automation.
Scott lingers at the intersection of education, automation, and entrepreneurship, and he’s become a go-to expert for those looking to scale their message, monetize their knowledge, and streamline their content across platforms.
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