The Paradox of Choice — and no, we're not talking about dating.

Okay so I need to talk about something that's been in my head and boiling my blood.

I was scrolling LinkedIn the other day — yayy! — and a CEO posted their hiring process like it was something to be proud of.

Six rounds. I'm not joking.

1️⃣ Questions and Video Submission 2️⃣ First Round Interview 3️⃣ The Task 4️⃣ Second Stage Interview 5️⃣ Paid Half-Day IRL 6️⃣ Cultural Interview

I put my phone down. Picked it back up. Read it again. Still six rounds. I did the maths — and honestly I wish I hadn't. That's 12 to 15 hours of your life. For one job application. That you might not even get. And if you do get the rejection email? It'll say something like "we went with another candidate who was a better fit" which translates to absolutely nothing useful whatsoever.

And it's not just that one.

I went through another process recently where the task landed in my inbox before I'd even met the hiring manager. Before a single conversation with the person who would potentially be my boss.

Think about what that says. You're expected to invest hours of your time — your evenings, your energy, your actual ideas — before anyone has even checked if you want to work with them. Because here's the thing nobody says out loud: we get to decide too. I have pulled out of processes after meeting a hiring manager because I knew in my gut it wasn't right. That is my right as a candidate. But if you've already spent 8 hours on a task before that conversation? You've already invested too much to trust that feeling. And they know that.

Can we talk about how this wasn't always a thing?

Ten years ago — when I first landed in London with a suitcase and a dream, very dramatic I know 😄 — two interviews was completely normal. A quick 30-minute hello, a proper hour-long chat with the team, done. Tasks were basically unheard of. It felt like a real conversation between two parties figuring out if they liked each other.

Now? They want the hair of a frog, the blood of a unicorn, a nine-month business plan and for you to present to five stakeholders.

For. A. Marketing. Coordinator. Role.

I always think about this — if I had to do eight rounds for a Partnerships Manager position, what on earth was the process for the VP? and the Director? I'll tell you what I think: two coffees and a vibe check with the right people. No task. No video submission. Just a conversation between people who already knew each other. But sure. Let's make the junior hire do an unpaid half week. Totally fine.

So why is this actually happening?

I've thought about this way too much and I've landed on three things:

→ They want to avoid a bad hire (valid concern, terrible solution) → They want free strategic thinking wrapped up in a "task" (this one hurts because it's true) → They can — because there are 200 people in the queue and they know it

Probably all three at the same time if we're being honest.

Here's what I actually think: if a company can't make a decision in two or three conversations, something is broken in their process — not in their candidates.

And here's the real paradox.

For years companies said they couldn't find good people. Now? They have more than ever. Skilled, experienced, switched-on candidates who can genuinely do the job and bring ideas on day one.