Job seekers in German-speaking countries typically have to wait for 70 days, submit 19 applications, and attend four interviews before receiving a job offer, according to recent report by the professional networking and jobs platform XING.
Based on data from its application management system, the XING report provides a comprehensive analysis of 2.5 million job applications processed in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland between May 2023 and April 2025.
According to the report, sectors with highly specialized and technical jobs tend to have prolonged hiring processes because employers must carefully verify applicant qualifications and experience.
In contrast, industries experiencing acute skills shortages move faster on recruitment, even if the candidate pool is smaller. Jobs attracting numerous applicants generally also require more extensive and time-consuming screening.
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On average, it only takes 21 days for a prospective applicant to get an initial interview in Germany, but how long it takes from first interview to being offered a position can often drag on unnecessarily – at least another 49 days on average. The report’s authors say this lag comes down to slow internal communications.
According to the report, the positions in Germany which had the least competition were in the fields of HR (with each position receiving just nine applications on average), education, training, and science (with 13 applications on average) and health and social services (14 applications on average).
The industries with longer than average hiring processes:
- Industrial and mechanical engineering
The industrial and mechanical engineering sectors have some of the longest hiring times on the XING platform, averaging around 85 days.
Despite the long overall process, companies in this sector conduct relatively few interviews – about 2.4 per vacancy – indicating a highly selective screening process that narrows candidates early on.
- Transport and logistics
Transport and logistics companies follow a similar pattern, with approximately 85 days on average to hire.
The demand for precise skills combined with the operational importance of these roles are factors in the long hiring times.
- Architecture and planning
Architecture and planning roles also experience lengthy hiring periods, averaging just over 81 days. The specialisation required in these jobs means employers take the time to find candidates with the exact qualifications they need.
- IT and software development
When it comes to IT and software development, the hiring process tends to be even longer at nearly 87 days.
This is partly due to the high number of applications these positions attract, which requires companies to conduct extensive screening and multiple rounds of interviews. The engineering and technology sectors share similar timelines, again reflecting the often complex technical requirements.
The industries with shorter than average hiring processes:
- Healthcare
Applicants for work in the healthcare sector benefit from shorter hiring times, with an average of 58 days from application to job offer.
This is largely driven by labour shortages in nursing, elderly care, and emergency medical services, requiring faster hiring decisions despite fewer applications per position.
- Human Resources
People recruiting for jobs in HR complete the hiring process even faster, averaging just over 50 days, despite the fact they have to complete an unusually high number of interviews (6.4 on average) to fill each open position.
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With roughly nine applications per job, the faster hiring times reflect the lack of competition in the sector.
- Creative professions, PR and journalism
There is no shortage of applicants for creative roles such as marketing and graphic design.
Jobs in marketing and advertising receive an average of 34 applications. Those in graphic design and architecture receive around 32, and in product management each position will elicit around 29 applicants.
Despite the high number of applications, these roles tend to be filled relatively swiftly.
Public relations and journalism jobs see low to moderate hiring periods of about 53 days, reflecting varying competition levels and job requirements.
- Tourism and gastronomy
Tourism and gastronomy have relatively quick hiring times, often under 54 days.
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