Fast Replies to Recruiters Can Boost Hiring Odds by 30%, Study Finds

NewsData.io · United States · Aug 20, 2026

New research published in Management Science, analyzing millions of interactions on Fiverr, found that a five- to ten-minute delay in responding to a recruiter inquiry reduces a candidate's hiring odds by roughly 30%. Follow-up experiments suggest hiring managers interpret fast responses as a signal of competence, even when they claim response speed isn't a priority factor. Researchers advise candidates to reply the same day—ideally within hours—with a short, human-sounding message, noting that AI-generated responses appear to eliminate the advantage of a quick reply. The findings have practical implications for recruiters using AI tools to ping multiple candidates simultaneously, as slow responders risk being passed over quickly.