A recent study published in the journal Management Science suggests that job hunters who reply quickly to potential employers are more likely to be hired. The study, which combined data from 11.6 million marketplace interactions with experiments involving over 3,600 participants, found that employers view fast replies as a positive signal of future responsiveness.

Playing Hard to Get Doesn’t Work

Many people looking for work worry that responding too quickly can make them seem too available or even desperate. However, the study found that delaying a response does not improve hiring prospects. In fact, employers consistently preferred faster responders. A one-hour delay was associated with a 46% reduction in hiring likelihood, while a full-day delay reduced hiring likelihood by roughly 90%.

The researchers concluded that employers use reply speed to infer what someone might be like to work with. Faster responders were judged to be warmer and more competent, and were seen as likely to be more responsive in the future. The study’s findings suggest that job hunters should prioritize responding quickly to potential employers, while also ensuring that their responses are personalized and attentive.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.