KPIHuman Resources

Time to Hire

Average number of days from a candidate’s first application to their acceptance of an offer

What is Time to Hire?

Time to hire is the average number of days from a candidate applying to accepting an offer. It shows how quickly the recruitment process moves a candidate through to a decision.

A slow process loses good candidates to faster competitors.

How this KPI is measured

Function
Human Resources
Sub-function
Talent Acquisition
Industry
All Industries
Type
Lagging
Impact
Efficiency
Unit
days
Measurement frequency
Monthly / Quarterly
Formula
Sum of days from application received to offer accepted / Number of hires

How to calculate it

Add up the days from application received to offer accepted and divide by the number of hires.

For example, if 40 hires took a combined 1,200 days from application to acceptance, the average is 30 days.

This focuses on the candidate's experience, whereas time to fill starts when the vacancy opens. Split by role and stage to see where time is lost.

Where it is used

  • Improving candidate experience

    Speed up the process.

  • Finding process delays

    See slow stages.

  • Competing for talent

    Move faster than rivals.

How to improve it

Tips and common mistakes

  • Candidates lose interest when processes drag.
  • Keep them informed at every stage.
  • Compare by role type.

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