Time to Hire
Time to hire measures the number of days between when a candidate applies or is sourced and when they accept a job offer.
hr-metrics
Category
beginner
Difficulty
4 min read
Read time
2025-01-15
Updated
Definition
Short definition
Time to hire measures the number of days between when a candidate applies or is sourced and when they accept a job offer.
Detailed explanation
Time to hire is a recruitment metric that tracks the speed of the hiring process from the candidate's perspective. It starts when a candidate enters the pipeline (application or sourcing) and ends when they accept the offer.
This differs from "time to fill" which measures from job opening to offer acceptance. Time to hire focuses on the candidate experience and hiring efficiency once a candidate is identified.
Faster time to hire can improve candidate experience and reduce the risk of losing candidates to competitors, but speed must be balanced with thorough evaluation.
Practical guidance
How it works
Record date of application/sourcing and date of offer acceptance. Calculate days between. Analyze by role type and source.
Best practices
Set targets by role type
Identify bottlenecks in process
Balance speed with quality
Communicate timeline to candidates
Frequently asked questions
What is a good time to hire?
This varies by role. Entry-level might be 2-3 weeks, professional roles 4-6 weeks, and executive roles 8-12 weeks. The key is balancing speed with thorough evaluation.