timetohire

Time-to-hire is a human resources metric that measures the duration of the recruitment process from the moment a job requisition is opened (or posted) to the date a candidate accepts the job offer. It is used to assess recruitment efficiency, identify bottlenecks, and forecast hiring needs. Definitions vary by organization; some count from posting to offer acceptance, while others begin at requisition approval or posting and end at the candidate’s acceptance.

In practice, time-to-hire is tracked in calendar days and can be influenced by multiple steps in the process, including sourcing, screening, interviewing, and offer negotiations. Because organizations differ in how they define the start and end points, time-to-hire can overlap with related metrics such as time-to-fill or time-to-offer. Clear documentation of the calculation method is important for meaningful comparisons across teams or periods.

Benchmarks for time-to-hire vary widely by industry, role, and location. Generally, more specialized or senior roles tend to have longer times-to-hire, while high-volume or entry-level positions may close more quickly. Companies use time-to-hire alongside other metrics to monitor recruiting performance, manage candidate experience, and optimize resources. Strategies to reduce time-to-hire include streamlining screening, using pre-screen questionnaires, scheduling interviews efficiently, improving collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers, maintaining active talent pipelines, and leveraging automation and applicant tracking systems.