I’ve been working in the recruiting space for a while now and one thing that’s always fascinated me is the concept of “time to hire.” It’s a metric that can tell you a lot about your recruiting process especially when you compare it to industry averages.
Understanding Time to Hire Benchmarks
Think of it like this: you’re baking a cake and you know the recipe calls for an hour in the oven.
That’s your benchmark.
But if your cake is taking two hours to bake something’s clearly wrong.
Maybe the oven’s too low or maybe you used the wrong ingredients.
Time to hire is the same way.
It gives you a benchmark to compare your process against.
It’s a way to measure how efficient your recruiting is how fast you’re able to find and onboard new talent.
Now the average time to hire can vary wildly depending on the industry the type of role you’re trying to fill and even the company’s size.
It’s not uncommon to see a tech company with a 30-day average while a hospitality company might be looking at a 20-day average.
Why Track Time to Hire?
So why bother tracking this metric at all? Well it’s not just about bragging rights.
Tracking time to hire helps you identify bottlenecks in your recruiting process.
It’s like a detective story—you start to notice patterns like certain stages of the process taking longer than others.
This might mean your screening process is too slow your interview process is disorganized or maybe your offer process is dragging out.
Think of it as a performance review for your recruiting team.
It helps you see where you can improve and what you can do to make your team more efficient.
Factors That Affect Time to Hire
Now I know it sounds simple but there are a lot of factors that can influence how long it takes to hire someone.
Some of them are pretty obvious like the complexity of the role.
A senior software engineer position is going to take longer to fill than a customer service rep position.
You’re looking for specific experience and skill sets and you’re likely going to have a smaller pool of qualified candidates to choose from.
Location and Competition
Here’s another thing: location can be a big factor.
It’s much easier to fill a position in a city with a large talent pool than in a more rural area.
You’re going to see more competition for candidates in popular tech hubs like Silicon Valley or New York City which can also affect time to hire.
Company Culture and Reputation
Then there’s company culture.
Let’s be honest some companies are just more attractive to candidates.
Maybe they have a strong brand reputation offer competitive compensation or are known for having a great work environment.
These things can make it easier to attract top talent and speed up the hiring process.
The Hiring Process itself
But it’s not just about external factors.
Your hiring process itself plays a huge role.
A well-organized process with clear communication and streamlined steps is going to be a lot faster than one that’s confusing and chaotic.
Internal Factors
Of course there are also internal factors that can influence time to hire.
How responsive is your hiring team? Are they able to quickly answer candidate questions and move things along? How involved are the decision-makers in the process?
The Candidate Themselves
And let’s not forget about the candidate themselves.
Some candidates are just faster movers than others.
They might be more decisive more readily available for interviews or quicker to respond to offers.
Optimizing Your Time to Hire
Now we know all these factors can play a part in how long it takes to hire someone.
But what can you do to optimize your time to hire?
Automation
The first thing I always recommend is automation.
Look for ways to automate tasks like screening resumes sending out interview invitations and even conducting initial assessments.
You might think it’s a small thing but those little tasks can really add up.
I’ve personally seen a huge improvement in our time to hire after we implemented an applicant tracking system (ATS). It helped us streamline the process reduce manual work and focus on the most critical aspects of recruiting.
Passive Candidates
Another thing I’ve found to be really effective is targeting passive candidates.
those people who aren’t actively looking for new jobs but might be open to the right opportunity.
They’re often highly skilled and experienced and you can find them through referrals LinkedIn or even industry events.
Pre-Employment Assessments
Another tip is to use pre-employment assessments.
These can be incredibly helpful for identifying qualified candidates quickly.
Think about it: you can get a sense of someone’s skills abilities and cultural fit early on which can help you weed out unqualified candidates and focus on the best talent.
Maintaining a Talent Pool
I also recommend building and maintaining a talent pool.
This is a database of pre-screened candidates who have expressed interest in working for your company.
That way when a new role opens up you have a pool of qualified candidates ready to go.
It’s like having a secret stash of talent just waiting to be unleashed!
Leveraging External Resources
Don’t be afraid to leverage external resources.
There are many companies that can help you with everything from sourcing candidates to managing your recruiting process.
If you’re struggling to find the right people or if you’re simply looking for ways to optimize your process these companies can be a valuable asset.
Remember the goal is to find the best talent quickly and efficiently.
It’s not about rushing the process—it’s about creating a streamlined and effective process that attracts and retains top talent.