Time-to-Hire is a critical metric in the recruitment world. It measures the time it takes to find and hire the right candidate, from the moment they enter your system to their first day on the job. But it's more than just a number – it directly impacts your hiring success and overall business performance.

What is Time-to-Hire?

Time-to-Hire refers to the period between a potential candidate's appearance in the company's recruitment system and the submission of a job offer, extending to the point when the candidate accepts the offer and begins working at the company.

This metric is vital in recruitment management as it measures the effectiveness and efficiency of an organization's recruitment process. A short Time-to-Hire indicates a swift and efficient process, while a longer duration suggests potential issues like delays or inefficient steps that require attention.

Calculate Time-to-Hire for a single headcount

Calculate Time-to-Hire for multiple headcount

The Importance of Time-to-Hire

Time-to-Hire is not just important; it is critical for several reasons:

• Losing Top Talent: Delays in the recruitment process can lead to top candidates dropping out. Lengthy processes can create discomfort and cause candidates to abandon the opportunity, especially if competitors offer faster timelines and smoother procedures.

• Negative Candidate Experience: A prolonged Time-to-Hire can create a negative experience for both potential candidates and recruiters, impacting the company's image and reputation. This can make it more challenging to attract qualified and competent individuals.

Impact on Recruiting Costs

Typically, the time from when an employee submits their application until they leave the company is around 30 to 45 days, depending on the time it takes to finalize the employment contract between the company and the employee. This means that the activities related to replacing this position should be activated as quickly as possible.

In cases where this time has elapsed but there is still no new employee in place, each day that a recruitment position remains vacant represents a missed opportunity for revenue or production. This can result in significant losses, especially in competitive industries as we see today.

The impact may inclues:

• Lost Productivity: Typically, an employee's notice period after resignation is 30-45 days. This means the recruitment process for a replacement should be initiated as soon as possible. Every vacant day represents lost productivity and potential revenue. This can lead to significant losses, especially in competitive industries.

• Increased Advertising Costs: Recruitment packages with job posting fees on platforms often last for 30 days. If the process extends beyond this period, companies must invest in additional job postings, online advertisements, and other channels to attract candidates, increasing advertising costs.

• Wasted Human Resources: Lengthy recruitment processes require more time from recruiters and hiring managers to search and screen candidates, consuming valuable human resources.

• Additional Training Costs: Extended Time-to-Hire may necessitate additional training costs for new employees, especially for specific roles requiring specialized skills.

Time-to-Hire has a significant impact on a company's overall recruitment costs, not only through lost opportunities and advertising expenses but also through increased consumption of human resources and training costs. Reducing Time-to-Hire through streamlined interview processes and assessments can alleviate pressure on the HR department and keep the recruitment process within budget.

How to optimize Time-to-hire

To improve Time-to-hire, consider the following suggestions if your company’s average Time-to-hire significantly deviates from market benchmarks:

1. Monitor Recruitment Speed:

   • Track the time spent at each stage of the recruitment process. Identify areas within the recruitment funnel that need improvement.

   • For example:

     • If candidate sourcing is going well but there are challenges during the screening call stage, consider adding more resources to the recruitment team or reallocating resources from other areas.

     • If there are delays during the interview stage, review how interview schedules are managed.

2. Analyze Time-to-hire by Job Role or Department:

   • If there are clear delays in a specific group or role during the recruitment process, discuss with your recruitment manager to identify the root causes. Emphasize the importance of making timely decisions.

3. Invest in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS):

   • Instead of manual calculations, opt for an ATS that automatically tracks recruitment metrics.

   • Detailed reports from an ATS allow you to quickly pinpoint inefficient areas in your recruitment process and take corrective action.

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