What is Time to Hire?
Time to hire is the number of days from when a candidate applies, or is first contacted, to when they accept an offer. State which start point you use. It is a useful way to see how long your process takes from the candidate's side, and to compare roles or sources.
How to calculate it
Time to hire = date the candidate accepts the offer minus the date they applied (or were first contacted). Average the figure over the candidates you hired in a period. Use the median as well if a few slow hires pull the average up.
Time to hire or time to fill
These are often confused.
| Measure | Starts when | Ends when | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to hire | A candidate applies or is contacted | That candidate accepts | Speed of your process for a candidate |
| Time to fill | The job is opened or approved | The offer is accepted | How long the seat stays empty |
See time to fill for the second measure.
Why it matters
A long process loses candidates. Strong candidates often have other offers, so each idle stage adds risk. Looking at time to hire by stage shows where candidates wait, for example between interview and decision.
How it shows up on LiveRec
Candidates move through the stages Applied, Shortlisted, Interviewing, Offered and Hired. Those stage changes are what an employer would use to see how long each step takes.
Example
A candidate applies on day 1 and accepts on day 21; time to hire is 20 days.