Time-to-Fill vs Time-to-Hire
The definitions
Time-to-fill: Days from the date a job requisition is opened (or approved) to the date an offer is accepted.
Time-to-hire: Days from the date a candidate first applies (or is first contacted) to the date an offer is accepted.
The gap between them: The difference is the time between opening the requisition and the first candidate engagement. This gap captures: time to write and approve the job description, time to post to job boards, and time for candidates to find and apply.
Why the distinction matters
| Metric | Diagnoses | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Time-to-fill is long, time-to-hire is short | Sourcing is slow — roles sit open before candidates engage | Earlier requisition opening, faster job posting, proactive sourcing |
| Both metrics are long | Both sourcing AND interview process are slow | Two separate problems to fix |
| Time-to-fill is short, time-to-hire is long | Requisitions open quickly, sourcing is fast, but the interview process is slow | Interview stage optimization, feedback speed, offer velocity |
Industry benchmarks
| Role type | Time-to-fill (typical) | Time-to-hire (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly / entry-level | 14–21 days | 7–14 days |
| Individual contributor | 25–35 days | 18–28 days |
| Manager / specialist | 35–50 days | 25–40 days |
| Senior / executive | 50–90+ days | 35–70+ days |
These are averages across industries. Tech roles often run 10–20 days above these benchmarks due to more interview rounds.
How ATS tools report these metrics
Greenhouse: Reports → Candidates → Time-to-hire and Time-to-fill as separate metrics in the standard reporting suite. Filterable by role, department, and recruiter.
Ashby: Analytics dashboard includes both metrics with visual pipeline velocity breakdown. One of the best visualisations of where time is accumulating.
Workable: Analytics → Time-to-hire available. Time-to-fill requires manual calculation from requisition-open date if that’s tracked.
Lever: Reports → Hire funnel shows both metrics.
Setting internal targets
Set targets separately for the two metrics — they identify different problems:
- Time-to-fill target: drives proactive workforce planning (requisitions should open before you’re desperate, not after)
- Time-to-hire target: drives interview process discipline (stages, feedback speed, offer velocity)
A common failure: using time-to-fill as the primary metric and then wondering why it’s long — because nobody is tracking the recruiting process speed separately from the planning and sourcing time.