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Time-to-Hire vs Time-to-Fill: The Ultimate Guide for 2025

Dover

October 20, 2025

•

3 mins

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You've probably been tracking your hiring metrics wrong, and it's costing you the best candidates in today's competitive market. Most startups confuse time-to-hire with time-to-fill, missing critical insights that could slash recruiting timelines by weeks. Understanding the distinction between these two key recruiting metrics, though, can give you the complete picture of where your recruiting process is falling down and exactly how to fix it. Let's break down both metrics so you can start making smarter hiring decisions in 2025.

TLDR:

  • Time-to-hire measures the candidate journey (application to offer), while time-to-fill tracks the complete process (job approval to start date)

  • Cost-per-hire average can be significantly reduced by using fractional recruiters who work hourly vs 20-30% salary fees from agencies

  • AI-powered screening and automated scheduling can reduce time-to-hire by while improving candidate quality

  • Using an Application Tracking System (ATS) with automated metrics tracking plus fractional recruiters can optimize both speed and cost in your recruiting process


You've probably been tracking your hiring metrics wrong, and it's costing you the best candidates in today's competitive market. Most startups confuse time-to-hire with time-to-fill, missing critical insights that could slash recruiting timelines by weeks. Understanding the distinction between these two key recruiting metrics, though, can give you the complete picture of where your recruiting process is falling down and exactly how to fix it. Let's break down both metrics so you can start making smarter hiring decisions in 2025.

TLDR:

  • Time-to-hire measures the candidate journey (application to offer), while time-to-fill tracks the complete process (job approval to start date)

  • Cost-per-hire average can be significantly reduced by using fractional recruiters who work hourly vs 20-30% salary fees from agencies

  • AI-powered screening and automated scheduling can reduce time-to-hire by while improving candidate quality

  • Using an Application Tracking System (ATS) with automated metrics tracking plus fractional recruiters can optimize both speed and cost in your recruiting process


What is Time-to-Hire?

What is Time-to-Hire?

Time-to-hire measures the duration from when a candidate first applies or enters your recruitment pipeline until they accept your job offer. This metric focuses on the candidate's experience moving through your hiring process.

Think of it as the candidate's journey timeline. It starts ticking the moment someone submits their application and stops when they say "yes" to your offer. This differs from measuring how long a position stays open. Time-to-hire zeroes in on individual candidate progression, making it important for understanding how well your process works. As you probably know, the best engineers and product managers get snapped up quickly in today's market which means that you may lose top candidates if your time-to-hire drags on too long.

What is Time-to-Fill?

What is Time-to-Fill?

Time-to-fill takes a much broader view of your hiring timeline than time-to hire does. It measures the complete recruitment cycle from the moment you get approval for a new position until someone accepts your offer and starts working.

This metric captures everything: internal approvals, budget sign-offs, writing job descriptions, posting roles, sourcing candidates, interviewing, and final negotiations. Time to fill gives you the organizational perspective on how long it actually takes to get a seat filled.

While time-to-hire focuses on the candidate experience, time-to-fill shows the full business impact. It includes all those behind-the-scenes delays which candidates never see but definitely affect your hiring speed. Most startups underestimate their time to fill because they only think about the interview process. But getting budget approval and writing job descriptions can add weeks to your timeline.

Time-to-Hire vs Time-to-Fill Key Differences

Time-to-Hire vs Time-to-Fill Key Differences

The biggest mistake startups make is treating these metrics as interchangeable when they measure completely different aspects of your hiring process. Understanding the distinction can help you diagnose exactly where your recruitment process breaks down. There are three core differences:

  • Starting Points: Time-to-hire begins when a candidate applies or enters your pipeline. Time-to-fill starts much earlier, when you first identify the need for a new role or get budget approval.

  • Scope: Time-to-hire only covers the candidate's journey through your process while time-to-fill includes everything from internal planning to the new hire's first day.

  • Purpose: Time-to-hire reveals candidate experience and how well your process works where time-to-fill shows organizational readiness and total business impact.

Although these metrics are different, they both matter. Use time-to-hire to optimize your interview process and candidate experience and time-to-fill to improve organizational planning and resource allocation.

How to Calculate Time-to-Hire and Time-to-Fill

Calculating these metrics manually can be a nightmare for startups, but the time-to-hire formula is actually straightforward once you know what data to capture. You just need to be consistent about recording the right dates.

Time-to-Hire Formula: Time-to-Hire = Offer Acceptance Date - Application Date

Time-to-Fill Formula: Time-to-Fill = Start Date - Job Requisition Approval Date

Consider the following example:

  • Sarah applies for your product manager role on January 5th

  • She accepts the offer on January 28th

  • Her time-to-hire then is 23 days

But in that example, budget approval for the new product manager role was actually received on December 15th. That means that the time-to-fill is actually 44 days.

Most startups struggle with manual tracking because dates get scattered across emails, calendars, and spreadsheets. You end up with incomplete data that doesn't help optimize your process. That's why an Application Tracking System (ATS) is so important: it can automatically calculate both metrics for every candidate, eliminating the manual work. You can see average times by role, department, or hiring manager without touching a spreadsheet.

Industry Benchmarks for Time-to-Hire in 2025

When you start capturing the data and calculating these two metrics, you'll want to understand how the results compare against the industry. Consider that, in 2023, according to the Josh Bersin Company, time-to-hire stood at 44 days. You need to ask yourself if your time-to-hire is too long, but also if other companies are hiring candidates much faster. To put your numbers into perspective, keep an eye on your industry's benchmark data.

Examples of Time-to-Hire by Industry (2021):

  • Technology: 49 days

  • Healthcare: 40 days

  • Finance: 46 days

  • Retail: 38 days

Resources like the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) can provide data on time-to-hire.

Deep Dive: Technology Startup Time-to-Hire

Tech roles, especially in startups, take the longest to hire because companies are being pickier about technical skills and cultural fit. According to Workable, technology roles, like development and engineering, often take an average of 33 days to hire. But time-to-hire in tech startups is also impacted by the competitiveness for top talent. The higher average length of time-to-hire probably reflects the complexity of finding candidates who match both technical requirements and startup culture.

Why does tech hiring drag on so long? Engineering and product roles can require multiple technical interviews, coding challenges, and system design sessions. Add in reference checks and team fit assessments, and you're looking at extensive evaluation processes.

The thorough vetting makes sense, but it can cost you talent. According to SmartRecruiters research, top engineers receive multiple offers within 30 days of starting their job search. Tech startups that simplify their recruiting and hiring process should see higher offer acceptance rates. Industry data shows that startups using structured processes and pre-screening tools cut their tech hiring time by an average of 12 days.

Don't Just Optimize For Speed, Optimize For Cost Too

Improving your time-to-hire and time-to-fill by optimizing your recruiting process, using an ATS, dashboards, and structured processes, is great at helping you land key talent. But if those optimizations cost too much, capital that could be put towards new positions may be spent on a costly recruitment cycle. That's why understanding your cost-per-hire is so critical as it can provide a complete picture of recruitment performance. Too many startups optimize their recruiting process for speed while ignoring the financial impact of their hiring decisions. A 30-day time-to-hire might look great until you realize it cost $12,000 because you used expensive executive search firms for every role.

Cost-per-hire measures the total expense of filling a position, including both internal and external recruiting costs. The standard formula breaks it down as such:

Cost Per Hire = (Internal Recruiting Costs + External Recruiting Costs) / Total Number of Hires

Internal costs include recruiter salaries, hiring manager time, interview expenses, and technology tools. External costs cover job board postings, agency fees, background checks, and recruiting events.

While the average cost-per-hire across all industries reached $4,700 in 2024, tech startups can typically push that cost into the $6,000-$10,000 per role.

Improving your time-to-hire and time-to-fill by optimizing your recruiting process, using an ATS, dashboards, and structured processes, is great at helping you land key talent. But if those optimizations cost too much, capital that could be put towards new positions may be spent on a costly recruitment cycle. That's why understanding your cost-per-hire is so critical as it can provide a complete picture of recruitment performance. Too many startups optimize their recruiting process for speed while ignoring the financial impact of their hiring decisions. A 30-day time-to-hire might look great until you realize it cost $12,000 because you used expensive executive search firms for every role.

Cost-per-hire measures the total expense of filling a position, including both internal and external recruiting costs. The standard formula breaks it down as such:

Cost Per Hire = (Internal Recruiting Costs + External Recruiting Costs) / Total Number of Hires

Internal costs include recruiter salaries, hiring manager time, interview expenses, and technology tools. External costs cover job board postings, agency fees, background checks, and recruiting events.

While the average cost-per-hire across all industries reached $4,700 in 2024, tech startups can typically push that cost into the $6,000-$10,000 per role.

Improving your time-to-hire and time-to-fill by optimizing your recruiting process, using an ATS, dashboards, and structured processes, is great at helping you land key talent. But if those optimizations cost too much, capital that could be put towards new positions may be spent on a costly recruitment cycle. That's why understanding your cost-per-hire is so critical as it can provide a complete picture of recruitment performance. Too many startups optimize their recruiting process for speed while ignoring the financial impact of their hiring decisions. A 30-day time-to-hire might look great until you realize it cost $12,000 because you used expensive executive search firms for every role.

Cost-per-hire measures the total expense of filling a position, including both internal and external recruiting costs. The standard formula breaks it down as such:

Cost Per Hire = (Internal Recruiting Costs + External Recruiting Costs) / Total Number of Hires

Internal costs include recruiter salaries, hiring manager time, interview expenses, and technology tools. External costs cover job board postings, agency fees, background checks, and recruiting events.

While the average cost-per-hire across all industries reached $4,700 in 2024, tech startups can typically push that cost into the $6,000-$10,000 per role.

Average Cost-Per-Hire by Industry 2025

Just as it's important to compare time-to-hire and time-to-fill against industry benchmarks, it's important to understand how your recruiting costs stack up against others in your industry.

Startup founders often get sticker shock when they see their actual recruiting costs, but understanding industry benchmarks helps you budget realistically. The numbers can vary wildly depending on your sector and role complexity.

2025 Cost Per Hire by Industry:

  • Technology: $7,500

  • Finance: $6,200

  • Healthcare: $5,800

  • Manufacturing: $4,100

  • Retail: $3,200

Executive and senior technical roles can push costs above $15,000 when using traditional recruiting agencies. That's where fractional recruiters make a huge difference for cash-conscious startups. Traditional recruiting agencies charge 20-30% of first-year salary, while fractional recruiters work hourly with no placement fees. In fact, startups using hourly recruiting models save an average of $3,200 per hire compared to traditional agency fees.

Just as it's important to compare time-to-hire and time-to-fill against industry benchmarks, it's important to understand how your recruiting costs stack up against others in your industry.

Startup founders often get sticker shock when they see their actual recruiting costs, but understanding industry benchmarks helps you budget realistically. The numbers can vary wildly depending on your sector and role complexity.

2025 Cost Per Hire by Industry:

  • Technology: $7,500

  • Finance: $6,200

  • Healthcare: $5,800

  • Manufacturing: $4,100

  • Retail: $3,200

Executive and senior technical roles can push costs above $15,000 when using traditional recruiting agencies. That's where fractional recruiters make a huge difference for cash-conscious startups. Traditional recruiting agencies charge 20-30% of first-year salary, while fractional recruiters work hourly with no placement fees. In fact, startups using hourly recruiting models save an average of $3,200 per hire compared to traditional agency fees.

Just as it's important to compare time-to-hire and time-to-fill against industry benchmarks, it's important to understand how your recruiting costs stack up against others in your industry.

Startup founders often get sticker shock when they see their actual recruiting costs, but understanding industry benchmarks helps you budget realistically. The numbers can vary wildly depending on your sector and role complexity.

2025 Cost Per Hire by Industry:

  • Technology: $7,500

  • Finance: $6,200

  • Healthcare: $5,800

  • Manufacturing: $4,100

  • Retail: $3,200

Executive and senior technical roles can push costs above $15,000 when using traditional recruiting agencies. That's where fractional recruiters make a huge difference for cash-conscious startups. Traditional recruiting agencies charge 20-30% of first-year salary, while fractional recruiters work hourly with no placement fees. In fact, startups using hourly recruiting models save an average of $3,200 per hire compared to traditional agency fees.

How to Improve Time-to-Hire

Now that you understand the data to capture, how to calculate the metrics, and how to determine what your recruiting process costs per hire, you can start trying to optimize both time and money spent. With the right process changes, startups can cut their time-to-hire by 40% without using expensive tools or major overhauls. The key? Eliminate bottlenecks that slow down great candidates. Here are a few best practices to help you speed up the process and drive down the cost:

  • Respond Quickly: Many recruiting studies and experiments show that responding quickly to candidates (ideally within 24-48 hours) significantly increases your chances of retaining interest and gets more positive conversion, in some cases by multiples, depending on supply and demand in your talent pool. According to a study in Personnel Psychology, quicker offers after interviews generally leads to higher offer acceptances.

  • Simplify Your Interview Process: Replace multiple rounds with structured panel interviews. Instead of five separate 45-minute sessions, conduct two thorough interviews that cover technical skills, culture fit, and role expectations simultaneously.

  • Use Pre-Screening Assessments: Using an AI resume scoring tool can automatically rank candidates before you spend time reviewing applications. This cuts initial screening time from hours to minutes while identifying top talent faster.

  • Improve Candidate Communication: Set clear expectations upfront about timeline and next steps. Candidates who know what to expect can move faster through your recruiting/hiring process.

  • Use Fractional Recruiters: A fractional recruiting partner can handle initial sourcing and screening, so qualified candidates reach your desk interview-ready. This typically saves 10-15 days off your timeline.

According to Gem's 2025 research, the fastest-hiring companies focus on candidate experience optimization rather than internal process speed.

Now that you understand the data to capture, how to calculate the metrics, and how to determine what your recruiting process costs per hire, you can start trying to optimize both time and money spent. With the right process changes, startups can cut their time-to-hire by 40% without using expensive tools or major overhauls. The key? Eliminate bottlenecks that slow down great candidates. Here are a few best practices to help you speed up the process and drive down the cost:

  • Respond Quickly: Many recruiting studies and experiments show that responding quickly to candidates (ideally within 24-48 hours) significantly increases your chances of retaining interest and gets more positive conversion, in some cases by multiples, depending on supply and demand in your talent pool. According to a study in Personnel Psychology, quicker offers after interviews generally leads to higher offer acceptances.

  • Simplify Your Interview Process: Replace multiple rounds with structured panel interviews. Instead of five separate 45-minute sessions, conduct two thorough interviews that cover technical skills, culture fit, and role expectations simultaneously.

  • Use Pre-Screening Assessments: Using an AI resume scoring tool can automatically rank candidates before you spend time reviewing applications. This cuts initial screening time from hours to minutes while identifying top talent faster.

  • Improve Candidate Communication: Set clear expectations upfront about timeline and next steps. Candidates who know what to expect can move faster through your recruiting/hiring process.

  • Use Fractional Recruiters: A fractional recruiting partner can handle initial sourcing and screening, so qualified candidates reach your desk interview-ready. This typically saves 10-15 days off your timeline.

According to Gem's 2025 research, the fastest-hiring companies focus on candidate experience optimization rather than internal process speed.

Now that you understand the data to capture, how to calculate the metrics, and how to determine what your recruiting process costs per hire, you can start trying to optimize both time and money spent. With the right process changes, startups can cut their time-to-hire by 40% without using expensive tools or major overhauls. The key? Eliminate bottlenecks that slow down great candidates. Here are a few best practices to help you speed up the process and drive down the cost:

  • Respond Quickly: Many recruiting studies and experiments show that responding quickly to candidates (ideally within 24-48 hours) significantly increases your chances of retaining interest and gets more positive conversion, in some cases by multiples, depending on supply and demand in your talent pool. According to a study in Personnel Psychology, quicker offers after interviews generally leads to higher offer acceptances.

  • Simplify Your Interview Process: Replace multiple rounds with structured panel interviews. Instead of five separate 45-minute sessions, conduct two thorough interviews that cover technical skills, culture fit, and role expectations simultaneously.

  • Use Pre-Screening Assessments: Using an AI resume scoring tool can automatically rank candidates before you spend time reviewing applications. This cuts initial screening time from hours to minutes while identifying top talent faster.

  • Improve Candidate Communication: Set clear expectations upfront about timeline and next steps. Candidates who know what to expect can move faster through your recruiting/hiring process.

  • Use Fractional Recruiters: A fractional recruiting partner can handle initial sourcing and screening, so qualified candidates reach your desk interview-ready. This typically saves 10-15 days off your timeline.

According to Gem's 2025 research, the fastest-hiring companies focus on candidate experience optimization rather than internal process speed.

Using Technology to Speed Up Hiring

The smartest tech startups use technology to slash their hiring timelines without sacrificing quality. Manual processes that used to take days can happen in minutes with the right automation:

  • AI-Powered Resume Screening: AI can be used to assess and score candidate resumes prior to them reaching HR and even rank applicants based on your specific criteria, eliminating hours of manual resume review. You see the best candidates first instead of sifting through hundreds of applications.

  • Automated Interview Scheduling: Stop the email ping-pong of finding interview times. Modern ATS systems sync with calendars and let candidates book directly into available slots, cutting scheduling time from days to minutes.

  • One-Click Job Posting: Instead of manually posting to multiple job boards, push your role to 70+ sites simultaneously. This expands your candidate pool while saving administrative time.

  • Integrated Communication: Automated email sequences keep candidates informed about next steps and timeline expectations. This reduces drop-off rates and keeps your pipeline moving smoothly.

According to Software Oasis research, startups that fully adopt recruiting automation see the biggest improvements in hiring speed. In fact, companies using AI-powered hiring tools reduce their time to hire by 18% while improving candidate quality scores by 23%.

The smartest tech startups use technology to slash their hiring timelines without sacrificing quality. Manual processes that used to take days can happen in minutes with the right automation:

  • AI-Powered Resume Screening: AI can be used to assess and score candidate resumes prior to them reaching HR and even rank applicants based on your specific criteria, eliminating hours of manual resume review. You see the best candidates first instead of sifting through hundreds of applications.

  • Automated Interview Scheduling: Stop the email ping-pong of finding interview times. Modern ATS systems sync with calendars and let candidates book directly into available slots, cutting scheduling time from days to minutes.

  • One-Click Job Posting: Instead of manually posting to multiple job boards, push your role to 70+ sites simultaneously. This expands your candidate pool while saving administrative time.

  • Integrated Communication: Automated email sequences keep candidates informed about next steps and timeline expectations. This reduces drop-off rates and keeps your pipeline moving smoothly.

According to Software Oasis research, startups that fully adopt recruiting automation see the biggest improvements in hiring speed. In fact, companies using AI-powered hiring tools reduce their time to hire by 18% while improving candidate quality scores by 23%.

The smartest tech startups use technology to slash their hiring timelines without sacrificing quality. Manual processes that used to take days can happen in minutes with the right automation:

  • AI-Powered Resume Screening: AI can be used to assess and score candidate resumes prior to them reaching HR and even rank applicants based on your specific criteria, eliminating hours of manual resume review. You see the best candidates first instead of sifting through hundreds of applications.

  • Automated Interview Scheduling: Stop the email ping-pong of finding interview times. Modern ATS systems sync with calendars and let candidates book directly into available slots, cutting scheduling time from days to minutes.

  • One-Click Job Posting: Instead of manually posting to multiple job boards, push your role to 70+ sites simultaneously. This expands your candidate pool while saving administrative time.

  • Integrated Communication: Automated email sequences keep candidates informed about next steps and timeline expectations. This reduces drop-off rates and keeps your pipeline moving smoothly.

According to Software Oasis research, startups that fully adopt recruiting automation see the biggest improvements in hiring speed. In fact, companies using AI-powered hiring tools reduce their time to hire by 18% while improving candidate quality scores by 23%.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate time-to-hire vs time-to-fill for my startup?

Time-to-hire = Offer Acceptance Date - Application Date, while Time-to-fill = Start Date - Job Requisition Approval Date. You can use a free ATS to automatically track both metrics instead of managing data manually across spreadsheets and emails.

What's the main difference between time-to-hire and time-to-fill?

Time-to-hire measures the candidate's journey from application to offer acceptance, while time-to-fill tracks your complete organizational process from job approval to start date. Time-to-hire focuses on candidate experience, while time-to-fill reveals internal inefficiencies and total business impact.

When should I be concerned about my startup's hiring speed?

If you are consistently losing quality candidates, it's time to dig into the data. If your time-to-hire exceeds industry benchmarks, you are probably losing a significant portion of qualified candidates to faster competitors.

How can I reduce both time-to-hire and cost-per-hire simultaneously?

Use AI-powered resume screening to identify top candidates faster, implement structured panel interviews instead of multiple rounds, and consider fractional recruiters who work hourly versus traditional agencies charging 20-30% of first-year salary. This combination can have meaningful savings such as reducing days and cost per hire.

Why does technology hiring take so much longer than other industries?

Tech roles require multiple technical interviews, application skill tests such as coding challenges, and system design sessions, averaging more days than in other roles. The complexity of checking both technical skills and cultural fit extends the process, but thorough pre-screening and AI candidate scoring can reduce this timeline by a lot.

Final thoughts on optimizing your hiring metrics

Understanding the difference between time-to-hire and time to fill gives you the complete picture of where your recruitment process breaks down. Most startups find that their biggest delays aren't in interviews but in internal approvals and candidate sourcing. Tracking both metrics helps you optimize recruiting performance at every stage, from initial job approval to final offer acceptance, and helps bring down the cost of hiring the best candidates. The companies that move fastest on great candidates win in today's competitive market.

How do I calculate time-to-hire vs time-to-fill for my startup?

Time-to-hire = Offer Acceptance Date - Application Date, while Time-to-fill = Start Date - Job Requisition Approval Date. You can use a free ATS to automatically track both metrics instead of managing data manually across spreadsheets and emails.

What's the main difference between time-to-hire and time-to-fill?

Time-to-hire measures the candidate's journey from application to offer acceptance, while time-to-fill tracks your complete organizational process from job approval to start date. Time-to-hire focuses on candidate experience, while time-to-fill reveals internal inefficiencies and total business impact.

When should I be concerned about my startup's hiring speed?

If you are consistently losing quality candidates, it's time to dig into the data. If your time-to-hire exceeds industry benchmarks, you are probably losing a significant portion of qualified candidates to faster competitors.

How can I reduce both time-to-hire and cost-per-hire simultaneously?

Use AI-powered resume screening to identify top candidates faster, implement structured panel interviews instead of multiple rounds, and consider fractional recruiters who work hourly versus traditional agencies charging 20-30% of first-year salary. This combination can have meaningful savings such as reducing days and cost per hire.

Why does technology hiring take so much longer than other industries?

Tech roles require multiple technical interviews, application skill tests such as coding challenges, and system design sessions, averaging more days than in other roles. The complexity of checking both technical skills and cultural fit extends the process, but thorough pre-screening and AI candidate scoring can reduce this timeline by a lot.

Final thoughts on optimizing your hiring metrics

Understanding the difference between time-to-hire and time to fill gives you the complete picture of where your recruitment process breaks down. Most startups find that their biggest delays aren't in interviews but in internal approvals and candidate sourcing. Tracking both metrics helps you optimize recruiting performance at every stage, from initial job approval to final offer acceptance, and helps bring down the cost of hiring the best candidates. The companies that move fastest on great candidates win in today's competitive market.

How do I calculate time-to-hire vs time-to-fill for my startup?

Time-to-hire = Offer Acceptance Date - Application Date, while Time-to-fill = Start Date - Job Requisition Approval Date. You can use a free ATS to automatically track both metrics instead of managing data manually across spreadsheets and emails.

What's the main difference between time-to-hire and time-to-fill?

Time-to-hire measures the candidate's journey from application to offer acceptance, while time-to-fill tracks your complete organizational process from job approval to start date. Time-to-hire focuses on candidate experience, while time-to-fill reveals internal inefficiencies and total business impact.

When should I be concerned about my startup's hiring speed?

If you are consistently losing quality candidates, it's time to dig into the data. If your time-to-hire exceeds industry benchmarks, you are probably losing a significant portion of qualified candidates to faster competitors.

How can I reduce both time-to-hire and cost-per-hire simultaneously?

Use AI-powered resume screening to identify top candidates faster, implement structured panel interviews instead of multiple rounds, and consider fractional recruiters who work hourly versus traditional agencies charging 20-30% of first-year salary. This combination can have meaningful savings such as reducing days and cost per hire.

Why does technology hiring take so much longer than other industries?

Tech roles require multiple technical interviews, application skill tests such as coding challenges, and system design sessions, averaging more days than in other roles. The complexity of checking both technical skills and cultural fit extends the process, but thorough pre-screening and AI candidate scoring can reduce this timeline by a lot.

Final thoughts on optimizing your hiring metrics

Understanding the difference between time-to-hire and time to fill gives you the complete picture of where your recruitment process breaks down. Most startups find that their biggest delays aren't in interviews but in internal approvals and candidate sourcing. Tracking both metrics helps you optimize recruiting performance at every stage, from initial job approval to final offer acceptance, and helps bring down the cost of hiring the best candidates. The companies that move fastest on great candidates win in today's competitive market.

Table of contents

What is Time-to-Hire?

What is Time-to-Hire?

What is Time-to-Hire?

What is Time-to-Fill?

What is Time-to-Fill?

What is Time-to-Fill?

Time-to-Hire vs Time-to-Fill Key Differences

Time-to-Hire vs Time-to-Fill Key Differences

Time-to-Hire vs Time-to-Fill Key Differences

How to Calculate Time-to-Hire and Time-to-Fill

How to Calculate Time-to-Hire and Time-to-Fill

How to Calculate Time-to-Hire and Time-to-Fill

Industry Benchmarks for Time-to-Hire in 2025

Industry Benchmarks for Time-to-Hire in 2025

Industry Benchmarks for Time-to-Hire in 2025

Deep Dive: Technology Startup Time-to-Hire

Deep Dive: Technology Startup Time-to-Hire

Deep Dive: Technology Startup Time-to-Hire

Don't Just Optimize For Speed, Optimize For Cost Too

Don't Just Optimize For Speed, Optimize For Cost Too

Don't Just Optimize For Speed, Optimize For Cost Too

Average Cost-Per-Hire by Industry 2025

Average Cost-Per-Hire by Industry 2025

Average Cost-Per-Hire by Industry 2025

How to Improve Time-to-Hire

How to Improve Time-to-Hire

How to Improve Time-to-Hire

Using Technology to Speed Up Hiring

Using Technology to Speed Up Hiring

Using Technology to Speed Up Hiring

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Kickstart recruiting with Dover's Recruiting Partners

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Kickstart recruiting with Dover's Recruiting Partners

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Kickstart recruiting with Dover's Recruiting Partners

Access Marketplace