One key metric for any recruitment process is Time to Hire.

At Think Specialist Recruitment we love data and metrics so.... we measure how long it takes us to fill the permanent roles that we successfully recruit into. We calculate this as the point of a job being registered to the placement start date. 

For the last quarter (July to September), the average Time to Hire for the placements made was 51 days.

Just over 7 weeks.

The quickest? Just 14 days!

There are a number of factors that have an impact on the speed of filling a vacancy and the candidate commencing. These include:

• Providing a clear and realistic vacancy brief (with manageable expectations)
• How quickly candidates can be found and competition with other vacancies/hiring companies
• Availability to interview (from both client and candidate)
• Hiring company commitment to recruitment timeline
• Time between interview stages
• Holidays booked
• Offer rejection 
• Notice periods
• How quickly offers can be made and notices provided 

The better the recruitment process is planned, the quicker the turn around. However you cannot account for hiccups and bumps in the road, which can significantly slow things down! Plus notice periods can vary from none to 12+ weeks. 

So our advice?

• Bring your vacancy to market as far in advance as possible
• Ensure expectations on candidate criteria can be met
• Secure stakeholder availability for those involved in the interview process 
• Move quickly on CVs and ensure as little time between interview stages as possible
• Send offer letters and contracts swiftly 
• Allow extra time for unplanned circumstances i.e. having to start again!
• Account for notice periods when planning potential start dates

With Christmas 12 weeks away and based on the average Time to Hire, we would recommend starting your recruitment process ASAP if you are looking to onboard your new starter before the end of 2026 or ready for a January 2027 start!

If you would like to speak with the team about a vacancy that your are planning to recruit for, please contact the team on 01442 600100 or click here to register the role - https://www.thinksr.com/register-with-us/

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