Recruiting success isn't just about filling open roles — it's about filling them effectively, efficiently, and with the right people. To ensure your recruitment process is truly delivering value, you need to track key metrics that offer insights into performance, costs, and outcomes. These metrics not only help evaluate current strategies but also guide improvements for future hiring efforts.

1. Time to Fill

This metric measures the number of days it takes to fill a position from the moment a job requisition is opened to when an offer is accepted. A shorter time to fill can indicate an efficient process, but it should be balanced with the quality of hire to avoid rushed decisions.

2. Cost per Hire

This includes all costs associated with recruiting a new employee, such as job ads, recruiter salaries, background checks, and onboarding expenses. Understanding cost per hire helps optimize budget allocation and assess the return on investment for recruitment activities.

3. Quality of Hire

Quality of hire evaluates the value a new employee brings to the organization. This can be measured through performance ratings, retention rates, and hiring manager satisfaction. High quality of hire often correlates with better employee engagement and long-term success.

4. Source of Hire

Tracking where your best candidates come from — whether it’s job boards, employee referrals, social media, or career sites — helps you invest in the most effective sourcing channels.

5. Offer Acceptance Rate

This measures the percentage of candidates who accept job offers. A low acceptance rate could indicate issues with compensation, job expectations, or the candidate experience. Monitoring this can reveal where improvements are needed in the recruitment journey.

6. Candidate Experience Score

Often gathered through post-interview surveys, this metric reflects how applicants perceive your hiring process. A positive experience boosts employer brand, while a poor one can hurt future talent attraction.

7. First-Year Turnover Rate

This metric tracks how many new hires leave within their first year. A high turnover rate may point to issues in onboarding, culture fit, or misaligned job expectations.

8. Hiring Manager Satisfaction

Gathering feedback from hiring managers about the recruitment process and new hires provides qualitative insight into recruitment effectiveness and collaboration quality.

Using these metrics helps HR teams move beyond intuition and toward data-driven hiring decisions. When regularly tracked and analyzed, these indicators not only spotlight what’s working — they also uncover areas for growth, allowing recruitment strategies to evolve alongside business needs.