Conversion Rate (Recruiting)
Definition
The percentage of candidates who move from one stage of the hiring pipeline to the next.
Conversion rates at each pipeline stage reveal the health of your hiring process. Typical benchmarks: application to phone screen (20-30%), phone screen to interview (40-60%), interview to offer (30-50%), offer to acceptance (80-95%).
Low conversion at the top of the funnel suggests a sourcing quality issue — you're reaching the wrong candidates. Low conversion at the offer stage points to compensation misalignment or poor candidate experience.
Recruitment analytics tools automate conversion tracking across your pipeline, enabling data-driven improvements. Even small improvements in conversion at the top of the funnel compound into significantly more hires.
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Related Terms
Candidate Pipeline
The structured sequence of stages a candidate moves through during the hiring process, from initial contact to offer.
Time to Fill
The number of days between opening a job requisition and a candidate accepting the offer.
Quality of Hire
A composite metric measuring the value a new employee brings, typically assessed through performance reviews, retention rate, and hiring manager satisfaction.