Recruitment KPIs: Key Indicators for Hiring

A recruitment KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is numerical data that tracks the progress and performance of a recruitment process. Taking different forms—turnover rate, abandonment rate, time to hire, or interview rate—this data measures whether recruitment broadly is effective in a company.

Closely monitoring these KPIs provides concrete visibility on results and enables strategic decisions to optimize the recruitment process. Want to improve your processes and hire better? JobAffinity explains everything about recruitment KPIs and which indicators to choose for your company.

Recruitment KPIs in Summary

• Recruitment KPIs measure the effectiveness of each recruitment process stage, from ad attractiveness to talent retention.
• They serve to guide HR decisions with reliable data to identify bottlenecks.
• Key performance indicator choice must always align with company priorities: accelerating recruitment, controlling costs, improving candidate experience, or strengthening retention.
• An ATS like JobAffinity allows recruiters to centralize these KPIs and optimize their campaigns to be more effective.

What is a Recruitment KPI?

Recruitment KPIs are indicators specifically dedicated to human resources aimed at helping recruiters quantify their recruitment and hiring process effectiveness. KPIs obtain detailed, updated numerical data, such as application rate or abandonment rate, to measure the recruitment process in place in the company.

For example, if time to fill (time to fill a position) exceeds the sector average, this may indicate lack of effective sourcing or overly heavy internal procedures. Recruitment KPIs rely on data collected automatically (via an ATS like JobAffinity, via Google Analytics for career sites, or via job boards) or manually (candidate satisfaction surveys, manager feedback).

What Are Recruitment KPIs For?

Recruitment KPIs serve as guides for human resources departments to direct recruitment efforts and ensure the company stays on track to achieve its talent acquisition objectives. By carefully examining KPIs, recruiters can gather valuable information on:

• Their process effectiveness: by quickly identifying what slows recruitment to streamline the process and reduce time spent before integrating a new employee.
• Identifying areas for improvement: each indicator highlights a specific improvement axis. For example, a high application abandonment rate signals an overly complex form or poorly functioning career site. These signals precisely target corrective actions.
• Decisions to make based on data: HR teams, thanks to KPIs, will base themselves on precise data and can recruit more effectively, being more aligned with company objectives.

List of KPIs Applicable to Recruitment

There are several recruitment-specific KPIs that measure its effectiveness:

• Recruitment KPIs related to company activity,
• Recruitment KPIs related to attractiveness and employer brand,
• Candidate recruitment KPIs,
• Recruitment process performance KPIs,
• Recruitment cost management KPIs,
• Post-recruitment KPIs.

Recruitment KPIs Related to Company Activity

KPIs related to company activity assess recruitment's direct impact on organizational health and stability. These indicators translate major issues into numbers such as:

• Turnover rate, or workforce stability,
• Recruitment need, or anticipating future needs.

Turnover Rate

Turnover rate measures the proportion of employees leaving the company over a given period (voluntarily or not). It is generally expressed as a percentage relative to total workforce. Each departure incurs additional company costs—recruitment, training, integration—loss of skills, and often decreased motivation for remaining teams.

This KPI is measured as follows: Turnover rate = (Average workforce over a period / Number of departures over the same period) x 100.

For example, a company averages 100 employees over the year. During this period, 15 employees leave the company. The turnover rate is then = 15/100 x 100 = 15%. This means 15% of the workforce was renewed over the year.

A turnover rate above 20% is often considered concerning as it leads to high costs and lack of team continuity.

To reduce your turnover rate:

• Strengthen onboarding and integration of new employees.
• Invest in skills development and internal mobility.
• Improve management quality and internal communication.
• Implement regular engagement surveys to anticipate departures.

Recruitment Need

Recruitment need corresponds to the volume of positions the company must fill over a given period, most often over the year. Tracking this need shows how many recruitments will be necessary to maintain activity and achieve company-set objectives.

Poorly anticipating recruitment needs leads to rushed, costly, and sometimes unsuitable hires. Conversely, planning recruitment well ensures activity continuity and promotes hiring quality.

To calculate recruitment need, you must consider several elements:

• Calculation based on workforce planning (current workforce vs. target workforce).
• Accounting for expected departures (retirements, contract endings, estimated turnover).
• Integration of growth-related position creations (new projects, site openings).

To improve recruitment need anticipation:

• Implement workforce planning in collaboration with operational managers. This concretely involves anticipating how many positions must be filled in coming months or years, which profiles will be necessary, and when.
• Use turnover and growth histories to forecast needs.
• Prioritize strategic recruitment according to company objectives.
• Develop internal mobility to limit external needs.

Recruitment KPIs Related to Attractiveness and Employer Brand

KPIs related to attractiveness and employer brand measure the company's ability to attract and convince potential candidates. They show whether communication actions and distribution channels attract enough qualified talents. These KPIs notably include:

• Career site traffic and conversion rate,
• Ad bounce rate,
• Number of professional social network followers,
• Number of spontaneous applications,
• Source of received CVs.

Career Site Traffic and Conversion Rate

The career site conversion rate measures the proportion of visitors who, after viewing the site, actually submit an application. A site attracting much traffic but converting little often reveals a content problem (overly generic ads, lack of information, unintuitive user interface, etc.).

This KPI is measured as follows: Conversion rate = (Number of applications / Number of career site visitors) x 100.

For example, if your career site receives 5,000 visitors per month and generates 250 applications, the conversion rate is 5%.

To improve your conversion rate:

• Optimize your ads (clear title, detailed missions, highlighted benefits).
• Simplify the application form and ensure it's mobile-friendly.
• Improve site navigation and speed.
• Add testimonials or videos to strengthen attractiveness and employer trust.

Ad Bounce Rate

Bounce rate indicates the percentage of visitors leaving an ad page without interacting (no click, no application). A high rate suggests the ad doesn't meet candidate expectations or lacks clarity.

This KPI can be tracked via Google Analytics or through an integrated ATS. Generally, a bounce rate above 70% is often considered too high.

To reduce your bounce rate:

• Polish ad titles and hooks.
• Provide precise, concrete position information.
• Add visuals, videos, or testimonials.
• Check mobile compatibility and page loading speed.

Number of Professional Social Network Followers

The number of followers on LinkedIn, X, or any other professional social network reflects company notoriety and influence among talents. The larger and more engaged your community, the more your published ads gain visibility and credibility.

Follower tracking can be done directly via social platform statistics (LinkedIn Analytics, Meta Business Suite, etc.).

To increase your follower count:

• Regularly publish relevant content (employee testimonials, behind-the-scenes, job offers).
• Encourage employees to share HR publications.
• Highlight company culture and values.
• Use targeted sponsored campaigns to gain visibility.

Number of Spontaneous Applications

Spontaneous applications are a strong attractiveness indicator, as they show candidates want to join the company even without job offers. This means the company is perceived as an attractive employer capable of generating interest beyond open positions.

To track this KPI, it's useful to count applications received outside published ads, via career site or via dedicated form of the recruitment software used.

To stimulate spontaneous applications:

• Highlight a clear "spontaneous application" section on the career site.
• Showcase company culture and employee testimonials.
• Communicate career prospects and internal advancement.
• Maintain employer brand on social networks and in press.

Source of Received CVs (Candidate Rate by Source)

This KPI measures sourcing channel performance: job boards, LinkedIn, career site, cooptation, recruitment agencies, etc. It shows where candidates apply most and identifies the most profitable channels.

This KPI is measured as follows: Rate by source = (Number of applications from a source / Total number of applications) x 100.

For example, if you receive 500 total applications, including 200 via LinkedIn, LinkedIn represents 40% of your applications.

To optimize your application sources:

• Focus budget on most performing channels.
• Diversify sources to avoid dependence on a single channel.
• Implement internal cooptation program.
• Regularly track each source's performance evolution to adjust strategy.

Candidate Recruitment KPIs

**Candidate-related KPIs directly measure candidate experience throughout the recruitment process. They show whether candidates find ads understandable, whether they easily apply, and whether they feel well supported during different stages. These indicators translate factual elements into numerical data such as:

• Application abandonment rate, or candidate journey fluidity,
• Response rate to each application,
• Candidate satisfaction rate.

Application Abandonment Rate

**Abandonment rate measures the proportion of candidates who start applying but don't complete the process. This may be due to an overly long, complicated application form with too many required fields, unclear stages, or poor mobile adaptation.

This KPI is measured as follows: Abandonment rate = (Number of incomplete applications / Number of initiated applications) x 100.

For example, if out of 1,000 candidates starting an application, 300 don't complete it, you have a 30% abandonment rate.

To reduce abandonment rate:

• Simplify the form (limit required field number).
• Make career site and forms fully mobile-accessible.
• Allow automatic CV import or LinkedIn profile use.
• Inform candidate from the start of estimated form completion time.

Response Rate to Each Application

This KPI measures the proportion of candidates receiving company feedback, whether positive (interview invitation, job offer) or negative (application rejection). A low response rate can generate frustration, give an unprofessional recruitment process image, and harm employer brand. Conversely, a high response rate shows the company values candidate time and investment, even when not selected.

This KPI is measured as follows: Response rate = (Number of candidates receiving response / Total number of applications) x 100.

For example, if you received 100 applications for a position but only 10 received a response, positive or negative, your response rate is only 10%.

To improve response rate:

• Automate responses via an ATS like JobAffinity.
• Train recruiters to quickly respond to unselected candidates.
• Set maximum response deadlines.
• Use customizable response templates to save time.

Candidate Satisfaction Rate

Satisfaction rate reflects candidates' perception of the recruitment process on several levels:

• Ad clarity
• Communication
• Deadlines
• Interview quality

If candidates feel treated with seriousness and consideration, this positively impacts company image and employer brand.

Candidate satisfaction rate is generally measured using a survey sent after recruitment process completion, whether the candidate was selected or not. The goal is to gather their feelings about different recruitment process levels.

To improve candidate satisfaction:

• Communicate regularly throughout the process.
• Provide constructive feedback even to unselected candidates.
• Train recruiters and managers to conduct respectful, transparent interviews.
• Reduce delays between each recruitment stage.

Recruitment Process Performance KPIs

Recruitment process performance KPIs highlight speed, fluidity, and quality. They show whether HR efforts lead to successful recruitments or if adjustments must be made to gain efficiency. They notably include:

• Number of CVs received,
• Recruitment process duration,
• Offer acceptance rate.

Number of CVs Received

Number of CVs received corresponds to total application volume recorded for a given position. This KPI directly indicates whether the ad attracts enough profiles and whether distribution strategy works properly. A high volume of received CVs shows the offer is visible and generates interest, while too low a volume may reveal targeting, writing, or distribution channel choice problems.

This data is generally directly accessible in your ATS, which automatically centralizes applications received via career site, job boards, or social networks. Without an ATS, you can also gather these numbers from used distribution platforms—LinkedIn, Indeed, Apec, etc.—which provide statistics on application numbers generated by each ad.

To improve application numbers:

• Distribute offers across multiple relevant channels: job boards, social networks, career sites, etc.
• Optimize ad content: precise title, detailed missions, suitable keywords. This facilitates search engine visibility and makes the offer more attractive to candidates.
• Develop employer brand: communicating company culture, values, and offered benefits spontaneously attracts motivated candidates, increasing CV volume and quality.

Recruitment Process Duration (Time to Hire)

**Time to hire measures elapsed time between when a candidate applies and when they accept the job offer. It reflects company ability to quickly process applications, organize interviews, and make decisions without slowing the process. Too long a time to hire can discourage the best profiles, who risk accepting another offer.

This KPI is measured as follows: Time to hire = Offer acceptance date − Application date.

For example, if a candidate applies March 1st and accepts the offer March 25th, time to hire is 24 days.

To reduce time to hire:

• Accelerate pre-selection through a performing ATS, automatically filtering CVs.
• Reduce unnecessary interview numbers to save time.
• Involve managers quickly in the process. The earlier managers are involved, the fewer blockages or delays in decision-making.
• Automate certain stages: using digital tools to schedule interviews, send online tests, or confirm candidate availability streamlines the journey and reduces wait times.

Offer Acceptance Rate

Offer acceptance rate measures the proportion of candidates made an offer who accept it. A low acceptance rate often indicates offered conditions (salary, benefits, missions) aren't sufficiently competitive compared to market, or candidate experience created doubts during the process.

This KPI is measured as follows: Acceptance rate = (Number of accepted offers / Total number of offers made) x 100.

For example, over a year, a company makes 10 job offers and 7 are accepted. This means 70% of offers result in actual hiring.

To improve acceptance rate:

• Conduct regular market salary and benefits monitoring to stay competitive and attract the best profiles.
• Highlight company culture and advancement prospects.
• Personalize the offer according to candidate profile of interest to the company: for example by adapting certain benefits (remote work, training, bonuses).
• Improve communication during the process to keep candidate engaged until offer acceptance.

Recruitment Cost Management KPIs

Cost management KPIs help companies know how much a hire actually costs and identify levers to optimize these expenses. They assess action profitability and adjust budget accordingly. This provides visibility on:

• Total recruitment cost,
• Cost per recruitment,
• Internal recruitment rate.

Total Recruitment Cost

**Total recruitment cost represents all expenses incurred to fill one or more positions. It includes direct costs (ad distribution, job boards, agency fees, software) and indirect costs (time spent by recruiters and managers, integration training, etc.).

To measure this recruitment KPI, all expenses related to a recruitment campaign over a defined period (for example a year or quarter) must be added.

To reduce total recruitment cost:

• Centralize applications via an ATS to save time and limit external fees.
• Develop internal cooptation, often less expensive than paid channels.
• Improve employer brand to generate more spontaneous applications and reduce agency dependence.
• Regularly track costs to identify largest expenses.

Cost per Recruitment

**Cost per recruitment corresponds to average expense to hire a candidate. This indicator compares different campaign and sourcing channel effectiveness.

This KPI is measured as follows: Cost per recruitment = Total recruitment cost / Number of completed hires.

For example, if a company spends €50,000 to recruit 20 people, average cost per recruitment is €2,500.

To optimize cost per recruitment:

• Identify most performing channels and invest primarily there.
• Establish school/university partnerships to access a candidate pool less expensive.
• Focus on internal mobility to limit external search costs.
• Automate certain tasks (pre-qualification, scheduling) to reduce mobilized HR time.

Internal Recruitment Rate

Internal recruitment rate measures the proportion of positions filled through internal mobility or promotions, rather than external recruitment. A high rate often indicates good talent management and attractive career plan.

This KPI is measured as follows: Internal recruitment rate = (Number of positions filled internally / Total number of recruitments) x 100.

For example, if out of 50 recruitments, 15 come from internal mobility, internal recruitment rate is 30%.

To improve internal recruitment rate:

• Implement clear internal mobility plan common to all employees.
• Value training paths to prepare employees to advance to new positions.
• Involve managers in identifying high-potential talents.

Post-Recruitment KPIs

Post-recruitment KPIs evaluate a hire's success once the employee is integrated. They thus measure company ability to retain its talents and meet manager expectations. A recruitment is truly successful only if the employee stays with the company and thrives. It notably includes:

• Candidate retention rate,
• Manager satisfaction rate.

Candidate Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the proportion of new employees staying with the company after a defined period (often 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year). A high retention rate means recruitments match both parties' expectations. Conversely, a low rate reveals onboarding, management problems, or lack of fit between offered position and actual position.

This KPI is measured as follows: Retention rate = (Total number of new recruits / Number of new employees still in position after [x] months) x 100.

For example, out of 20 completed recruitments, 16 employees are still present after 1 year. This means retention rate is 80%.

To improve retention rate:

• Implement structured onboarding journey.
• Ensure regular new employee follow-up with manager.
• Clarify missions and objectives from position start.
• Promote skills development and internal mobility.

Manager Satisfaction Rate

Manager satisfaction rate reflects managers' perception of new recruits. A recruitment succeeds if the employee quickly brings value to the team and achieves their objectives.

Manager satisfaction rate can be measured using internal survey conducted after trial period or at regular intervals (for example, every 6 or 12 months). Managers are invited to evaluate new recruits according to different criteria such as:

• Mastery of expected skills,
• Team adaptability,
• Ability to achieve set objectives
• Motivation.

To improve manager satisfaction:

• Involve managers upstream in need definition and candidate selection.
• Implement recruitment criteria aligned with operational expectations.
• Promote regular communication between HR and managers to adjust sought profiles.
• Schedule follow-up points after integration to quickly identify difficulties.

How to Choose the Right Recruitment KPIs?

To choose the right recruitment KPIs, you must first start from your company's specific objectives and select indicators allowing you to verify their achievement. This involves several steps:

• Define your objectives: you must determine in advance what the company wants to improve in its recruitment (speed, costs, candidate experience, retention, etc.).
• Associate each objective with one or two KPIs: for example, speed will be time to hire, costs will be cost per recruitment, retention will be retention rate, etc.
• Limit KPI number: it's not necessary to track all recruitment KPIs. Track indicators corresponding to your priorities and ensure regular monitoring.
• Set appropriate tracking frequency: some KPIs must be checked continuously, like number of applications received, while others measure over a longer period, like one-year retention rate. Once your KPIs are selected, attach an appropriate tracking frequency.
• Analyze evolution over time: a KPI makes full sense when compared with past results or market trends.
• Use reliable automation tools: using recruitment software greatly facilitates data measurement, reliability, and reporting.

Well chosen and regularly tracked, recruitment KPIs align recruitment with company objectives and make decisions based on concrete, numerical, reliable data. An ATS like JobAffinity facilitates this tracking by centralizing all indicators to transform recruitment into true performance levers.

Book a demo today