What Is Time to Hire?
Time to hire is a recruiting metric that measures the number of days between when a candidate enters your pipeline (or a job is opened) and when they accept an offer.
Time to hire is a recruiting metric that measures the number of days between when a candidate enters your pipeline (or a job is opened) and when they accept an offer. It's distinct from "time to fill" (which measures from job requisition approval to acceptance) — though the terms are often used interchangeably.
Time-to-Hire Benchmarks by Role
| Role | Average Time to Hire | Best-in-Class |
|---|---|---|
| SDR | 36 days | 14–21 days |
| BDR | 33 days | 14–21 days |
| Account Executive | 42 days | 21–30 days |
| Sales Manager | 50 days | 30–40 days |
Why Time to Hire Matters
Every day a sales seat sits empty costs revenue. An SDR generating $50K/month in pipeline means a 36-day vacancy costs ~$60K in lost pipeline. For AEs, the math is worse — a vacant AE seat can cost $100K+ per month in unrealized revenue.
Long time-to-hire also means losing candidates to faster-moving competitors. Top sales talent gets multiple offers. If your process takes 6 weeks and a competitor offers in 2, you lose.
What Drives Long Time to Hire
- Sourcing bottleneck — insufficient pipeline of qualified candidates
- Scheduling delays — too many interview rounds, slow interviewer availability
- Decision paralysis — waiting for "one more candidate" instead of moving on strong options
- Approval bottleneck — compensation approval, headcount sign-off taking weeks
How to Cut Time to Hire
The biggest gains come from fixing the sourcing bottleneck. If it takes 2 weeks just to build a candidate pipeline, your time-to-hire floor is already 2+ weeks before a single interview. AI-powered passive sourcing through Shortlist delivers pre-screened, scored candidates in 48 hours — cutting the sourcing phase from weeks to days. Post your role free →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average time to hire?
Across all industries, average time to hire is 36–44 days. For sales roles specifically: SDRs average 36 days, BDRs 33 days, and AEs 42 days.
What is the difference between time to hire and time to fill?
Time to hire measures from candidate pipeline entry to offer acceptance. Time to fill measures from job requisition approval to acceptance — it includes the planning phase before sourcing begins.
How can I reduce time to hire?
Fix the sourcing bottleneck (use AI-powered tools), reduce interview rounds to 2–3 max, set decision deadlines, and pre-approve compensation ranges before sourcing.
Why does time to hire matter for sales roles?
Every day a sales seat is empty costs pipeline and revenue. A 36-day SDR vacancy costs ~$60K in lost pipeline. Top candidates also accept other offers if your process is slow.