Part of the HR metrics hub — the analytics layer of the hiring funnel. It connects to employer operations for planning and to the staffing layer when you need to bridge a gap.
What it measures
Time to fill counts the days between when a role opened — typically when the requisition was approved — and when a candidate accepted the offer. It captures the whole journey of the vacancy, including the time spent before the right candidates even appear.
It is measured per role and then summarised by role type.
Why it matters
Time to fill drives planning: it tells you how far ahead to open a role so it is filled when you need it. Long times to fill for critical roles ripple into capacity and delivery.
It also frames expectations with hiring managers and informs whether to start earlier, widen sourcing or get outside help.
Formula
Days between the job opening and the accepted offer
The end point is offer acceptance, not the candidate start date. Keep the start definition consistent.
Worked example: A role opened on day 0 and the offer accepted on day 42 gives a time to fill of 42 days.
Calculate it instantly
Use the free time to fill calculator — it runs in your browser, with no signup and nothing stored.
Inputs you need
- The date the role opened
- The date the offer was accepted
- A consistent definition of the start point
- Role type, for like-for-like comparison
How to read it
Time to fill overlaps with time to hire but starts earlier, so it is usually the longer of the two. Compare like role types — a specialised role and a high-volume role behave differently — and prefer trends for one role type over a single cross-role average.
A long time to fill is not automatically a recruiting failure; scarce skills and small markets take longer regardless of process.
Common mistakes
- Using the candidate start date instead of offer acceptance.
- Shifting the start definition between roles.
- Averaging unlike role types together.
- Confusing time to fill with time to hire.
Operational considerations
- Define the start point once and apply it to every role.
- Segment by role type before comparing.
- Use historical times to fill to set how early to open roles.
- Pair with vacancy rate and the recruitment funnel to find where time goes.
Use this metric inside the operating cadence: plan with workforce planning and headcount planning, anticipate demand with hiring forecasting, and check it against workforce capacity planning.
Free, printable planning resources
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