Recruiter KPI Metrics — The Six Numbers That Actually Predict a Hire

The six metrics

Each one answers a different question. O and A describe volume, TF and TPC describe speed, RI describes difficulty, SV describes the probability that effort converts into a hire.

• O (Offers) — offers extended on the role
• A (Accepted) — relevant candidates accepted into the process by the client
• TF (Time to Fill) — days from opening to hire
• TPC (Time per Presented Candidate) — TF ÷ A; the lower, the faster the client processes people
• RI (Resource Intake) — (TF + A) ÷ O; effort consumed per offer produced
• SV (Success Velocity) — RI ÷ TPC; how quickly probability turns into a hire

How to read them together

Benchmarks matter more than absolute values. RI around 25 is a fast role. TPC of 3 days or below means you are presenting genuinely relevant people. SV rising is the signal that the role will close in the current period.

• High SV is the best predictor there is — when SV clearly exceeds TPC, expect a close next period
• TPC is a force multiplier: a hard role (RI 52) becomes a strong one (SV 43) if the client responds within ~1.2 days
• The low-RI trap: precise sourcing (RI 9–16) is wasted when SV sits at 1–2 — that is a client-speed problem, not a recruiter problem
• Always report TPC next to RI, or a slow client will look like a weak recruiter

Which KPIs to drop

Calls made, CVs sent and 'candidates in pipeline' reward volume and punish judgement. They are easy to inflate and tell a hiring manager nothing about whether the role closes. If a metric cannot change a decision this week, it is a report, not a KPI.

Where the numbers come from

FindHire computes all six from pipeline events inside the recruiting CRM — stage changes, presentations, offers and hires — and freezes them when a vacancy closes. The recruiter's public portfolio publishes the aggregate, alongside verified client reviews, so results are provable rather than claimed. The CRM, the metrics and the portfolio are free.

Frequently asked questions