Calculator

Time to Fill Calculator

Q: What is time to fill in recruiting?

Time to fill (TTF) is the number of calendar days from when a job requisition is opened (or posted) to when a job offer is accepted. It is one of the most commonly tracked recruiting KPIs. TTF measures the speed of your entire hiring process — the shorter your TTF, the faster you are getting qualified candidates hired and reducing the cost of vacant positions. SHRM's 2023 benchmark puts the average time to fill across all industries at 44 days, though this varies significantly by role, seniority, and industry. Tech roles can average 55-65 days. High-volume, entry-level roles can be as low as 10-15 days with a well-functioning process.

Q: What is the difference between time to fill and time to hire?

Time to fill measures the period from when a job requisition opens to when an offer is accepted. Time to hire measures from when a candidate first enters your pipeline (applies or is sourced) to when they accept an offer. The difference is the sourcing period — time to fill includes the days you spend posting the job before receiving the first application, while time to hire starts the clock when the first qualified candidate appears. Both metrics are useful, but for different purposes: TTF measures overall process efficiency including time-to-market for your job posting; time to hire measures the evaluation process speed once you have candidates.

Q: What is a good time to fill?

A good time to fill depends heavily on the role and industry. General benchmarks: entry-level and high-volume roles (retail, BPO, hospitality): 10-20 days. Mid-level professional roles: 25-35 days. Senior/specialist roles: 35-50 days. Executive roles: 60-90 days. Tech engineering roles: 40-60 days. If your TTF is significantly above these benchmarks, the most common culprits are: slow CV review (taking more than 3 days), difficult calendar coordination for interviews (taking more than 7 days per round), slow scorecard submission by interviewers, and prolonged offer approval processes.

Q: How does an ATS reduce time to fill?

An ATS reduces time to fill through several mechanisms: (1) Automated application acknowledgment and screening emails eliminate manual communication delays. (2) Integrated calendar scheduling removes back-and-forth email chains for interview booking. (3) Automated stage-change notifications prompt interviewers to submit scorecards. (4) Parallel interview scheduling lets multiple rounds happen simultaneously rather than sequentially. (5) One-click multi-board job posting reduces time from job approval to live posting. (6) Pipeline dashboards give recruiters and managers real-time visibility into where delays are occurring. Research indicates that ATS users reduce TTF by 20-40% compared to manual email and spreadsheet-based hiring.

Enter the average number of days each hiring stage takes. The calculator gives you your total TTF, compares it to benchmarks, and shows which stage is slowing you down most.

Job Brief → Job Posting LiveTime from approved job brief to job posted on job boards

First Applications → CV Review CompleteTime from first applications received to shortlist created

CV Review → Phone Screens CompleteTime from shortlist to all phone screens done and assessed

Phone Screen → HM Interview CompleteScheduling + conducting + scorecard submission

HM Interview → Technical Assessment CompleteIf applicable — set to 0 if you don’t use assessments

Assessment → Final Interview CompleteScheduling + conducting + debrief decision

Final Interview Decision → Verbal Offer MadeTime to make the hire/no-hire decision and deliver verbal offer

Verbal Offer → Written Offer AcceptedTime for candidate to review, negotiate, and sign

Your Time-to-Fill (days)

SHRM Average (all roles)

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days vs. benchmark

Bottleneck Analysis

Your longest stage is being calculated...

Industry Benchmarks by Role Type

Role Type	Average TTF	Best-in-class TTF	Notes
Entry-level / High-volume (retail, BPO, hospitality)	10–20 days	< 10 days	Shorter process; fewer interview rounds
Mid-level professional (generalist)	25–35 days	< 21 days	SHRM cross-industry avg: 44 days
Tech / Engineering	40–60 days	< 30 days	Longer technical assessment stages
Sales (AE, SDR)	20–35 days	< 21 days	High urgency; many candidates available
Senior / Director level	35–55 days	< 30 days	More stakeholders involved in decision
Executive (VP+, C-suite)	60–90 days	< 60 days	Often search-assisted; complex negotiation

How to Reduce Each Stage

Job Posting Speed: Draft and approve job descriptions before the role is officially opened. Maintain a library of approved JD templates that can be adapted in 30 minutes rather than written from scratch.

CV Review: Set a 48-hour SLA for recruiters to review each batch. Use structured screening criteria so reviewers make consistent decisions without extended deliberation.

Interview Scheduling: The biggest TTF killer is calendar coordination. Pre-block interview slots on hiring manager calendars for 4-6 weeks whenever a role opens. Use an ATS with integrated scheduling to eliminate email chains.

Scorecard Submission: Set a 48-hour submission deadline. Use automated reminders from your ATS. Scorecard delays are the second most common source of process drift.

Offer Speed: Prepare the offer letter template in advance. Make the verbal offer within 24 hours of the final decision. Written offer follows the same day or next morning. Every day between decision and offer is a risk of the candidate accepting a competing offer.

Treegarden reduces time-to-fill by up to 40%

Automated scheduling, stage-change reminders, AI screening, and parallel interview coordination. Most teams hit 25–30 days TTF within 3 months of adoption.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is time to fill in recruiting?

Time to fill is the number of calendar days from when a job requisition opens to when an offer is accepted. SHRM’s 2023 benchmark is 44 days across all industries. Tech roles average 55–65 days. Entry-level roles with good processes can reach 10–15 days.

What is the difference between time to fill and time to hire?

Time to fill: requisition open to offer accepted. Time to hire: first candidate in pipeline to offer accepted. TTF includes the posting period before receiving applications. Both are useful but for different purposes: TTF measures overall process efficiency; time to hire measures evaluation speed.

What is a good time to fill?

Entry-level: 10–20 days. Mid-level: 25–35 days. Senior/specialist: 35–50 days. Executive: 60–90 days. Tech engineering: 40–60 days. The most common cause of above-benchmark TTF: slow CV review, calendar coordination delays, and slow scorecard submission.

How does an ATS reduce time to fill?

Through automated screening, integrated calendar scheduling, scorecard deadline reminders, parallel interview coordination, and one-click multi-board job posting. ATS users reduce TTF by 20–40% compared to email/spreadsheet-based hiring.