Benchmarking key recruitment metrics in 2012

What is the typical time to fill a vacancy in 2012?

Analysis of typical time to hire finds that it takes employers six weeks to fill a vacancy at the median, but closer analysis reveals wide variation by sector and organisation size:

• The median time to hire is significantly longer at organisations in the public sector than it is in the private sector. 
• Time to fill vacancies is typically much higher in large organisations than in small or medium-sized ones. 

The survey suggests that time to hire is comparatively static:

• Half of employers say time to hire has not changed over the past 12 months. In contrast, one in four says it has increased, while fewer than one in five say it has decreased. 
• Time to hire is most likely to be static in the public sector, where two-thirds of respondents say that it has not changed. 

What is the typical cost of filling a vacancy in 2012?

Across the whole economy, the median cost of filling a single vacancy stands at £1,500 in 2012. 

The typical cost per hire is significantly higher in the private sector than it is in the public sector, perhaps reflecting the impact of spending cuts on levels of recruitment activity in the public sector. 

The survey also looks at how recruitment costs have changed over the past year:

• Two-fifths of employers report that the typical cost of filling a vacancy has fallen. 
• Just over a quarter say it has stayed the same, while just under a quarter say it has increased. 

How to access XpertHR Benchmarking data on key recruitment metrics

These are among the key findings of XpertHR's latest annual benchmarking survey of recruitment trends, based on responses from 94 organisations with a combined workforce of 216,834 employees. 

You can access XpertHR Benchmarking data on key recruitment metrics in 2012 in the following ways:

• Recruitment Trends 2012 Subscribers to XpertHR Benchmarking can drill down into the complete results data from this survey and generate bespoke reports on how their organisation compares. 
• Recruitment metrics benchmarker Answer the questions in this spreadsheet to create a printable report on how key recruitment metrics at your organisation compare. The spreadsheet is accessible to XpertHR Benchmarking subscribers only. 
• XpertHR recruitment trends 2012: key metrics and XpertHR recruitment trends 2012: activity picks up Read XpertHR's detailed written analyses of the survey findings. 

If you have any comments or queries about this survey, or about XpertHR Benchmarking, please don't hesitate to contact me directly. 

Michael Carty, benchmarking editor

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