Recruiting metrics answer three questions: how long does a hire take, where do candidates drop out, and which sources produce people who stay. Most companies can't answer any of them, because their applicant tracking system was set up quickly and every manager uses it differently. We fix the setup, build a one-page report and make reviewing it a fifteen-minute weekly habit.
The handful of numbers that matter
You don't need a dashboard with forty tiles. You need a few numbers you trust.
| Metric | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Days in each stage | Where the waiting happens |
| Pass-through rate per stage | Where candidates are filtered, or filter you |
| Time to first response | How quickly applicants hear from a person |
| Finalist withdrawal rate | Whether the end of the process is losing people |
| Offer acceptance rate | How competitive your offer and close are |
| Source of hire | Which channels produce employees, not applicants |
| 90-day retention and scorecard rating | Whether the process picks people who succeed |
We deliberately leave out cost-per-hire calculations that depend on compensation data; those belong with your finance and HR leads.
What we set up
Stages. A standard set used for every role, with clear entry and exit rules. "Phone screen complete" means the call happened and notes are logged, not that someone intends to call.
Required fields. Source, location, reason for withdrawal or decline, each from a short fixed list so the data can be counted.
Automations. Acknowledgement messages, reminders when a candidate has sat in a stage too long, and a prompt to send decline messages.
Retention settings. How long applicant records are kept, set by your policy. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner's summary of privacy laws in Canada explains that Alberta, BC and Quebec have their own private-sector laws, while the federal law applies in most other provinces. We link; your privacy lead decides.
The weekly report. One page: open roles, candidates per stage, anything overdue, and the month's trend in time to hire.
How the work runs
Weeks 1–2: export what exists, clean it, and produce a rough baseline. We interview whoever uses the system most.
Weeks 3–4: configure stages, fields and automations; test with a dummy role.
Weeks 5–6: run live, train managers, and hold the first three weekly reviews with you.
For companies without any system, we write a short requirements list first and help you compare options on your own terms.
How results are measured
The measure of this service is whether you use the numbers to make decisions. After one hiring cycle we check:
- are stages updated within a day of the event?
- did the weekly review happen, and did it lead to an action?
- has time to first response fallen?
- can you name your top two sources of hire with confidence?
Results from our HVAC work show the value of measuring before spending: BCWide.ca reached 3× leads in 90 days with marketing that was tracked from first contact, and the same discipline applies to candidates. The results page explains what transfers.
An illustration: what the first report shows
A typical first report surprises people. Suppose it shows that applicants wait an average of six business days for first contact, that half of all withdrawals happen between the first and second interview, and that one job board produced most applicants but only one hire. None of that needs a new tool to fix. It needs a response standard, a shorter gap between interviews, and less spend on the board that doesn't produce employees. Those are three decisions you can make in a single meeting once the numbers are in front of you.
Mistakes to avoid
Too many stages. Twelve stages means nobody updates them. Six to eight is enough for most roles.
Free-text reasons. "Other" and paragraphs of notes can't be counted. Use a short list and an optional note.
Measuring recruiters, not the process. Metrics should show where the system is slow, not become a stick for one person.
Reports nobody reads. If the weekly review is skipped twice, shorten the report until it isn't.
This service pairs naturally with hiring process design. For the planning side, read the hiring capacity guide.
Frequently asked questions
We track hiring in a spreadsheet. Is that enough?
For a handful of hires a year, a well-structured spreadsheet can work. Once several managers are hiring at once, an applicant tracking system pays for itself in time and consistency. We set up whichever fits your volume.
Do you sell or resell an ATS?
No. We have no software to sell. We configure the system you have, or help you write requirements if you are choosing one.
What about candidate privacy?
Candidate data is personal information. We design stages and retention settings with privacy in mind and link the federal privacy commissioner's summary of which law applies where. Your privacy officer or counsel sets the policy.
How soon will we see useful numbers?
Historic data, where it exists, gives a rough baseline in the first two weeks. Clean, trustworthy numbers usually take one full hiring cycle on the new stages.