Time to Fill Calculator
Calculate the average number of days your organization takes to fill an open position by dividing total recruiting days by positions filled. Use this to track and improve your hiring efficiency.
About this calculator
Time to fill is a core recruiting metric that measures how long it takes, on average, to fill an open position from the moment a job requisition is opened until an offer is accepted. The formula is: Average Time to Fill = total_days / positions_filled. 'Total days' is the sum of the number of days each individual position was open before being filled. Dividing by the number of positions filled gives an average across all open roles in a given period. According to SHRM, the average time to fill across industries is approximately 36 days, though this varies significantly by role complexity and seniority. Tracking this metric over time and by department helps recruiting teams identify bottlenecks — such as slow hiring manager feedback or lengthy approval chains — and measure the impact of process improvements.
How to use
Your recruiting team filled 6 positions last quarter. The individual days to fill were: 25, 30, 40, 45, 28, and 32 days. First, sum the days: 25 + 30 + 40 + 45 + 28 + 32 = 200 total days. Enter 200 as Total Days to Fill All Positions and 6 as Number of Positions Filled. The calculator computes: Average Time to Fill = 200 / 6 ≈ 33.3 days. Compare this against your industry benchmark or prior quarter to assess whether recruiting speed is improving or declining.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good average time to fill for recruiting teams?
SHRM benchmarks average time to fill at approximately 36 days across all industries, but the right target depends heavily on role type and seniority. Entry-level and high-volume roles are often filled in 14–21 days, while senior leadership or specialized technical roles can take 60–90 days or longer. Setting role-specific benchmarks — rather than a single company-wide target — gives recruiting teams more meaningful goals. Comparing your metric to industry peers and tracking it quarter-over-quarter is more valuable than chasing a universal number.
How does time to fill differ from time to hire in HR metrics?
Time to fill measures the total elapsed days from when a job requisition is opened until an offer is accepted, capturing the full recruiting lifecycle. Time to hire, by contrast, typically measures only the candidate's journey — from when they first applied (or entered the pipeline) to when they accepted the offer. Time to fill is a broader operational metric useful for workforce planning, while time to hire reflects candidate experience and process efficiency within the selection stage. Both should be tracked together for a complete picture of recruiting performance.
Why is a long time to fill costly for organizations?
Every day a critical position remains open represents lost productivity, increased workload for existing team members, and potential revenue impact — especially for revenue-generating or customer-facing roles. Research from SHRM suggests the average cost-per-hire exceeds $4,000, and a prolonged vacancy compounds those costs. Slow hiring also risks losing top candidates to competitors, since strong candidates are typically off the market within 10 days. Reducing time to fill through better job advertising, streamlined interview processes, and pre-approved offer ranges can deliver significant bottom-line benefits.