120+ Key Recruiting Statistics for Hiring Managers in 2024

Unlock essential recruiting statistics for hiring managers, gaining valuable insights to streamline and optimize your recruitment processes.

In a corporate setting where every edge counts in creating leverage over competitors, recruiting strategy plays a crucial role in the success of a company.
To better understand recruiting trends and patterns, below is a list of recruiting statistics to help companies, hiring managers, and job seekers.

COVID-19’s Impact on Recruiting

Due to COVID-19, there has been a 135% rise in remote job offerings. (Meetfrank, 2020)
Only 46% of HR professionals in the U.S. are prepared to adapt to a virtual recruiting and hiring process. (Doodle***, 2020)
78% of organizations have changed the volume of recruiting and hiring, the majority of them freezing hiring or slowing. (TLNT, 2020)
The pandemic has caused near-term layoffs to rise to 12.8%, while the new hires equal at 3.8%, or in other terms, three new hires per ten layoffs. (University of Chicago, 2020)
60% of companies currently have hiring freezes. (Meetfrank, 2020)
Only 5% of organizations reported increasing the volume of new hires. (TLNT, 2020)
Less than 2% of respondents said that COVID-19 has not disrupted their recruiting and hiring operations. (TLNT, 2020)
The current unemployment rate in the United States in May was 13.3%. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020)
It is estimated that around 42% of the recent pandemic-related lay-offs will result in permanent job losses. (University of Chicago, 2020)
Virtual recruitment has become the most used method in the hiring process. (Yello, 2020)

Onboarding Statistics

A great onboarding process can improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%. (Glassdoor, 2015)
Only about 1-in-10 employees strongly agree their organization does an excellent job of onboarding new employees. (Gallup, 2018)
Negative onboarding experiences make new hires twice as likely to look for other opportunities. (Digitate, 2018)
80% of workers who had a position onboarding experience hold their company in high regard. (BambooHR, 2023)
33% of new employees want their manager or supervisor to show them the ropes. (BambooHR, 2023)
56% of new hires consider having an onboarding buddy essential to get them up to speed. (BambooHR, 2023)

Work Culture Statistics

84% of recruiters have reported that culture fit has become a key factor when hiring. (Cubiks, 2016)
For 25% of respondents, better company culture is the top reason for a job change. (Linkedin, 2017)
Two-thirds of job seekers said that a diverse workforce is important when choosing a company. (Glassdoor, 2014)
According to Mercer, 79% of organizations focus on developing and promoting talent from within, and 48% increase their recruitment from the shallow labor pool. (Mercer, 2021)
According to nearly 5,000 professionals, people were looking for a new job in 2018 because they were bored with their current position. (Kornferry*, 2018)
One-third of respondents said they’d want a new job because they were looking for a new challenge. Only 19% said their top priority of a new job is a higher salary – lower than the number of people who say they are looking because they lost or expect to lose their current employment. 2017 was the fourth year in a row the nation added at least 2 million more jobs. (Kornferry, 2018)
72% of working Americans polled would or may consider leaving a company for one that they believe is more inclusive. Roughly one-quarter of all responders had already done so. (Deloitte**, 2018)
A poll of 1,300 full-time employees throughout the U.S. discovered that an inclusive culture is critical for acquiring and keeping talent. (Deloitte, 2018)
80% of respondents believe that inclusivity is an essential aspect of hiring. (Deloitte, 2018)
Younger generations place a more significant value on an inclusive culture, with 53% of millennials indicating that if they could find the same job, they would leave an organization for an inclusive one. (Deloitte, 2018)
30% of millennials polled have already left a job searching for a more inclusive atmosphere at another company. (Deloitte, 2018)
33% of respondents left previous organizations for more inclusive ones because they didn’t feel comfortable being themselves at their last workplace, followed by not feeling comfortable speaking up and expressing opinions, not experiencing inclusive day-to-day interactions, and not being in an environment that provided a sense of purpose or impact (28% each). (Deloitte, 2018)
Diversity of demographic groupings was identified by 12% of U.S. respondents because they left a prior organization for a more inclusive one. (Deloitte, 2018)
According to nearly half of all respondents (47%), one of the most significant characteristics of an inclusive workplace is “an environment that allows me to be myself.” (Deloitte, 2018)
Almost a third of respondents (32%) feel that senior leadership has by far the most effect on workplace inclusion, while nearly the same number believe that everyone has a role to play (34%). Meaning, to achieve change, action, and direction from the top must be accompanied by commitment at all levels. (Deloitte, 2018)
71% of those polled indicated they would choose an organization with leadership that regularly displays inclusive attitudes over one that offers a variety of initiatives. (Deloitte, 2018)
57% of recruiters say their talent acquisition tactics are created to attract diverse applicants. (Ideal.com, 2021)
52% of HR professionals say their companies retain employees even if they aren’t a good cultural fit. (Jobvite, 2022)

Recruiting Process Statistics

The average length of the hiring process is 36 days. (SHRM, 2017)
On average job postings will receive 250 resumes. Of those 4-6 candidates will get an interview. (Glassdoor, 2015)
77% of recruiters use LinkedIn for recruitment, making it the most-used channel. (Jobvite, 2018)
Over 50% of recruiters reach out to candidates via email; the second most used channel is LinkedIn InMail. (Entelo, 2018)
77% of professionals want to hear good news by phone, while 66% want to hear bad news by email. (LinkedIn, 2015)
If rejected, 94% of professionals want to hear interview feedback. (LinkedIn, 2015)
According to 23% of people in the US, the first step of a job search was to update their resumes. (Kornferry, 2018)
For every corporate job opening, recruiters receive 250 resumes on average. (Kornferry, 2018)
44% of US citizens said that early self-reflection and networking were the first step and most efficient in a new job search. Because networking is about relationship-building and focusing first on how you can help others so they can help you or stand by you when needed. (Kornferry, 2018)
Understanding how to optimize the job recruitment process can shorten the hiring cycle by 60% while improving quality. (Builtin.com, 2021)
A new position takes an average of 27 days to fill. (SHRM, 2021)
The top prospect candidates are off the market in 10 days. (Builtin.com, 2019)
To stay adaptable in their recruiting approach, 40% of organizations make sure they make the process faster. (Jobvite, 2022)
85% of companies say their average hiring time is four weeks or less. 32% say they hire new talent in less than two weeks. (Jobvite, 2022)
Recruiters spend about seven to ten days sourcing talent for the position. (Jobvite, 2022)
Almost half of the recruiters say their hiring time is shorter today than a year ago. (Jobvite, 2022)
To make the process shorter, talent acquisition managers cut time on interviewing with the hiring manager and team (63%), screening interviews (62%), sourcing (39%), and offer process (37%). (Jobvite, 2022)
79% of organizations utilize automation and AI tools in their recruitment and hiring processes. (SHRM, 2022)
HR professionals use automation or AI to communicate with applicants during the interview process (69%), to review or screen resumes (64%), and to automate searches (52%). (SHRM, 2022)
85% report that the main reason for utilizing automation or AI in their recruitment process is because it saves time and increases efficiency. (SHRM, 2022)

Recruitment Trends

The labor market, according to 86% of recruiters and 62% of employers, is candidate-driven. (SHRM, 2016)
Passive job seekers account for 73% of all candidates. (HR Cloud, 2019)
Over 14% of candidates stated that the most critical marketing material influencing their decision to apply was the company’s values. (Recruiting Daily, 2015)
According to Glassdoor, 89% of job seekers consider their mobile devices essential for job searching, and 45% use them at least once per day. (Glassdoor, 2021)
Оnly 29% of Australia’s largest companies, 30% of Hong Kong’s largest companies, and 32% of the largest universities in the United States have fully mobile-optimized career sites. Southeast Asia had even lower figures (10%). (Pageuppeople, 2018)
Мobile devices account for 16% of all applications submitted. (Pageuppeople, 2018)
Structured interviews are the most frequent (74%) interview technique used by HR professionals. (TalentLyft, 2019)
82% of companies use some form of pre-employment test to assess candidates. (SHRM, 2018)
The three most important staffing trends for the future of recruiting and HR are soft skills (91%), work flexibility (72%), and pay transparency (53%). (Linkedin, 2019)
56% of companies offer signing bonuses to new business school hires, the median bonus is $10,500. (GMAC, 2018)
80% of respondents say soft skills like creativity, adaptability, and collaboration are increasingly vital to company success. (Linkedin, 2019)
51% of the companies plan to hire temporary employees, and 44% are looking to hire full-time employees. (PR Newswire, 2018)
90% of job applicants use their smartphones to look for work. (Aihr.com, 2021)
32% of organizations now overlook candidate resume gaps. (Jobvite, 2022)
54% of HR decision-makers expect their company’s recruitment spending to increase in the next year. (Jobvite, 2022)
Organizations that will increase their recruiting budget are planning to invest in new recruitment technology processes (59%), job advertising (57%), hiring new recruiting roles (45%), expanding their existing recruitment technology (43%), employer brand initiatives (35), and implementing DEI programs (33%). (Jobvite, 2022)
45% of acquisition professionals plan to outsource jobs to freelancers and gig workers. (Jobvite, 2022)
92% of corporate recruiters plan to hire MBAs, 88% will look for Masters in management, and 86% will recruit Masters in data and business analytics. (GMAC, 2022)
The most critical skills for corporate talent acquisition managers are learning, motivation, and leadership (62%), interpersonal skills (61%), and strategy and innovation (60%). (GMAC, 2022)
60% of corporate recruiters worldwide see online degrees as equal to in-person degrees. (GMAC, 2022)
The top priority for 61% of recruiters in the next year will be improving the candidate quality. (Jobvite, 2023)
77% of employers haven’t reduced hiring plans or implemented a hiring freeze in 2022, despite worries about recession and layoffs. (Jobvite, 2023)
60% of talent acquisition professionals anticipate hiring more people next year. (Jobvite, 2023)
The number of applications for a job position during the first 30 days increased by 8.7% between Q2 and Q3 2022. (Jobvite, 2023)

Challenges for Recruiters

The biggest challenge for 76% of recruiters is attracting quality candidates. (Glassdoor, 2017)
The average opening sat unfulfilled for 28.1 days. (Glassdoor, 2017)
17% of recruiters do not know or do not track what their average cost per hire is. (Yello, 2020)
Recruiters on average spend a third of their workweek sourcing candidates. (Entelo, 2018)
42% of managers are worried they won’t be able to find the talent they need. (Indeed, 2018)
Approximately 72.8% of recruiters are struggling to find relevant candidates. (Jobadder, 2021)
86% of the most qualified candidates for the job opening are already employed and not actively seeking a new job. (Gem, 2019)
20.8% of recruiters say it’s challenging to keep up with candidate demands. (The Future of Jobs Report, 2020)
Top candidates are only available for ten days before being hired. (Officevibe, 2021)
55% of job seekers abandon applications after reading negative reviews online, and only 45% of employers ever monitor or address those reviews. (The Future Recruiting Study, 2017)
50% of candidates say they would not work for a company with a bad reputation, even if the pay increase were substantial. (Harvard Business Review, 2016)
45% of the hiring managers surveyed said they could not fill the much-needed positions due to the lack of qualified talent. (Careerbuilder, 2017)
Only 10% of all candidates who use a mobile version of a website to apply for a job read the job description from beginning to end. (Builtin.com, 2021)
70% of applicants who apply for a job on the desktop version read the job description from beginning to end. (Harver.com, 2021)
Boomers, Gen X, and even some Millennials will most probably seek a job on a desktop version of a careers page. Generation Z, however, will not. Job hunting is mobile-first for individuals born between 1996 and 2012. (Harver.com, 2021)
According to 52% of talent acquisition leaders, the most challenging aspect of their work is screening individuals from a vast application pool. (Ideal.com, 2021)
The average cost of hiring has increased to $4.000. (Pivotalsolutions.com, 2020)
64% of candidates would share negative application experiences with family and friends, and 27% would even actively dissuade others from applying to the same organization. (Retorio.com, 2021)
60% of job applicants have quit an application process midway because of its length and complexity. (Hirevue.com, 2021)
Unfilled job positions make 60% of employers concerned. (Cbsnews.com, 2021)
81% of recruiters say attracting top talent has become more difficult in the last year. 33% see it as very challenging. (Jobvite, 2022)
The three top reasons why hiring will be equally or more challenging are lack of quality candidates (58%), organizational turnover (47%), and more open positions to fill (43%). (Jobvite, 2022)
For 65% of talent acquisition managers, their job has become more stressful in the last year. (Jobvite, 2022)
61% say that the main reason for being unable to fill jobs is the lack of talent, while 51% say that competition from other companies is to blame. (Jobvite, 2022)
The most challenging jobs to fill for recruiters are specialized or technical jobs (64%), high-volume jobs (48%), and entry-level positions (41%). (Jobvite, 2022)
Individual contributors (69%) and managers (52%) are the most challenging roles to find candidates for. (Jobvite, 2022)
88% of HR professionals believe hiring in 2023 will be as difficult or more challenging than in 2022. (Jobvite, 2023)

Cost of Bad Hire

Nearly three-in-four employers are affected by a poor hire. (Careerbuilder, 2017)
On average, companies lost $14,900 on every bad hire. (HRexchangenetwork, 2020)
Bad hires can result in a 32% drop in employee morale, and a 36% drop in productivity. (TheUndercoverRecruiter, 2015)
89% of recruiters say bad hires typically lack soft skills. (Linkedin, 2019)
The main reason people change jobs is a career opportunity. (Linkedin, 2015)
The four main reasons why new hires leave within the first three months are because they were the wrong candidate for the position (52%), the job description didn’t align with the actual work (36%), they got a better job offer (36%), and they lacked flexibility and autonomy (35%). (Jobvite, 2022)

Pre-Pandemic Global Workforce Statistics

There were 7.9 million job openings at the beginning of 2020. (Money, 2020)
More than one-third (35%) of the workforce in the U.S. is Millennials. (Pewresearch, 2018)
The global workforce consists of 70% passive job seekers and 30% active job seekers. (Pewresearch, 2018)
By 2025 Millennials will make up 75% of the global workforce. (Deloitte**, 2018)
86% of companies will invest in intelligence sourcing software. (Entelo, 2018)

Recruiting plays a key role in the success of a company. The tools recruiters use can aid or detract from that work. Learn more about the best recruitment software, applicant tracking system, recruiting CRM, video interviewing tool, or candidate sourcing tool.

*We’re using an archived version of the page as the source.

**We’re using an archived version of the page as the source.

***We’re using an archived version of the page as the source.

Written by shortlister editorial team

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