Recruitment marketing metrics every UK team should track

What to take away

Start with the funnel, not the dashboard

A recruitment marketing dashboard often counts clicks, impressions and followers. Those numbers show reach, not whether the campaign filled a role. Start with the applicant journey.

The funnel has five stages: impression, click, application, shortlist and hire. Each stage needs one owner and one data source. Your careers site, job boards and ATS should agree on dates.

If those systems disagree, fix the handover before adding another metric. A clear application handover prevents arguments about source. For the difference between brand work and campaign work, see this guide to employer branding and recruitment marketing.

The four metrics that answer real questions

Four measures cover most UK recruitment marketing questions. They are applications per vacancy, time to hire, cost per hire and quality of hire. Write each definition before the first report.

Set a time to hire benchmark UK teams can defend

Time to hire is the days from advert live to accepted offer. Time to fill includes the days before the advert goes live. Decide which one you report and keep it consistent.

Build your benchmark by role family, location and seniority. A median for all roles hides the difference between a warehouse operative and a senior engineer.

Illustrative example: if your ATS shows a median of 18 days for warehouse operatives and 52 days for senior engineers, those are your role family benchmarks.

ONS employment and employee types dataset can show how tight your sector is, but it is not a time to hire benchmark. CIPD's Resourcing and Talent Planning Survey 2023 is a common reference point, but it does not replace your own data.

Track the median and the 80th percentile. Review the gap between advert approval and shortlist, because marketing can often improve that stage.

Cost per hire UK: the formula is simple, the scope is not

Cost per hire is total recruitment spend divided by hires in the same period. Include job board spend, agency fees, assessment costs and careers site production. Decide whether to include internal recruiter time.

Worked example: £24,000 total recruitment spend divided by 8 hires equals £3,000 cost per hire.

Use a consistent scope for at least four quarters. A low cost per hire can mean a cheap advert, not a good hire. A high figure can be reasonable for a hard to fill specialist role.

Salary expectations also affect cost per hire. ONS earnings and working hours dataset gives a national and sector view of pay pressure. Use that context when finance asks why a role costs more to fill.

Quality of hire needs a definition before a score

Quality of hire is the hardest metric to compare across teams. It combines performance, retention and manager feedback.

A simple version uses three inputs: probation pass, manager rating at six months, and retention at 12 months. Score each from 1 to 5, then average the three.

If you monitor diversity through the funnel, follow the Equality Act 2010. The Act sets out protected characteristics and lawful recruitment monitoring. Keep monitoring data separate from selection decisions.

Report recruitment KPIs UK leaders will act on

One page is enough. Show the four metrics, the change since last month, and one decision needed. Name the owner and the next review date.

For the monthly review, check data completeness and compare each metric with the rolling four quarter median. Flag any stage that moved by more than 20 per cent, agree one action with a named owner and a date, and record the action in the same file as the metrics.

If the careers site is the weak stage, improve the handover before buying more traffic. This guide to careers site best practices covers checks that affect conversion.

Common questions

How often should we review recruitment marketing metrics?

Review the funnel monthly and the benchmarks quarterly. Monthly checks catch broken application forms. Quarterly reviews give enough data to compare time to hire and cost per hire.

What is a good time to hire benchmark for UK roles?

There is no single UK figure that fits every role. A good benchmark is your own median by role family, compared with your sector and location. Use ONS employment data for context, not as a target.

Should cost per hire include agency fees?

Yes, if the agency fee filled the role. Include the invoice in the same period as the hire. Keep a separate view for hires with no agency spend so you can compare sources.

How do we measure quality of hire without bias?

Use a written rubric with evidence from probation and performance reviews. Train managers before scores are shared. Keep protected characteristics out of the scoring.