What is time to fill?
Time to fill is the number of days from when a job is approved or opened to when a candidate accepts the offer. It shows how long a team goes without the person it decided it needed.
Time to fill formula
Here is how to calculate time to fill for one role:
Time to fill = date the offer was accepted − date the job was approved
Some teams start the clock when the job is posted rather than approved; either works if you are consistent.
Time to fill vs time to start
Time to fill ends at acceptance; time to start ends on the new hire’s first day and adds the notice period. For workforce planning, time to start is the more honest figure, because the gap in the team lasts until the person actually arrives.
How to reduce time to fill
- Write and approve the job description before the role opens.
- Start sourcing for roles you hire repeatedly before they open.
- Cut the dwell time between stages, usually the biggest delay.
- Agree pay bands in advance so offers do not wait for approval.
Using the time to fill metric
The time to fill metric is best read alongside time to hire. If time to fill is long but time to hire is short, the problem is finding candidates; if both are long, the process itself is slow. Recruitment Workflow Optimizer shows dwell time per stage, so a slow process is visible stage by stage.
Last reviewed 2026-11-01.