Time to Hire Best Practices

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July 30, 2025

The global average time-to-hire (or time to fill) for non-executive roles is around 54 days, though this varies by industry.

Hiring speed directly impacts business performance and talent acquisition success. Leading companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Uber and more relentlessly optimize time-to-hire without sacrificing quality.

Here are 4 Practical ways to Improve Time to Hire

1. Automation Drives Speed

Amazon expanded its workforce rapidly, hiring hundreds of thousands in a year, such discipline around time-to-fill (through automation and process engineering) was critical to meeting growth targets.

Amazon and Microsoft have invested in robust Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to automate resume screening, interview scheduling and communications, compressing cycle times. An ATS not only tracks time-to-fill but also improves it by boosting recruiter productivity and candidate responsiveness (e.g., mobile application processes, auto-scheduling).

2. Efficient Interviewing

Google historically had a lengthy hiring process, but they learned to balance thoroughness with speed. Google’s hiring committee model ensures quick consensus and avoids dragging decisions on.

They also eliminated wasteful steps – for example, Google famously found that its quirky brainteaser interview questions were “a complete waste of time” that “don’t predict anything” about candidate success.

They ditched these puzzles in favour of structured behavioral interviews to both improve hire quality and streamline interviews. By standardizing interviews, Google can evaluate candidates consistently and make faster, data-backed decisions.

3. Leveraging Technology

Uber is a case in point – the company turned to AI-powered screening tools to cope with hyper-growth hiring. According to a 2024 report, Uber’s AI resume screening and assessment platform reduced time-to-hire by 25% while improving candidate quality by 15%.

This blend of automation and analytics allowed Uber to fill roles faster without lowering the hiring bar. Many firms are now exploring AI in recruiting; McKinsey predicts that by 2030, AI-driven hiring will cut timelines by an additional ~15% on average.

4. Fast Track Offers

High-growth start-ups often exemplify speed. Many aim for a 7-10 day hiring cycle from first interview to offer. A famous example: entrepreneur Paul English set a goal to hire within 7 days of first engaging a candidate – a benchmark that forces extreme efficiency in scheduling interviews and making offer decisions.

While not all tech giants move that quickly, they strive to shorten cycle times to avoid losing talent. Meta, for instance, aggressively coordinates interview loops and hiring manager sign-off so that top engineering candidates often get an offer within a couple of weeks, before they complete processes at competing firms.