Key Takeaways:
- U.S. recruiters outperform global averages (54 vs 30 hires monthly) but face lower offer acceptance rates (79%), highlighting the need for better candidate relationship management.
- Industry differences are significant: healthcare has fewer applicants but higher productivity; tech faces high competition (110 applicants per role); manufacturing has the longest hiring cycle (55 days) but excellent offer acceptance (92%).
- Strategic opportunities include implementing AI-assisted recruitment (reduces time-to-hire by 26%), developing industry-specific approaches, and improving candidate experience to address the 20% of U.S. candidates who decline offers.
In today’s competitive talent market, staffing industry leaders need data-driven insights to optimize their recruitment strategies. The recent SmartRecruiters Global Recruitment Benchmarks 2025 report offers valuable metrics to help benchmark recruiting performance and identify areas for improvement.
The U.S. hires more, faster, but has the lowest offer acceptance rate
The United States shows strong recruitment efficiency compared to global averages. U.S. recruiters are handling 54 hires per month on average — a remarkable 85% more than the global average of 30. This high productivity level is paired with faster hiring times, as American companies complete hires in 35 days versus the global median of 38 days.
However, the U.S. market presents unique challenges. American candidates have the lowest offer acceptance rate among the countries studied at 79%, meaning one in five candidates decline job offers. This highlights the importance for U.S. staffing firms to maintain strong relationships with “silver medalist” candidates and create a smooth hiring process to prevent losing qualified talent.
The U.S. market sees approximately 74 applicants per open role, slightly above the global average of 73. Out of these applicants, about 4.3% receive interviews and 1.5% ultimately receive offers. This competitive landscape underscores the importance of efficient screening processes and the potential value of AI-assisted recruitment, which the report shows can reduce time-to-hire by 26%.
Hiring metrics vary by industry
Healthcare
Healthcare stands out with several distinctive metrics that staffing leaders should note. With only 40 applicants per role (45% below the global average), healthcare positions attract fewer but potentially more qualified candidates. This is supported by the higher interview rate (5.3%) and offer rate (2.0%) compared to other industries.
Healthcare recruiters are the most productive across industries, managing 38 hires per month. The sector also leads in internal mobility, with an impressive 20% of hires coming from within organizations. This suggests that healthcare staffing firms should emphasize career progression and internal talent development programs.
One challenge for healthcare is the slightly longer time-to-hire at 41 days, which could be attributed to credential verification requirements and specialized skills needed for these positions.
Technology
The technology sector faces intense competition, with 110 applicants per role (51% above global average). This high volume results in lower interview rates (3.4%) and offer rates (0.7%), creating significant screening challenges.
Tech companies take 48 days on average to hire — 26% longer than the global median. However, the industry excels at leveraging referrals, with 16% of hires coming through employee recommendations — more than double the global average of 7%. Tech companies also perform well with internal mobility at 10% of hires.
These metrics suggest staffing firms focusing on technology should invest heavily in referral programs and consider AI-assisted screening to manage the high volume of applications more efficiently.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing presents a unique profile with fewer applicants (38 per role) but the longest time-to-hire at 55 days — 45% longer than the global median. This extended timeline likely reflects the specialized skills required and potentially more complex hiring processes.
The sector has strong offer acceptance rates at 92%, indicating that once candidates reach the offer stage, they’re highly likely to accept positions. Manufacturing also performs well with internal mobility at 14% of hires, suggesting the value of upskilling programs and career progression within this industry.
Recommendations for staffing leaders
The report highlights several strategic considerations for staffing industry leaders:
- Automation investment: With U.S. recruiters handling 85% more hires than the global average, automation and AI tools are increasingly essential. Companies using AI in recruitment hire 26% faster, saving approximately 11 days in the process.
- Industry-specific approaches: The significant variations across industries suggest the need for tailored recruitment strategies. Healthcare and manufacturing benefit from internal mobility programs, while technology firms should emphasize referral systems.
- Focus on quality sources: Referrals and internal hires account for 15% of all placements globally, but with significant industry variations. Helping clients develop these high-quality, lower-cost talent sources represents a value-added service opportunity.
- Candidate experience: With one in five U.S. candidates declining offers, the candidate experience throughout the recruitment process becomes increasingly important to successful placements.
See the full report for more recruiting benchmarks and insights.
