Based on analysis of hiring data from over 60,000 small businesses, CareerPlug’s sixth annual Recruiting Metrics Report highlights key recruiting metrics and insights on which sources result in the most hires.
This year’s report showed that recruiting metrics have declined slightly:
- Across industries, the click-to-apply conversion rate averaged 6% in 2024.
- The applicant-to-interview ratio was only 3%, a low figure that could be the result of unqualified candidates or interview ghosting issues.
- The interview-to-hire ratio fell slightly to 27%.
- The applicant-to-hire ratio was 180 applicants for every hire made, but this figure varied dramatically by industry.
In 2024, job boards produced 61% of applications but only 42% of hires, while company careers pages generated just 13% of applicants but 26% of hires — this means applicants from career pages are four times more likely to be hired than those from job boards. Even more impressive, employee referrals accounted for only 2% of applicants but 11% of hires, making referred candidates ten times more likely to be hired. Custom sources like industry-specific job boards also showed exceptional conversion rates.
These findings underscore the importance of diversifying recruiting channels rather than relying exclusively on job boards, including prioritizing company careers pages that showcase culture and values, leveraging referral programs, and developing passive recruiting pipelines. Also critical is quick communication with candidates, using text recruiting and automated scheduling to engage top talent before competitors.
See the full report for more insights on recruiting metrics benchmarks.
