Time to Hire: How Long Does Recruitment Really Take?

 

If you’re an employer in Ipswich, Suffolk or across East Anglia, you may already have a hiring plan for the months ahead and time to hire should be on your mind.

Perhaps someone is leaving. Maybe your business is growing. You may have won a new contract, expanded into a new area or simply know that your existing team will need additional support.

So, how much time do you really have to recruit – and what does that mean for your time to hire?

The answer may be less than you think.

With the average UK application-to-offer/acceptance journey at up to 56 days, it’s important to factor in a candidate’s notice period too when planning your next hire.

Suddenly, that three-month hiring window doesn’t look quite so generous.

At polkadotfrog, we work with employers across Ipswich, Suffolk and East Anglia, and one of the biggest challenges we see is businesses leaving recruitment until a vacancy becomes urgent.

So, if you’re planning your hiring for the months ahead, it’s worth asking some of the questions that hiring managers often find themselves asking when planning their next recruitment campaign.

 

What Is the Average Time to Hire in the UK?

There isn’t one fixed answer. Time to hire can vary considerably depending on the role, sector, seniority, availability of candidates and the recruitment process itself.

UK sources put the application-to-offer/acceptance journey at around 40 to 56 days.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean your new employee will be sitting at their desk 56 days after you advertise the vacancy.

Once a candidate accepts an offer, their notice period still needs to be taken into account.

That’s why employers need to think about the whole recruitment timeline, rather than simply how long it takes to find someone.

 

When Should I Start Recruiting for a New Employee?

If you know you need someone to start in three months, when should you actually begin recruiting?

The answer will depend on the role, but it’s worth working backwards from your ideal start date.

Your timeline could include:

• Writing and advertising the vacancy
• Reviewing applications
• Shortlisting candidates
• Arranging interviews
• Holding second-stage interviews
• Making a decision
• Completing references and checks
• Agreeing an offer
• The candidate handing in their notice
• The candidate actually starting

And that’s assuming everything goes smoothly.

For employers in Ipswich, Suffolk and across East Anglia, planning ahead can be particularly important when recruiting for specialist or hard-to-fill positions.

 

How Long Is a Typical Notice Period?

This is one of the biggest variables in any recruitment timeline.

A candidate might have one week’s notice, four weeks’ notice, eight weeks’ notice or three months’ notice.

For senior and specialist positions, longer notice periods aren’t unusual.

There’s nothing wrong with a candidate having a three-month notice period. In fact, it can be a reflection of their seniority, responsibilities and value to their current employer.

But if you need someone in post within six weeks, it’s obviously going to be an important consideration.

The key is to understand the likely notice period before you build your hiring timeline around a particular candidate.

 

How Can I Speed Up My Recruitment Process?

Once a vacancy becomes urgent, employers often want to know how they can reduce their time to hire and get the right person in place sooner.

There are several areas worth looking at.

Can you reduce unnecessary interview stages?

Are the decision-makers available when interviews take place?

Can feedback be provided quickly?

Are you clear about the salary and benefits from the outset?

And perhaps most importantly, are you ready to make an offer when you find the right person?

The best candidates won’t necessarily remain available while an organisation takes several weeks to make a decision.

A streamlined process doesn’t mean rushing the hiring decision. It means removing unnecessary delays.

 

Why Is It Taking So Long to Find the Right Candidate?

Sometimes the issue isn’t the recruitment process itself.

It could be the candidate market.

If you’re looking for a very specific combination of skills, experience and qualifications, the available talent pool may be smaller than expected.

Employers should also consider whether they’re restricting their search too narrowly.

Could the right candidate be slightly further afield?

Could someone with transferable skills be trained?

Is the salary competitive for the local market?

Are your expectations realistic?

These questions can make a significant difference to how quickly you find the right person.

 

How Can I Attract Candidates in a Competitive Job Market?

Finding candidates is one thing.

Getting the right candidates interested in your vacancy is another.

Consider what your role is offering beyond the job title.

Are you clearly communicating:

• Salary and benefits
• Flexible or hybrid working
• Career progression
• Training opportunities
• Company culture
• Location and commute
• What makes your business a great place to work?

Candidates are assessing employers just as carefully as employers are assessing candidates.

The stronger your proposition, the more likely you are to attract people who are genuinely interested in the opportunity.

 

What Happens If I Can’t Fill the Role Quickly?

It’s worth considering the wider impact of a delayed hire.

For many SMEs across Suffolk and East Anglia, one unfilled position can have a significant impact on the rest of the team.

Could your existing employees realistically absorb the additional workload?

Will productivity be affected?

Could customer service suffer?

Are your current employees already stretched?

And if you’re hiring because your business is growing, could a delayed appointment actually limit that growth?

Recruitment isn’t simply about filling a vacancy.

It’s about having the right people in place to support your business plans.

 

How Can a Recruitment Agency Help Me Hire Faster?

This is where having a knowledgeable local recruitment partner can make a real difference.

At polkadotfrog, we work with businesses across Ipswich, Suffolk and East Anglia to understand not only the vacancy they have today, but what their hiring requirements might look like over the coming months, helping to reduce time to hire, particularly when you’re working to a tight deadline.

Sometimes that means responding quickly to an immediate vacancy.

But often, the most effective recruitment starts much earlier.

If you know someone is leaving, you’re planning growth, you’ve won new business or you anticipate needing additional resource, having an early conversation about your recruitment requirements can give you a valuable head start.

It gives us time to understand what you’re looking for, assess the market and identify potential candidates before the pressure of an empty desk kicks in.

 

Don’t Let Your Hiring Timeline Catch You Out

The reality is that time to hire can be longer than many businesses anticipate.

If the application-to-offer/acceptance journey can take up to 56 days, and your preferred candidate then has a three-month notice period, you could potentially be looking at several months between deciding you need someone and seeing them walk through the door.

For employers, the message is simple:

Don’t wait until you urgently need someone before you start thinking about recruitment.

Ask yourself:

• When do we need them to start?
• How long could the recruitment process realistically take?
• What notice period might our ideal candidate have?
• How competitive is the market for the skills we’re looking for?
• What happens to the business if the role remains unfilled?

The earlier you answer those questions, the more prepared you’ll be.

At polkadotfrog, we believe the best recruitment strategies start before the vacancy becomes urgent.

If you’re planning your hiring for the next three, six or twelve months, we’d be happy to have a conversation about what the market looks like and how early you may need to start.

Because when it comes to recruitment, the best time to start looking isn’t always when you need someone. Sometimes, it’s before you do. 🐸

 

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