British Businesses Spend 40 Days Filling Each Vacancy According to Analysis by SmartRecruiters

Recruitment and On-boardingHR TechnologyNews

By GlobeNewswire On Mar 20, 2025

Analysis of over 8.8 million online job applications in the United Kingdom reveals that the median time to fill a vacancy is 40 days, with each role attracting 72 applications. The research by SmartRecruiters, the recruiting AI company, also reveals that despite receiving 72 applications per job post, only 4.3% of candidates are invited to interview, with 1.1% ultimately receiving job offers.

In terms of the recruitment process, the data reveals that job applications, on average, are reviewed in 7 days, with interviews taking place 15 days after applications are received. Globally, companies using AI fill vacancies 26% faster than those not using it.

The research examined 89 million job applications across Australia, France, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom. According to the study, in the United Kingdom, only 84% of job offers are accepted, with 10% of jobs being filled through internal hiring processes.

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Rebecca Carr, CEO of SmartRecruiters, said: “The way that British businesses manage talent acquisition continues to evolve. There is increasing adoption of AI to streamline the process, making it more efficient and effective, ensuring that the candidate experience reflects the employer’s values, while being compliant with employment legislation.

The data shows that British businesses are ahead of Australia, France and the United States in terms of filling posts through internal recruitment, which often offers a lower risk and cost-effective route of recruiting and talent management.”

This study is part of SmartRecruiters’ newly established annual hiring benchmark report, which will provide year-over-year insights into hiring trends, recruitment efficiency, and internal mobility across key global markets. SmartRecruiters analysed 12 months of aggregated, anonymised application data processed through its applicant tracking system from September 2023 through August 2024.

SmartRecruiters is the AI Recruiting Company that transforms hiring for the world’s leading enterprises. Built for global scale, SmartRecruiters delivers an AI-powered hiring platform that automates and optimizes the entire talent acquisition process, ensuring faster and smarter hiring decisions. More than 4,000 companies, including Amazon, Visa, and McDonald’s, rely on SmartRecruiters to build winning teams.

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