Process and timing
How long does it take to hire someone in the UK?
Across 46 vacancies we filled and publish in full, the median was 42 days from brief to hire. A quarter filled within 29 days and a quarter took longer than 69. The fastest was 14 days and the slowest 169. Speed tracks how recognisable the role is far more than how hard you push: our fastest sector, accountancy and finance, ran a 29-day median while manufacturing ran 74, and the difference is candidate supply, not effort.
Our own figures
| Measure | Days from brief to hire |
|---|---|
| Median | 42 |
| Fastest quarter | under 29 |
| Slowest quarter | over 69 |
| Fastest single role | 14 |
| Slowest single role | 169 |
Those are 46 real vacancies across 18 sectors, published individually including the slow ones. The methodology and exclusions are on the data page.
Sector changes the answer more than anything else
| Sector | Median days |
|---|---|
| IT & technology | 26 |
| Accountancy & finance | 29 |
| Legal | 32 |
| Building services | 35 |
| Construction & property | 44 |
| Engineering | 60 |
| Care | 63 |
| Manufacturing | 74 |
The gap between 26 and 74 days is not effort. It is whether the person you need already exists in a recognisable form, close enough to your site, and is willing to move.
What actually makes it slower
- Nobody screening. The single biggest cause. Applications arrive, sit for ten days, and the good candidates accept elsewhere.
- Interview scheduling. Two rounds with three diaries adds a fortnight without anybody doing anything wrong.
- Slow feedback. Candidates in demand read a four-day silence as a no.
- A brief that moves. Changing the requirement at shortlist stage restarts the search.
What you can control
Book the interview slots before the advert goes live, give feedback within two working days, and decide who signs off the offer on day one. Those three things routinely take a fortnight out of a hire and cost nothing.
Sources
Want the fixed price for your role?
Advertise it yourself from £399 +VAT, or hand the whole search to a dedicated recruiter — a flat fee by salary band with a 100% refund if the role is not filled.
See Guaranteed Hire Advertise a job
Or call 0161 327 2895.