Activity metrics
These show whether the team is doing enough of the work that leads to placements.
- Submissions per recruiter per day or week.
- Time from a requirement being posted to your first submission.
- Requirements reviewed versus requirements worked.
Conversion metrics
These show whether the activity is good.
- Submission-to-interview rate.
- Interview-to-offer (start) rate.
- Submissions needed per placement, by client and by role family.
Bench and margin metrics
These show whether the business is healthy.
- Average days on bench per consultant.
- Percentage of the bench marketed in the last 7 days.
- Gross margin per placement and per recruiter.
Where automation helps
Time-to-first-submission and submissions per recruiter are the two numbers most affected by automating sourcing and resume preparation, because they remove the manual search and reformatting steps.
How to start tracking
You do not need a data team. Start with a simple weekly review.
- Pick four numbers: submissions, interviews, starts and average days on bench.
- Record them per recruiter every week.
- Review the trend monthly, not daily, to avoid reacting to noise.
- Change one thing at a time so you can see what worked.
Common mistakes
- Rewarding submission volume without looking at interview rate, which encourages low-quality submissions.
- Comparing recruiters across different niches or clients without adjusting.
- Measuring only lagging numbers like placements and ignoring time to first submission.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good submission-to-interview rate?
It varies by niche, client and rate. Track your own baseline by client and role, then work to improve it.