Stage-to-stage conversion
- Applied → Screened
- 30.0%
- Screened → Interviewed
- 33.3%
- Interviewed → Offered
- 25.0%
- Offered → Hired
- 80.0%
- Applied → Hired (overall)
- 2.00%
120 of 400
40 of 120
10 of 40
8 of 10
Applicants per hire50.0
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Recruitment Funnel Calculator
Where do candidates drop out, and how many applicants do you need for your next hires?
Enter how many candidates reached each stage. You get the conversion between stages, your biggest drop-off and the pipeline you need for your next hires.
How the funnel is calculated
Each stage's conversion = candidates at that stage ÷ candidates at the stage before × 100. Overall conversion = hires ÷ applicants. To plan backwards, the calculator multiplies your hiring target by each stage's count divided by your hires and rounds up — so it assumes your next roles convert like your last ones.
- Conversion rate
- The share of candidates who move on from one stage to the next.
- Drop-off
- The stage where the most candidates are lost, as a share of those who entered it.
Recruitment funnel examples
Three illustrative funnels, worked out with the same maths the calculator uses.
| Role type | Applied → … → hired | Applied → screened | Interviewed → offered | Overall | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales roles | 400 → 120 → 40 → 10 → 8 | 30.0% | 25.0% | 2.00% | 5 hires need 250 applicants |
| Software engineers | 250 → 50 → 20 → 6 → 4 | 20.0% | 30.0% | 1.60% | 3 hires need 188 applicants |
| Retail staff | 900 → 300 → 150 → 60 → 50 | 33.3% | 40.0% | 5.56% | 20 hires need 360 applicants |
Illustrative figures only — not benchmarks.
Before you plan with it
- Each stage should only count candidates who passed the stage before.
- Funnels differ by role type — plan sales and engineering roles from their own numbers.
- Small funnels are noisy; use at least a quarter's data.
Frequently asked questions
What is a recruitment funnel?
The recruitment funnel is the series of stages candidates pass through — applied, screened, interviewed, offered, hired. At every stage some candidates drop out, so the counts get smaller. Measuring the conversion between stages shows where your process loses the most people.
How do I calculate funnel conversion rates?
Divide the number of candidates at a stage by the number at the stage before and multiply by 100. If 120 of 400 applicants pass screening, screening conversion is 30%. The overall conversion is hires ÷ applicants — 8 hires from 400 applicants is 2%.
How many applicants do I need for one hire?
Divide your applicants by your hires from a past period. With 400 applicants and 8 hires, you needed 50 applicants per hire. Enter a target in 'Hires you need next' and the calculator works backwards to the applicants, screens, interviews and offers you need at your current rates.
Where should I fix my funnel first?
Look at the stage with the lowest conversion — the calculator names it as your biggest drop-off. A weak applied → screened rate usually points to a vague job ad; a weak offered → hired rate points to pay, speed or counter-offers.
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