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  • Calculating and Using an Interviews-Per-Hire Average

    Trends & Predictions
    A university relations recruiter gives a business presentation about calculating and using an interview-per-hire average.

    TAGS: benchmarks, nace insights, interviews-per-hire average

    Spotlight for Recruiting Professionals

    Interviews-per-hire average (IPHA) is the average number of interviews conducted with each college hire. IPHA is a deeper analysis to determine the variation of recruiting processes across positions or sourcing channels. It can be used to evaluate variables that may impact candidate selection.

    • Formula: IPHA = # of interviews with applicants who accepted offers/# offers accepted.

    University relations and recruiting (URR) must be cautious to capture all of the interviews it has conducted with each candidate that accepts an offer (e.g., phone, on-campus, and site interviews). The IPHA increases with an increase in the number of interviews for each college hire. A low IPHA can be a reflection of strong candidates.

    Current Benchmarks
    • Recruiting Benchmarks Report
    • Internship & Co-op Report
    • Guide to Compensation for Interns & Co-ops

    Using Your Average

    When reviewing IPHA, URR should compare by school to determine if candidates from certain schools and/or other demographics had a higher or lower IPHA rate.

    When assessing internal IPHA rates, URR should assess the value-add of those departments/units that require a higher IPHA to determine if the decision to hire could have been made during an earlier interview.

    URR should also consider if the interview process could be streamlined to reduce resources required, increase the timeliness in extending offers, and weigh against the risk of extending the offers with fewer interviews.

    URR should study IPHA trends over time to assess whether the organization is more apt to hire (in fewer interviews) candidates from certain schools.

    URR should also include retention rates in the trend analysis for the hires, by school. (Note: Although a particular school may have a lower IPHA rate, those candidates may have more employment opportunities, which may ultimately lead to a lower retention rate.)

    Additional formulas

    There are a host of metrics that can help you strengthen efforts, build on success, and demonstrate the value of your recruiting program. For a detailed list of formulas, including more-sophisticated takes on the interview, offer, acceptance metrics, e.g., application interview rate and applicant to hire rate, see the Professional Standards for University Relations and Recruiting, Chapter III.

    Updated April 2023.