Key takeaways:

• Speed is improving across the board: Companies are screening candidates 13% faster and filling roles 4 days quicker than last year, raising the bar for staffing agencies to maintain their speed advantage.
• Quality screening remains challenging: Despite higher applicant volumes (up 24%), fewer candidates are advancing past initial screens, highlighting the importance of precise matching capabilities.
• Personalization drives acceptance: Mid-market companies with more personalized approaches see 8% higher offer acceptance rates than enterprises, showing that high-touch service still wins.

The speed game has new rules

Employers are hiring faster. Time to screen dropped to 7.2 days (from 8.3), and time to fill improved to 63.5 days (from 67.7). For staffing agencies whose value proposition often centers on speed-to-placement, this acceleration means the gap between direct hiring and agency placement timelines is narrowing.

The data shows enterprises move particularly fast, with time to hire at just 35.4 days compared to 56.4 days for small businesses. This may be because larger organizations have invested in automation and process improvements that staffing firms have traditionally leveraged as their advantage. Smart agencies should consider how to differentiate beyond just speed, whether through specialized expertise, harder-to-reach talent pools, or value-added screening services.

Volume up, quality screening down

Applications per job jumped 24% to 257.5, yet the qualified applicant rate barely moved (11.5% vs 11.6%). And screen-to-interview conversion rates dropped from 38.9% to 34.9%. This disconnect between quantity and quality could be an opportunity for staffing agencies to showcase their screening expertise.

Industries like software and tech see the highest application volumes (369.1 per role) but among the lowest qualified rates (5.0%). Hospitality faces the opposite challenge of moderate volumes but higher qualification rates. Staffing firms specializing in these sectors can position themselves as the solution to these industry-specific screening challenges, offering pre-vetted talent pools that bypass the noise.

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