Correction, September 15, 2026: The earlier version of this page presented placement counts and hiring benchmarks as verified Refery research. We do not have a verified dataset supporting those figures and have withdrawn them. Please do not cite the earlier statistics. This page now provides a measurement framework rather than market benchmarks.
Start with consistent definitions
Hiring metrics are useful only when the events and denominators are clear. Pick definitions before comparing roles or providers, then apply them consistently.
| Metric | Suggested definition | Context to retain |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first qualified introduction | Days from approved brief to first introduction meeting agreed criteria | Criteria, role, and location |
| Time to accepted offer | Days from approved brief to accepted offer | Pauses, changes, and searches with no hire |
| Submission-to-interview rate | Candidates interviewed divided by candidates submitted | Duplicate handling and qualification rules |
| Interview-to-offer rate | Candidates receiving offers divided by candidates interviewed | Interview stage used as the starting point |
| Offer acceptance rate | Accepted offers divided by offers made | Withdrawn offers and the observation window |
| Recruiting fee per hire | Fees attributable to a cohort divided by hires in that cohort | Upfront fees on searches that did not close |
| Retention at a stated interval | Hires still employed at the interval divided by hires old enough to reach it | Eligibility, departure reasons, and missing observations |
These are proposed operating definitions. They are not universal industry standards.
Record a small set of fields
For each search, record an internal identifier, role family, level, stage, location, brief approval date, pause dates, accepted-offer date, start date, status, and commercial fee. Keep candidate personal data in your access-controlled recruiting system.
For each funnel event, record the candidate's internal identifier and the event date. Agree how to count a person introduced for multiple roles before calculating rates.
Avoid misleading comparisons
Separate founding engineers from engineering managers and GTM roles. Include the observation period and sample size. A result from one specialized search is a case study, not a market average.
Do not calculate retention for hires that have not reached the stated interval. Do not report only successful searches as if they represent the entire search portfolio. If paused or unfilled roles are excluded, state that explicitly.
Publish evidence when it is ready
A publishable report needs a reviewed source extract, clear event definitions, date range, cohort rules, denominators, and a method for checking calculations. Aggregated results must avoid identifying confidential clients or candidates. Identify limitations and avoid claiming a recruiting channel caused an outcome when the data only shows an association.
Until those requirements are met, share process advice and clearly labeled examples. No verified Refery placement benchmark is asserted on this page.
For immediate hiring decisions, use the recruiting partner checklist and the hiring brief template.