What percent of applicants reach interviews?

CareerPlug reports an average 2% applicant-to-interview conversion across industries.

What percent of interviews turn into hires?

CareerPlug data shows an average 36% interview-to-hire conversion rate.

How often do candidates accept offers?

Ashby's offer acceptance benchmarks average 78% from 2021-2023, rising to 81% in 2023.

How long do candidates sit in the offer stage?

Ashby reports time in offer was ~3 days on average, dipping to ~2.5 days in late 2023.

Do acceptance rates differ by job function?

Yes. Ashby reports 84% offer acceptance for business roles versus 73% for technical roles.

Interview Funnel Benchmarks

Interview Funnel Benchmarks: Screen to Offer

Name: ScoutApply
Author: ScoutApply

Data from CareerPlug and Ashby shows how quickly candidate pools shrink from application to interview to offer acceptance. Use these benchmarks to set realistic targets for your job search funnel.

Last updated: January 2026

Funnel benchmarks at a glance

These metrics combine applicant screening data with offer acceptance benchmarks.

Metric	Benchmark	Source
Applicant-to-interview conversion	2%	CareerPlug Recruiting Metrics Report
Interview-to-hire conversion	36%	CareerPlug Recruiting Metrics Report
Offer acceptance rate (2021-2023 average)	78%	Ashby Talent Trends Report
Offer acceptance rate (2023)	81%	Ashby Talent Trends Report
Time in offer stage (avg.)	~3 days (2.5 days after Q3 2023)	Ashby Talent Trends Report
Offer acceptance by function	Business 84%, Technical 73%	Ashby Talent Trends Report

Top-of-funnel: screening rates

Only 2% of applicants reach interviews on average.
Interview-to-hire conversion averages 36%.
Candidate volume requires high application throughput.

Offer stage: acceptance and speed

Offer acceptance averages 78% and hit 81% in 2023.
Time in offer is ~3 days, dipping to ~2.5 days recently.
Business roles see higher acceptance (84%) than technical roles (73%).

How to beat the funnel drop-off

Tailor your resume to job titles and skills to reach interviews.
Prepare for rapid offer decisions--accepts often happen within two days.
Keep multiple applications in flight to offset low conversion rates.

Where ScoutApply helps

Boosts screening odds with keyword-aligned resumes.
Automates cover letters to keep applications moving quickly.
Tracks every application so you can manage the funnel efficiently.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and methodology

CareerPlug analyzed 10M applications to benchmark screening conversion rates. Ashby analyzed 230K offers from 2021-2024 to benchmark offer acceptance.

Turn more applications into interviews

ScoutApply helps you tailor faster so more of your applications pass screening.