College Grads Can Expect Overall Hiring Process to Take About 40 Days

BETHLEHEM, PA—Class of 2022 college graduates entering the workforce can expect the overall hiring process—from interview to offer and offer to acceptance—to take approximately 40 days, according to a new report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

NACE’s 2021 Recruiting Benchmarks Survey Report revealed that, in 2021, employers made job offers an average of 24.5 days after the interview. Subsequently, students accepted offers an average of a little more than two weeks (15.7 days) after receiving an offer. (See Figure 1.)

“These cycle times during the hiring process have remained steady in recent years and, despite the disruption caused by the pandemic and tight labor market, have not been impacted significantly by it,” explains Shawn VanDerziel, NACE executive director.

“It’s also important to point out that the survey respondents are generally larger organizations, so these data represent cycle times from employers that tend to recruit greater numbers of candidates.”

Figure 1: Cycle Times From Position Interview to Position Acceptance

About NACE’s Recruiting Benchmarks Survey: Data from the 2021 Recruiting Benchmarks Survey Reportwere collected on June 7, 2021, until August 6, 2021. Responses reflect recruiting results for the Class of 2020. The survey was distributed to organizations holding NACE membership as well as nonmembers. In all, 186 NACE members responded, representing 22.3% of all eligible member respondents. An additional 27 responses were received from nonmember companies. An executive summary of the 2021 Recruiting Benchmarks Survey Report is available through NACE.

About NACE: Established in 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is the only professional association in the United States that connects more than 9,800 college career services professionals, more than 3,300 university relations and recruiting professionals, and more than 300 business solution providers that serve this community.

NACE is the premier source of market research on career readiness and employment of recent college graduates. NACE forecasts hiring and trends in the job market; tracks salaries, recruiting and hiring practices, and student attitudes and outcomes; and identifies best practices and benchmarks.

NACE offers its members unparalleled research, networking and professional development opportunities, guidance on standards and ethics, and advocacy on key issues. For more information, visit www.naceweb.org. NACE maintains a virtual press room for the media.