recruiting
Recruiting Trends: Why the Time-to-Hire is Increasing
- recruiting
- Time-to-Hire
- Trends
- Study
61% of HR managers in Austria report that the time from job posting to filling the position has become noticeably longer due to the skill shortage (Stepstone Austria). The biggest challenge is finding the required skills at all (87%). As a response, companies are increasingly relying on active sourcing, AI-assisted matching, and shorter processes.
Hiring Takes Longer
The shortage of skilled workers directly impacts time-to-hire – the period from job ad to signing. A survey by Stepstone Austria reports that 61% of HR managers have noticed this timeframe lengthening significantly.
Why It's Expensive
Long hiring periods cost twice: due to the unfilled position and due to dropouts, as good candidates accept parallel offers. A swift, clear process is itself a competitive advantage.
Where Demand is Particularly High
According to Stepstone, recruiting demand is shifting to operational and sales-related areas.
- Sales & Business Development: 19% of demand – the largest block.
- Technology & Engineering: 14%.
- Finance & Accounting: 12%.
The Real Barrier: Suitable Skills
The issue isn't the number of applications, but the fit. 87% of companies identify finding the required skills as a central challenge.
- Flexible working models have evolved from an extra to a fundamental criterion.
- Skill-based hiring broadens the candidate pool.
- Active sourcing reaches even passively searching specialists.
What Studies Suggest Helps
Companies are increasingly using AI-powered tools and applicant tracking systems (ATS) to achieve faster, better matches and reduce time-to-hire. The combination of technology and human judgment remains crucial.
Frequently Asked Questions
There's no single number, but the trend is clear: 61% of HR managers report that hiring takes longer due to the shortage of skilled workers, according to Stepstone Austria.
According to Stepstone, Sales & Business Development leads (19%) followed by Technology & Engineering (14%) and Finance & Accounting (12%).
With short, clear processes, active sourcing of suitable profiles, and the use of AI-driven matching and an ATS – while maintaining human final selection.
Sources
The mentioned numbers are from the respective cited studies (as of 2024/2025). We summarize them to the best of our knowledge; for details and methodology, please refer to the linked original sources.
Passend zum Thema
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