Recruiters are drowning in volume. Hundreds of applications pour in for every vacancy, yet only a handful of candidates truly meet the criteria. Traditional hiring metrics: applications per role, cost per click, even time-to-hire, paint a picture of activity, but not of impact. They track quantity, not quality, and they do little to build confidence with candidates or credibility at the exec table. To fix this, Talent Acquisition leaders need a new approach: one that treats trust as the key performance indicator (KPI). When candidates trust the process, they complete applications, engage honestly, and become stronger hires, and that’s measurable.

The Volume Problem

A recruiter receives 300 applications for a single role. Only 3 are qualified.

This story isn’t unusual. The rise of “Easy Apply” has turned job applications into one-click actions, inflating numbers while burying signal. Recruiters spend hours triaging noise. Hiring managers lose faith in the funnel. And qualified candidates? They’re lost in the shuffle.

For years, talent acquisition teams have leaned on metrics like:

• Number of applications per vacancy

• Cost per click

• Time-to-hire

These metrics look impressive on a dashboard. But they don’t tell the real story. Worse, they can mask failure.

Why Traditional Metrics Fall Short

Applications ≠ quality. More isn’t better when most don’t meet criteria.

Time-to-hire ≠ efficiency. Speed alone can push teams to sacrifice quality or candidate care.

Cost-per-click ≠ ROI. It says nothing about how many qualified people actually made it through.

These legacy metrics are easy to count, but they don’t measure what matters: trust.

Trust is the Missing KPI

Candidate trust is often dismissed as a “soft factor.” But the data shows otherwise.

When candidates trust your process, they:

• Stay in the funnel (lower drop-off, higher completion).

• Apply for the right roles (better matches, less noise).

• Speak positively about your brand (NPS and employer reputation).

Trust is a business driver. It improves conversion, saves recruiter hours, and lowers marketing spend. And it’s measurable.

Measuring what matters: The new KPI framework

As part of our upcoming Candidate Experience KPI Report, we’re introducing a framework that replaces vanity metrics with trust-led measures.

Here are four signals that matter more than raw volume:

1. Qualified-to-Interview ratio

Percentage of applications that progress past screening. A truer reflection of channel quality than clicks or impressions.

2. Application completion rate

How many people who start an application finish it. A direct measure of candidate trust in your process.

3. Candidate feedback score

A feedback loop that tracks how candidates feel about your process - regardless of outcome.

4. Drop-Off by stage

Where in the journey people abandon. This pinpoints friction and highlights design flaws, not just sourcing issues.

Together, these metrics form a picture of candidate trust as a measurable, strategic KPI.

Why This Matters for TA Leaders

CPOs, VPs of People, and TA leaders are under pressure to prove impact at the exec table. Legacy metrics don’t cut it anymore.

By reframing trust as a KPI:

• TA becomes a strategic function, not a cost centre.

• Hiring moves from “volume management” to signal optimisation.

• Organisations can make better spending decisions and defend investment in candidate experience.

Real progress in hiring comes from building trust, not chasing volume.

That trust isn’t intangible. It can be measured, tracked, and improved, and it’s the most reliable predictor of hiring efficiency and brand equity in 2025. Our upcoming report, The Future of Candidate Experience: KPI Insights 2025, showcases best-practice examples from high-volume hiring industries and offers a framework for measuring the KPIs that truly matter.

FAQs

1. Why are traditional hiring metrics like “applications per vacancy” unreliable?

Because they measure volume, not value. High application counts can mask poor candidate fit, high drop-off, and wasted recruiter time. More meaningful metrics, like qualified-to-interview ratio or completion rate, give a clearer picture of hiring efficiency.

2. How can candidate trust be measured in practice?

Trust shows up in the data: application completion rates, NPS surveys, and direct candidate feedback all give a clear view of whether people feel the process is transparent, fair, and worth their time. These insights point to where journeys can be improved. To build on this, inploi’s AI-driven Application Scoring helps recruiters surface the best-fit candidates before final submission: creating a smoother, fairer experience for applicants and sharper focus for hiring teams.

3. How does inploi’s technology help reduce irrelevant applications?

For candidates, it means clarity from the start: guided flows, eligibility checks, and AI-powered Application Scoring that provide real-time feedback on role fit. That way, people know their time is valued, and only best-fit applications move forward. For recruiters, it translates into fewer irrelevant applications, stronger shortlists, and hours saved every week. By reducing noise while surfacing the right talent early, teams can improve conversion and cut cost per hire, all while keeping the candidate experience fair and transparent.

4. How does this connect to broader business impact?

When candidate journeys earn trust, businesses see:

• Lower recruitment marketing spend (Talent Attraction)

• More completed applications & higher NPS (Careers Hubs)

• Reduced drop-off & faster time-to-hire (Chatbot & Flows)

• Clear ROI visibility across channels (Reporting & Analytics)

This positions Talent Acquisition as a strategic function driving efficiency, brand equity, and revenue impact.