Definition
The recruitment funnel describes the successive stages of a hiring process (application, screening, interview, offer, hire) and how many candidates pass each one. Its shape shows where candidates drop off, and so where to act.
Formula
Stage conversion rate = candidates at the next stage / candidates at the stage × 100.
Illustrative example: 200 applications, 40 screened in (20%), 12 interviews (30%), 3 offers (25%), 2 acceptances (67%). If the goal is 4 hires, you need either about 400 applications at the same yield, or a better conversion rate, for example a more precise job ad that attracts more relevant applications.
Key takeaway
A funnel does not stop at the hire: every person who exits at a stage should get an answer. So also track the response rate for rejected candidates. RecruitEasy's visual pipeline shows applications by status (pending, under review, interview, offer, rejected), which makes the funnel readable job by job.