Earlier this year, we started giving you insight into the experience of the thousands of caregivers who are engaged by Hellohire. We’ve shared aggregate data to help you benchmark your own hiring process—both where you excel and where you may find opportunities to improve.
But when is a fluctuation in those benchmarks a fluke, and when is it a trend? To find out, we zoomed out and looked at our Q2 data as a whole.
Here’s the bigger picture; what we’re seeing and what it means for your business.
Application to Interview Rate is Improving, but Interview to Hire is Not
The Application to Interview Rate has been climbing since Q3 of 2024, when it was 36.73%. It now sits at 40.22%, a nearly 10% increase. This increase has continued despite the shift to an employer’s market when it comes to hiring, likely because the care at home industry is still adding jobs each month.
The Interview to Yes (candidates were hired or moved forward in the process after an interview) rate, on the other hand, fell 6.21% between Q1 and Q2 of this year. This is the first time that rate has fallen since Q2 of 2024.
There are a few potential causes; as we’ve covered, the hiring market that’s favored applicants over the last few years has been shifting, allowing employers to be more selective. We also may see more candidates entering the home care field as other industries are cutting jobs, meaning some candidates who don’t . And of course, when a higher proportion of applicants progress to an interview for the same positions, fewer are making it to the final stages of hiring.
Companies are Interviewing Faster
The average time between application and interview was just 2.56 days this quarter. That’s an over 5.5% drop since Q1 and an over 11% drop since Q4 of 2024.
Since candidates can self-schedule interviews with Hellohire, it’s likely that this short, continuously shrinking time between application and interview highlights a clear preference. Job seekers, especially in industries like home care that need to hire at scale, are more likely to be living paycheck to paycheck.
Candidates are likely to go with the organization that can get them working the fastest, making a speedy, convenient hiring process key.
This quarter, we also began tracking Application to Scheduling time, or, how soon a candidate schedules their interview after being engaged by Hellohire. The average time to schedule for Q2 was just 0.72 days.
This is good news for agencies who are ready to move quickly. Candidates are motivated, and with the right hiring process, you can bring on new caregivers quickly and efficiently.
Interview No-Show Rates are Dropping
Interview no-show rates have been dropping since Q4 of last year. They’re down over 6% since Q1 and over 11% since Q4 of 2024. Again, this is likely due to a shift in the hiring market. With mass layoffs and a difficult job market, candidates are more engaged in their job search.
However, the no-show rate still sits at 45.18% for now, meaning almost ½ of interviews are not completed. We’ll be keeping an eye out to see if summer vacations and the start of school impact this rate in Q3.
Cancellation rates, on the other hand, are fairly stable. They’ve hovered between 15.3 and 15.7% for a year now, with very little variation. This number covers interviews that are cancelled both by the candidate and by the recruiter.
Onward to Q3
So what does this mean for your business?
Applicants are likely to continue to pour in as more are affected by layoffs. If you’re looking to hire the best candidates, the time between application and interview is extremely important. If you aren’t already allowing candidates to schedule their own interviews, now’s the time to start.
While the interview no-show rate is dropping, it’s still high—especially when you consider the cancellation rate is above 15% as well. To make the most of your time, schedule multiple interviews in the same time slot to avoid awkward gaps in your schedule. If multiple candidates show up, make the most of their waiting time by having them watch a welcome video about your company that covers common questions before your interview even begins.
How do these trends line up with what you’re seeing in your business? To get the latest news on hiring trends delivered to your inbox each month, sign up for our biweekly newsletter, Hiring at Scale.