Average hiring time yet to improve despite AI push, report finds

While the ManpowerGroup report did not indicate a global average for hiring time, previous research put the global median at 38 days, where six days are for reviewing job applications and another 14 are for interviewing the most promising jobseekers.

Yet employers appear to be struggling to cut hiring duration despite widespread AI adoption in recruitment, according to ManpowerGroup, amid expectations that the technology will speed up hiring.

Top factors accelerating, slowing down hiring

Its report revealed the top obstacle that’s slowing down their hiring time is the lack of candidates with their required skills. Other factors include:

• Lack of qualified candidates in the local market
• Mismatch between candidate expectations and job requirements
• Fewer candidates being identified through referrals or professional networks
• Length or complexity of the recruitment process, including getting internal approvals

By contrast, better candidate matching has emerged as the top factor accelerating the average time to hire in workplaces. The other drivers are:

• Faster internal approval and decision-making process
• Improved collaboration between HR & hiring managers
• More candidates are applying as more flexibility gets offered
• Effective screening of applicants, including filtering AI-generated applications

Hiring outlook rebounds

The findings come as hiring outlook in workplaces globally rebounds for the fourth quarter of 2026, according to the ManpowerGroup report.