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Recruitment Plan Template
Recruitment plan template with a hiring plan table, funnel math for 1 and 6 hires, a cost-per-hire example, time-to-fill targets and US compliance notes.
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What you get
- A quarterly or annual hiring plan table: role, team, level, headcount, start date, band, channels, recruiter, status
- Funnel math worked backward from one hire, then scaled to six
- A cost-per-hire worked example using the SHRM/ANSI formula
- Time-to-fill targets by stage and a sourcing channel mix
- Recruiter and interviewer capacity math
- US compliance notes (EEO-1, federal contractors after EO 11246 was rescinded, pay transparency) plus UK and India notes
Template preview
A preview of the structure. Download the PDF or CSV for the complete, ready-to-use version.
Where this fits: the headcount plan decides how many roles you can add and what they cost. The hiring manager intake form captures what one role needs. This recruitment plan (also called a hiring plan) covers how talent acquisition will fill all approved roles in a period: timing, channels, funnel volume, recruiter capacity, budget and compliance.
Plan header
- Plan period— e.g. Q1-Q2 2027, or FY2027
- Plan owner— Head of Talent Acquisition or People lead
- Approved hires this period— from the headcount plan, e.g. 20
- Recruiting budget (external spend)— job ads, agencies, background checks, candidate travel
Hiring plan
| Role | Team | Level | Headcount | Target start | Comp band | Source channels | Recruiter | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Rep | Sales | L1 | 6 | 2027-02-01 (3), 2027-04-05 (3) | $52,000-$60,000 + variable | LinkedIn Jobs, referrals, university boards | Sam P. | Sourcing |
| Senior Backend Engineer | Platform | L5 | 2 | 2027-03-01 | $165,000-$195,000 | Referrals, outbound sourcing | Sam P. | Interviewing |
| Payroll Specialist | People Ops | L2 | 1 | 2027-01-11 | $62,000-$74,000 | Indeed, payroll associations | Rhea D. | Offer out |
| Customer Support Specialist | Support | L1 | 4 | 2027-02-15 | $21.50-$24.00/hour | Indeed, referrals, local job fair | Rhea D. | Not opened |
Funnel math: what it takes to make 1 hire
Worked backward from 1 hire. Replace the rates with your own. Overall yield: 1 hire per 100 applicants (1%).
| Stage | Pass-through to next stage | Candidates needed | How it's calculated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 10% to recruiter screen | 100 | 10 / 0.10 |
| Recruiter screen | 50% to hiring manager screen | 10 | 5 / 0.50 |
| Hiring manager screen | 50% to onsite | 5 | 2.5 / 0.50 |
| Onsite / final loop | 50% to offer | 2.5 | 1.25 / 0.50 |
Scaling example: 6 Sales Development Reps
Multiply each stage by 6: 600 applicants -> 60 recruiter screens -> 30 hiring manager screens -> 15 onsites -> 7.5 offers -> 6 hires. Round offers up to 8; at 80% acceptance, 8 offers yields 6.4 expected hires, which covers 6. Check forward: 600 x 0.10 = 60; 60 x 0.50 = 30; 30 x 0.50 = 15; 15 x 0.50 = 7.5; 7.5 x 0.80 = 6. Time cost of that funnel: • Recruiter screens: 60 x 30 min = 30 hours • Hiring manager screens: 30 x 45 min = 22.5 hours of the sales manager's time • Onsites: 15 candidates x 3 interviewers x 1 hour = 45 interviewer hours, plus 15 x 3 x 20 min = 15 hours of scorecards • Total interview-related time: 30 + 22.5 + 45 + 15 = 112.5 hours If applicants come in at 150 a week, sourcing takes 4 weeks. If you only get 75 a week, either start sourcing 4 weeks earlier or add a channel.
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How to use this template
- 1
Start from approved headcount
Copy the approved roles from the headcount plan into the hiring plan table. The recruitment plan covers how you will fill them, not whether to add them.
- 2
Work the funnel backward for each role family
Use your own pass-through rates from the last 12 months if you have them. Multiply by the number of hires to get applicants, screens and interviews needed.
- 3
Check capacity and budget
Convert the funnel into recruiter and interviewer hours, and the channel mix into cost per hire. If either doesn't fit, change start dates or channels before you open roles.
- 4
Review weekly and re-plan quarterly
Track status and funnel conversion weekly. Each quarter, compare actual time-to-fill and cost-per-hire to plan and reset the assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
What should a recruitment plan include?
A recruitment plan lists every approved role with team, level, headcount, target start date, pay band, sourcing channels, recruiter and status. It adds funnel math showing how many applicants and interviews each hire needs, time-to-fill targets by stage, recruiter and interviewer capacity, a budget with cost per hire, and compliance steps such as pay transparency and record retention.
What is the difference between a hiring plan and a headcount plan?
A headcount plan decides how many people each team can add and what they will cost, usually with Finance. A hiring plan, or recruitment plan, starts from that approved headcount and sets out how recruiting will fill the roles: timing, channels, funnel volume, recruiter capacity and recruiting budget. The headcount plan comes first.
How many applicants do you need to make one hire?
It depends on your pass-through rates. With 10% of applicants reaching a recruiter screen, 50% passing each of the next three stages, and 80% offer acceptance, you need 100 applicants for 1 hire. High-volume hourly roles often convert better; senior specialist roles usually need fewer applicants but more outbound sourcing. Use your last 12 months of data.
How do you calculate cost per hire?
Use the SHRM/ANSI formula: add external recruiting costs (ads, agency fees, background checks, candidate travel) and internal costs (recruiter pay, referral bonuses, tools, interviewer time), then divide by hires in the same period. In the worked example, $72,600 external plus $109,000 internal equals $181,600, divided by 20 hires is $9,080 per hire.
How long should time-to-fill be?
Set your own target by role type from past data. A workable plan for a mid-level role is about 41 days from requisition approval to offer accepted: 3 days to post, 14 sourcing, 5 each for recruiter and manager screens, 7 for the final loop, 3 for the offer and 4 for the candidate to accept. Add the notice period for time-to-start.
Do federal contractors still need affirmative action plans?
Executive Order 11246, which required affirmative action plans for women and minorities, was revoked by Executive Order 14173 in January 2025. Section 503 (disability) and VEVRAA (protected veterans) obligations remain in effect, including listing openings with state employment services. Enforcement responsibility may be moving between agencies, so check the current DOL guidance with counsel.