What Is Full Cycle Recruiting?
Full cycle recruiting (also called full lifecycle recruiting or end-to-end recruiting) is the complete process of filling a position from the initial job requisition through candidate onboarding. For staffing agencies, this means managing every stage from receiving a client's job order to placing a candidate and ensuring a successful start.
Understanding the full cycle matters because inefficiencies compound across stages. A 2-day delay at each stage turns into a 14-day delay overall — and in staffing, speed wins placements.
The 7 Stages of Full Cycle Recruiting
Stage 1: Job Requisition & Intake
The cycle starts when a client provides a job order. The recruiter conducts an intake call to understand:
- Role requirements: must-have skills, experience level, certifications
- Team context: who they'll work with, reporting structure, team size
- Timeline: how urgently the role needs to be filled
- Compensation: salary range, benefits, contract terms
- Submission preferences: resume format, number of candidates, blind vs. branded
Pro tip: Ask about resume formatting preferences during intake. Some clients want blind resumes (no candidate names), some want branded templates, some have specific layout requirements. Knowing this upfront prevents rework at the submission stage.
Stage 2: Sourcing
Finding candidates who match the role requirements. This typically involves multiple channels:
- ATS database: Search existing candidates first — they're pre-vetted and faster to engage
- Job boards: Indeed, LinkedIn, industry-specific boards
- Direct sourcing: LinkedIn Recruiter, GitHub, industry communities
- Referrals: From placed candidates, industry contacts, team members
- Advertising: Sponsored job posts, social media campaigns
Target: Identify 15-25 potential candidates to screen for each role.
Stage 3: Screening & Assessment
Narrow the candidate pool from 15-25 to 3-5 qualified submissions:
- Resume review: Check qualifications against job requirements (2-3 minutes per resume)
- Phone screen: 15-20 minute conversation to assess communication, motivation, availability
- Skills assessment: Technical tests, coding challenges, or portfolio review as needed
- Qualification verification: Confirm certifications, employment dates, education
Stage 4: Submission & Presentation
This is where staffing agencies differentiate from internal recruiting. The recruiter formats the candidate's resume into the agency's branded template, writes a positioning statement, and presents the shortlist to the client.
Submission Stage Tasks & Time
| Task | Manual Time | Automated Time |
|---|---|---|
| Reformat resume into branded template | 30-45 min | <60 seconds |
| Write candidate positioning statement | 10-15 min | 10-15 min |
| Remove candidate contact info | 5 min | Automatic |
| Generate Word + PDF versions | 5-10 min | Automatic |
| Quality check formatting | 10-15 min | 2-3 min spot check |
| Total per candidate | 60-90 min | 15-20 min |
| Total for 3-5 candidates | 3-7.5 hours | 45-100 min |
The submission stage is where agencies have the most control over speed and quality. Sourcing speed depends on market availability. Interview speed depends on client calendars. But formatting and submission speed is entirely within the agency's control.
Stage 5: Interview Coordination
Once the client selects candidates for interviews, the recruiter coordinates scheduling, provides interview prep, and gathers feedback:
- Schedule interviews between client and candidates (often the most logistically complex stage)
- Prep candidates: company background, interviewer names, expected questions, dress code
- Debrief candidates immediately after each interview
- Gather client feedback within 24-48 hours
- Present additional candidates if needed
Stage 6: Offer & Negotiation
When the client selects a candidate, the recruiter facilitates the offer process:
- Relay the offer details to the candidate
- Negotiate salary, benefits, and start date if needed
- Manage counteroffers (if the candidate receives competing offers)
- Coordinate background checks and drug screening
- Confirm acceptance and start date
Stage 7: Onboarding & Follow-up
The cycle doesn't end at offer acceptance. Strong agencies follow through with onboarding support:
- First-day check-in with both client and candidate
- Weekly check-ins during the first month
- 30/60/90-day milestone reviews
- Address any issues early to protect the placement (and your guarantee)
- Ask for referrals and testimonials once the placement is successful
Full Cycle Metrics: What to Track
Key Metrics by Recruiting Stage
| Metric | Benchmark | Top Performers |
|---|---|---|
| Time-to-fill (total) | 36 days | 21 days |
| Sourcing time | 5-7 days | 2-3 days |
| Screening-to-submission | 3-5 days | 1-2 days |
| Submissions per role | 3-5 candidates | 3 candidates (better targeting) |
| Submission-to-interview rate | 40-50% | 65-75% |
| Interview-to-offer rate | 25-30% | 40-50% |
| Offer acceptance rate | 85-90% | 92-95% |
| Time spent formatting/submission | 60-90 min/candidate | 15-20 min/candidate |
Where Time Gets Wasted in the Cycle
When we analyzed data from 600+ agencies, the biggest time drains in the full recruiting cycle were:
- Resume formatting (30-60 min/candidate): The most common manual bottleneck. Completely automatable.
- Interview scheduling (2-5 days of back-and-forth): Use scheduling tools (Calendly, GoodTime) to reduce coordination overhead.
- Client feedback delays (3-7 days): Set expectations during intake. 48-hour feedback SLA is reasonable.
- ATS data entry (15-20 min/candidate): Use ATS integrations to reduce duplicate data entry.
- Candidate no-shows (12% of interviews): Send reminders 24 hours and 2 hours before. Confirm via text.
36 days
Average time-to-fill
Source: Industry average
21 days
Top performer average
Source: Agency benchmarking
5-8 hrs/week
Lost to manual formatting
Source: iReformat data