Hiring velocity — the rate at which open roles move from initiation to accepted offer — is determined by process design, not market conditions. Organisations that close VP searches in 30–50 days are not operating in easier talent markets. They are operating different processes. This page documents the benchmarks and what determines which side of the velocity curve an organisation falls on.
Velocity Benchmarks by Role Level
| Role Level | Industry Median | Majhi OS Instrumented | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| VP-level (general) | 65–90 days | 30–50 days | ~40 days faster |
| Director-level | 45–65 days | 25–40 days | ~25 days faster |
| C-suite (CTO, CFO, CPO) | 80–110 days | 40–60 days | ~40 days faster |
| Chief Revenue Officer | 90–120 days | 45–65 days | ~45 days faster |
Velocity Benchmarks by Industry Segment
| Industry | VP Search Median | Primary Bottleneck |
|---|---|---|
| SaaS / B2B Software | 60–80 days | Hiring manager decisiveness |
| Fintech / Financial Services | 75–100 days | Background check + compliance stage |
| AI / ML Companies | 55–75 days | Candidate pool scarcity at senior level |
| Cybersecurity | 70–90 days | Clearance requirements + scarcity |
| Enterprise Software | 80–110 days | Committee-based decision processes |
What Drives Velocity
Intake completeness
Searches that begin with a fully-specified success profile — behaviours, outcomes, cultural fit criteria, deal-breakers — close 30–40% faster than searches that begin with a job description. The investment in intake is recovered multiple times in reduced search duration.
Pipeline stage SLOs
Searches with explicitly defined stage SLOs — maximum 48 hours for screening feedback, maximum 72 hours for interview feedback, maximum 5 business days for offer construction — close materially faster than searches without them. SLOs impose discipline on the decision-making process and prevent momentum loss.
Operational monitoring and early recovery
Searches monitored in real time for pipeline velocity, reply rate, and stage progression recover from stall patterns in days rather than weeks. The same operational event — a 30% drop in reply rate — is addressed in 3 days with monitoring or in 3 weeks without it.
"Velocity is not a sourcing capability. It is an operational discipline. The organisations that close in 30 days have built a different process — not hired a bigger network."