Metrics Are the Guiding Light of Your Job Search: 4 Primary and 6 Secondary Stats to Measure

Some Valuable Metrics

Really, you can measure many different activities as part of your job search. But naming the ones that will most impact our success is the key. Here are the ones I believe most important to track and why to do it.

First, notice the list does not include getting an offer. Yes, that is the ultimate statistic – Did you get the job? But measuring only or primarily that means you only have 1 chance for success. How demoralizing to go day after day without accomplishing your ultimate goal.

So, what should you measure? I like reverse engineering the process because it helps me see what activities I need to do more of to get success. The numbers I provide come from research conducted by The Five O’Clock Club (now Get Five) and the experiences of my clients.

Interviews: Measures the percentage of hiring authority conversations and applications that convert to interviews. You should strive to have at least 2-3 active interview processes at any given time. If you need more interviews, you might need to speak with more hiring authorities. Getting initial screening or first interviews, but not offers? You may need to tweak our interview techniques.

Hiring Authority Conversations: Are you speaking to or networking with enough hiring Authorities? My clients found that if they had ongoing conversations with at least 5-6 hiring authorities at any given moment in time, at least 1 would convert to an interview within 2 months. These include the informational meetings and casual conversations you have with the people who can offer us the position – not HR or recruiters.

Networking Conversations: Tracks the number of people you connect with in your target organizations. A strong network opens doors to hidden opportunities. 8-10 ongoing conversations with people who can introduce you to the hiring authority will result in meeting the goal of 5-6 hiring authority conversations. Included here are the “Coffee meetings, informational interviews, and other conversations had with people inside our target organizations.

To be clear, these 3 metrics are the most important to measure and will garner the fastest and best results. More networking means more hiring authorities to speak to, which means more interview options and greater chances for getting an offer.

Second Tier Metrics Worth Considering

There are some other statistics that may have value in our job search. These all feed into getting more and better networking, access to more hiring authorities, and potentially more interviews.

Industry or Professional Association Meetings: Successful job seekers are going to the meetings their intended hiring authorities attend. What key conferences, Seminars, or industry group meetings can you attend? I recommend as many as 1 per week is a great goal. These will keep you current on the latest trends and education in the industry or profession as well as keep you in contact with potential employers.

Job Seeker Networking and Accountability Groups: Attend 1 or 2 per month. Hese meetings will not just add to your cadre of potential networking contacts, but also help you perfect your job search process. I recommend the limited number because you want to talk to employed people and hiring authorities, not others who are out of work – unless they can introduce us to hiring authorities!

Recruiter Conversations: I suggest about 15% of your job search time should be spent collaborating with recruiters, specifically those whose expertise is in your field or industry, and preferably with “retained” recruiters rather than “contingent” recruiters. Developing a strong relationship with 5-8 good, active recruiters can be beneficial.

Target Organization Research: A good goal is to do deep-dive research into 1-3 target organizations each week, especially those you are most seeking access to at this time. This preparation will improve the impression you make and the knowledge you bring to the networking conversations as well as the interview.

Time Spent in Job Search: You have heard the adage, finding a job is a full-time job. If you are doing all the things listed here at the levels suggested, it will easily fill 35-40 hours per week. Track the time you spend on each activity. Are you truly spending your time in productive job search activities? Is there value gained from the time spent in each? Do you need to adjust your where you spend your time to be more productive?

Application Rate: Tracks how many jobs you apply for within a time period. While high volume is good, ensure quality applications over quantity. This is the least productive activity of a job search with statistically less than 10% success in getting an interview from the time spent.

By setting daily and weekly goals for these different metrics, you create opportunities to celebrate the small wins of meeting the goal and seeing the desired activity growing as you move closer to the ultimate success of a job offer. For better or worse, Job Search is a numbers game. You must get through a percentage of rejections before getting the results you want. So, pat yourself on the back for meeting the goals and milestones that show the forward progress in the process.

Tracking Made Easy

You will need a simple and effortless way to habitually track this data and evaluate it for the course corrections needed to improve your chances.

• Dashboards or Spreadsheets: A simple yet effective way to record applications, interview dates, and responses. I have created one, so you don’t have to. Just reach out to me for it.

• Job Search Apps: Many apps track applications, interview scheduling, and even help personalize branding documents like resume and cover letters. Recently a client recommended www.tealhq.com. 2 others I found include www.prentus.com and www.huntr.co. 

• Calendar: I often recommend clients time-block their calendars to visualize progress and make sure they spend their time where they need to. Remember though, this is just a tool. I would not want it to be another stressor. It should help guide the way you manage your day, not be an absolute that when violated is a negative.

Bonus Tip

Set realistic goals. Don't get discouraged if you don't land an interview every time. Analyze your metrics regularly and adjust your strategy as needed.

There are many things you can measure. I have provided the list of those I believe to be most important. You create your own list. Most importantly, start tracking your activity. By embracing metrics, you transform your job search from a scattershot approach to a targeted campaign, increasing your chances of landing your dream role dramatically.