Setting SLAs in the Recruiting Process

Hiring the right people requires coordination between recruiters, hiring managers, and interview teams. One of the best ways to keep the process moving smoothly is by setting clear service level agreements, or SLAs. These agreements establish expectations for how quickly each step in the hiring process should be completed, creating accountability and helping ensure a strong candidate experience.

What Are SLAs in Recruiting?

In recruiting, an SLA is an agreed-upon timeline or commitment between stakeholders. It defines how quickly actions should be taken at each stage of the process, from reviewing resumes to providing interview feedback to extending offers. SLAs create a shared understanding of what “fast” and “responsive” actually mean, reducing the risk of delays and miscommunication.

Why SLAs Matter

1. Improved Candidate Experience Candidates value responsiveness. Long delays between stages can cause frustration and increase the risk of losing top talent to faster-moving competitors.

   
   

2. Stronger Recruiter–Hiring Manager Alignment When both sides commit to clear timelines, it reduces back-and-forth and builds trust. Everyone knows what is expected and when.

   
   

3. Faster Time-to-Fill By holding each step to a defined timeline, hiring teams can shorten the overall hiring cycle, which is critical in competitive markets.

   
   

4. Better Decision Making Timely feedback helps interviewers keep impressions fresh and ensures decisions are based on accurate assessments.

Examples of Recruiting SLAs

• Resume Review: Hiring managers provide feedback on resumes within 1 business day of receipt.

  
  

• Interview Feedback: Interviewers submit written feedback within 24 hours of completing an interview.

  
  

• Offer Approval: Compensation and offer details are approved within 48 hours of request.

  
  

• Candidate Communication: Recruiters provide candidates with updates no later than three business days after an interview.

  
  

These are just starting points. The right SLAs will vary by company size, hiring volume, and the type of roles being filled.

Best Practices for Setting SLAs

1. Collaborate on Expectations SLAs should be created with input from both recruiters and hiring managers. Shared ownership increases accountability.

   
   

2. Be Realistic Timelines should be ambitious but achievable. Unrealistic SLAs lead to frustration and missed commitments.

   
   

3. Make Them Visible Document SLAs and share them with all stakeholders. Consider including them in recruiter–hiring manager kickoff meetings.

   
   

4. Track Performance Use your applicant tracking system or simple reporting to monitor SLA compliance. Tracking makes it easier to spot bottlenecks and improve over time.

   
   

5. Review Regularly Business needs change, and SLAs should evolve along with them. Revisit agreements at least quarterly to ensure they still make sense.

   
   

Final Thoughts

Recruiting is a team sport, and delays at any step can cause great candidates to slip away. By setting clear SLAs, companies can streamline their process, improve communication, and deliver a better experience for both candidates and hiring teams. More importantly, SLAs create accountability and ensure everyone involved in hiring shares responsibility for finding and securing the right talent.