Glossary
A plain-language definition from the Curriculo hiring glossary.
A hiring pipeline is the set of stages candidates move through for one open role, from application to hire.
Why it matters
A pipeline shows you where every candidate stands and where the process gets stuck. If 40 people sit in Screen for two weeks, you know where to act. It also lets you predict how many applicants you need to make one hire.
Typical stages
- Applied
- Screened
- Interview
- Final round
- Offer
- Hired
Keep stages few and clear. Each one should have a single owner and a target time.
A worked example with conversion rates
Last quarter, one role saw 200 applicants. 40 passed the screen, 12 reached interviews, 4 got offers, and 3 accepted. The stage conversion rates are 20 percent, 30 percent, 33 percent, and 75 percent.
Overall, 3 hires from 200 applicants is 1.5 percent. To make 6 similar hires next quarter, you'd need about 400 applicants, or a better screen, or a stronger close at the offer stage.
Hiring pipeline vs talent pipeline
A hiring pipeline is tied to a live job. A talent pipeline is a pool of people you keep in touch with before a job opens. Both matter, and they feed each other.
Common mistakes
- Too many stages, so candidates stall between them.
- No time limits, so people wait weeks for a decision.
- Moving candidates forward without recording feedback.
- Reading only the total number of applicants instead of stage conversion.
See how a visual hiring pipeline works, learn what a talent pipeline is, and track time to hire across stages.