Fill rate is positions filled divided by positions requested, times 100. If clients asked for 18 workers this week and you placed 14, your fill rate is 14 divided by 18, times 100, which is 78 percent. Count positions, not orders, because one order can ask for five people. And decide up front whether a placement that fell off in week one still counts. The honest answer is no.
The formula
Fill rate = (positions filled ÷ positions requested) × 100
Three rules make the number mean something.
- Count positions, not orders. An order for five forklift drivers is five positions.
- Pick a time window. A week or a month. Use the same window every time.
- Decide what "filled" means. Confirmed for the shift? Showed up? Still there after a week? Write it down and stick to it.
One week, worked through
Here is a desk's week.
| Client | Positions requested | Filled | Still there Friday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold-storage warehouse | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| Packaging plant | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Clinic (medical assistant) | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Hotel (housekeeping) | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 18 | 14 | 12 |
Quick fill rate: 14 ÷ 18 × 100 = 78 percent.
Honest fill rate: 12 ÷ 18 × 100 = 67 percent.
The gap, two positions, is the rework. Two workers had to be replaced, two clients had to call back, and the hours were spent twice.
Which version to use
Use both. The quick version tells you how much of the demand you met. The honest version tells you how much of it you kept. Report the honest one to clients and owners. Use the gap between them to find what went wrong.
In the table above, the warehouse lost one and the packaging plant lost one. Ask why. Usually it is a shift that was not agreed, a must-have that was not checked, or a confirmation that left out the start time.
Fill rate by client and by recruiter
Once you have the formula, run it two more ways. By client, to see which accounts are hard to fill at their pay rate. By recruiter, to see whose placements stick. A recruiter with a high quick rate and a low honest rate is sending people fast and sending the wrong ones. That is a coaching conversation, not a numbers problem.
Where M-Tracker fits
The gap between the quick and the honest fill rate is made of work that was wrong before it went out. M-Tracker checks each submittal and confirmation against the written order before the client sees it, so the positions you fill are the ones that hold. The honest number climbs without the desk working harder.
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Questions people ask
Should I count positions the client cancelled?
Take them out of the total, but track how many there were. Clients cancel when fills are slow.
What about orders I turned down?
They are not requested positions. But if you turn down a lot, your fill rate is high because you only take easy orders. Know that when you read the number.
How often should I calculate it?
Weekly for temp desks. Monthly for direct hire.
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