Which recruiting metrics do you track? Tell me about a time the numbers changed how you worked.

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests recruiting data & tools. Uses an applicant tracking system well, tracks metrics like time to fill and pass-through rates, and uses AI tools thoughtfully with fairness checks.
• What to bring out: Names metrics like time to fill, source of hire, pass-through and offer acceptance rates, and gives a concrete change driven by the data.
• Expect a follow-up like: How do you keep your tracking system data clean enough to trust?

Another way it may be asked: What numbers tell you how your hiring is going, and when did they make you do something differently?

A structure to follow: STAR, with the weight on Action and Result

1. Step 1

   Situation

   One or two sentences: where, when and what was at stake. Pick a real example you were close to.

2. Step 2

   Task

   What you personally were responsible for. Say "I", not only "we", so the recruiting data & tools you showed is visible.

3. Step 3

   Action

   The two or three things you did and why you chose them over the alternatives. This should be about half your answer.

4. Step 4

   Result

   What changed, in your own measure of it, and what you would do differently. Only use numbers you can stand behind.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

• Describing what the team did without saying what you did.
• Choosing an example with no clear outcome, or one you cannot answer detailed questions about.
• Ending on the action and skipping the result and what you learned.

How to practise it

Write two bullet points for each STAR letter, then say the answer aloud in about two minutes.

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