What is candidate conversion rate, and how do you measure it in Metabase?
Candidate conversion rate is an HR and recruiting metric you can track in Metabase once ATS or HRIS data is synced into a database. Candidate conversion rate measures the share of applications that move from one recruiting stage to the next. It identifies where the funnel leaks and whether process changes improve hiring yield.
TL;DR — Define the event timestamps and denominator once, report counts next to rates, and segment only when sample size and privacy rules support it.
How is candidate conversion rate defined?
- Stage conversion = applications reaching stage N+1 / applications reaching stage N.
- Overall conversion can be accepted offers / applications created for a cohort.
- Use stage history: a current-stage snapshot undercounts earlier stages.
- Keep stage order consistent across jobs or normalize stages into a shared funnel.
What data does it need?
- Application table with created_at, job, source, status, and final outcome.
- Stage history with application_id, stage_id, entered_at, exited_at when available.
- Ordered stage table or a mapping from tool-specific stages to a shared funnel.
- Rejection or archive reason for drop-off analysis.
SQL pattern
Candidate conversion rate in MetabasePostgreSQL
WITH reached AS (
SELECT DISTINCT application_id, stage_id
FROM modeled_application_stage_history
), stage_counts AS (
SELECT
s.stage_name,
s.stage_order,
COUNT(DISTINCT r.application_id) AS reached_applications
FROM modeled_stages s
LEFT JOIN reached r ON r.stage_id = s.stage_id
GROUP BY s.stage_name, s.stage_order
)
SELECT
stage_name,
reached_applications,
ROUND(
100.0 * reached_applications
/ NULLIF(LAG(reached_applications) OVER (ORDER BY stage_order), 0),
1
) AS step_conversion_pct
FROM stage_counts
ORDER BY stage_order;Pitfalls
Using current stage as history.→ Candidates who moved past a stage disappear from its current-stage count.
Comparing unlike stage maps.→ Normalize job-specific stages before comparing departments or roles.
Ignoring skipped stages.→ Decide whether a skipped stage counts as reached and apply it consistently.
Where this metric applies
Related
Dashboards
Integrations
Metrics
Analytics
FAQ
Can I measure conversion without stage history?
Only overall outcomes, not reliable stage-to-stage conversion.
Should conversion be candidate- or application-based?
Use application-based conversion because a candidate can apply to multiple roles.