The New Dictionary of Hiring

Time to Capability

/TYM TUH KAY-PUH-BIL-I-TEE/

NOUN

Time to Capability is the period from recognizing a business need until people can deliver it, not merely until someone accepts an offer.

MEANING

Time to fill ends when someone accepts the offer. Unfortunately, the business still has to wait through a notice period, onboarding, training and whatever it takes for that person to become effective.

‍

If you need to open a market, deliver a project or increase production, a signed offer is a milestone, not the finish line. Measure the time from “We need to be able to do this” to “Now we can.”

Defined by:
James Ellis,
Employer Brand Labs

Category:

Essentials

Related Terms:

MAKE THE CHANGE

Instead of:

Time to fill.

Ask:

When does the business actually become capable?

EXAMPLE

The candidate accepts in April, starts in June and needs two months to become effective. The dashboard says 'filled' in April. The business gets the capability in August.

HOW TO USE IT

In workforce planning, add the notice period and expected ramp-up to the search time. Work backward from when the business needs someone contributing, rather than when it wants a signed offer.

SAY IT TO LEADERSHIP

An accepted offer doesn't deliver the plan. If we need this capability working in August, we have to account for the search, the start date and the time it takes to become effective.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH

Replacement Horizon: Time to Capability measures the wait for something the business needs; the Replacement Horizon estimates the wait to restore something it already has, if the person providing it left.