How long does it take to make a permanent hire?

How Long Does It Take to Make a Permanent Hire?

Recruiting for a permanent hire within the London Specialty Insurance market is rarely as simple as posting a job and waiting for the right candidate to appear.

On average, a permanent hire takes 85+ working days from job live to start, though this can range from 20 working days for immediate starters to over 230 working days for niche or senior roles. Understanding these timelines is essential for leadership teams planning recruitment and project delivery.

At Pioneer Search, we’ve analysed 50 of our most recent permanent placements to understand how long it really takes to move from a role being released, the preferred candidate being offered and when they commence employment in their new role. Additionally, we’ve also reviewed the reasons and motivations for why successfully placed individuals have chosen to leave their current roles.

The results reveal key insights that every leadership team should factor into their permanent hiring strategies.

The reality of hiring timelines

Across the roles we analysed, the average time from a job going live to an offer being sent was around 45 working days - just over two months.

Some businesses and recruitment processes move much faster; we’ve seen offers made in as little as five working days. Others, particularly niche or senior positions, have taken up to 150 working days, highlighting how complex hiring can become when candidates are passive or highly specialised – reducing the pool of suitable and available talent in the market.

What this tells us is that most permanent hires can be completed within 30 to 50 working days, but leadership teams should anticipate longer timelines for senior or specialist roles. Even when a new role is approved, immediate hiring is rarely realistic.

Once an offer is made, the next stage is the candidate resigning and giving notice in their current role. In our analysis, this typically takes 0 to 15 working days, with most candidates handing in notice immediately or within a week of accepting an offer and signing their new contract of employment. Longer delays are generally tied to senior appointments or personal circumstances. Understanding this stage is crucial: an accepted offer does not always equate to an immediate start.

Notice periods creating a hidden bottleneck

Notice periods remain the most significant constraint on securing permanent talent efficiently.

Nearly half of the candidates in the permanent placements we analysed were tied to three-month notice periods, while around 30% had one-month notice. The remainder fell into short or negotiated notice periods, or were completing contracts, sabbaticals, or other transitions between employers.

For hiring managers, this reinforces the need to plan recruitment campaigns well in advance. Negotiating start dates or leveraging interim solutions can help projects stay on track while permanent hires serve notice.

When we consider the full hiring cycle, from job go-live to candidate start date, the average was around 85 working days, or roughly four months. Shortest timelines were approx. 20 working days, usually when a candidate’s personal circumstances allowed them to commence their new role quickly.

At the other extreme, some roles took over 230 working days, particularly when the offered candidate wasn’t actively looking and required sustained engagement to identify, attract and secure their interest in being considered for interviewing for the role.

In practical terms, roles approved in Q4 frequently start in Q1 or Q2.

Candidate’s motivations for changing roles

Understanding the reasons why people wish to leave their current role is as important as understanding how long hiring takes. Across the placements analysed, motivations clustered around several key themes:

• 30% | Redundancy or contract ended
• 35% | Career progression, new challenge, or stability
• 15% | Lifestyle or personal reasons (travel, childcare, sabbatical, relocation)
• 15% | Cultural reasons (organisation change, lack of ownership, unhappiness in role)
• 5% | Other or unknown

The primary drivers remain around market volatility and career progression, with stability and organisational culture also featuring prominently.

For employers, this highlights two critical points: hiring the right candidate is only half the battle, and retention is just as important as acquisition. Companies who fail to address career development or cultural engagement risk repeated turnover.

Key insights for leadership teams
From our analysis, a few strategic insights emerge:

Plan four to five months ahead.
The average permanent hire takes 85+ working days from job live to start, so recruitment and project timelines need to be aligned.

Notice periods are the biggest bottleneck.
Nearly half of candidates carry three-month notice periods. Early engagement and flexibility are key.

Redundancies create opportunities. 
Market restructuring can yield a pool of available, highly skilled candidates at shorter notice.

Retention matters.
Career progression and culture are frequent reasons for leaving, ignoring these risks repeated turnover.

Senior and specialist hires need patience.
Some roles, particularly those requiring niche or hard-to-find skills, can take 150+ working days to fill.

Proactive planning avoids compromises. 
In a competitive market, understanding how long hiring takes and why candidates move is essential. 
With insight, planning, and the right approach, organisations can secure the talent they need without unnecessary delays.
 

We’re here to help
Hiring permanent tech talent in the London Specialty Insurance market is rarely straightforward, but with the right guidance, it doesn’t have to be a guessing game.

Alex Holliday, Director of Permanent Recruitment at Pioneer Search, works with leadership teams to navigate every stage of the hiring process, providing market and talent insights, practical attraction strategies, and a deep understanding of what other Specialty Insurance businesses are doing to secure hard-to-find permanent tech talent.

Whether you’re facing long notice periods, niche skill shortages, or ambitious team growth goals over the next six months, Alex can help you plan proactively, reduce bottlenecks, and implement recruitment strategies that deliver results.

Reach out to Alex today and discover how we can help your business build the teams it needs, on time and with the right people.
 

alexh@pioneer-search.com

0203 828 6963