Fill rate tells a staffing agency how much client demand it successfully covered during a defined period. The arithmetic is simple. The operating definition is not.
An agency can calculate fill rate using shifts, positions, job orders, or requested hours. Each version answers a different question. Mixing them in one dashboard makes the result hard to trust.
What is staffing agency fill rate?
Staffing agency fill rate is the percentage of requested demand units that the agency fills within an agreed measurement window.
The basic formula is:
Fill rate = (filled demand units ÷ requested demand units) × 100
Choose one demand unit before calculating:
| Demand unit | Useful when | Important boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Shifts | Clients request discrete temporary or casual shifts. | Decide whether a shift counts when booked, confirmed, started, or completed. |
| Positions | One job order can contain several vacancies. | Count positions, not requisitions, in both numerator and denominator. |
| Job orders | Most orders represent one comparable hiring need. | Avoid this measure when order sizes vary widely. |
| Requested hours | Partial shift coverage matters operationally. | Record scheduled or worked hours consistently. |
For healthcare staffing, shift fill rate is often more useful than job-order fill rate because one order may contain multiple shifts across roles, sites, or dates. For a temporary staffing desk filling longer assignments, position fill rate may be clearer.
Staffing fill rate example
A healthcare client requests 120 nursing and support shifts for one week. The agency fills 102 of those shifts using the agreed definition.
(102 ÷ 120) × 100 = 85% fill rate
That calculation is internally consistent, but it does not explain whether all 102 workers arrived, whether fills were confirmed before the client deadline, or why 18 shifts remained open. Those questions need supporting measures.
Define what “filled” means
The fill event should match the decision the agency wants to manage.
- Booked fill rate counts a shift when a worker is booked.
- Confirmed fill rate counts it after the required worker or client confirmation.
- Started fill rate counts it when the worker starts the assignment or shift.
- Worked fill rate counts completed demand after cancellations and no-shows.
Booked fill rate is useful for forward planning. Worked fill rate is closer to delivered service. Neither should silently replace the other.
Write the definition beside the dashboard measure. For example: “Worked shifts divided by client-requested shifts with a start date in the reporting week.”
Keep cancellations visible
Cancellations can distort fill rate when they disappear from the denominator.
Track at least three cancellation reasons separately:
- client cancelled before the shift;
- worker cancelled after booking; and
- agency could not supply a suitable worker.
An agency may reasonably exclude timely client cancellations from an adjusted operational fill-rate view. It should retain the original requested-demand view as well, so the dashboard shows how much demand entered the system.
Do not combine worker cancellations, client cancellations, no-shows, and unfilled demand under one vague “lost shift” label. They need different responses.
Segment fill rate before setting targets
One agency-wide percentage can hide the work operators need to do. Review fill rate by dimensions such as:
- client and site;
- role, profession, or Talent Pool;
- shift date and time;
- request lead time;
- branch, desk, or recruiter team;
- new demand versus recurring demand; and
- booked fill rate versus worked fill rate.
A low result for urgent overnight shifts means something different from a low result for requests supplied two weeks in advance. Segment first; set internal targets second.
There is no universal “good staffing fill rate” that applies across every market, client, role, or measurement rule. Compare like with like, document changes to the definition, and use the agency's own historical baseline.
Use fill rate with time and readiness measures
Fill rate is an outcome measure. It becomes more useful alongside measures that explain it:
| Supporting measure | What it helps explain |
|---|---|
| Time to fill | Whether demand is being covered quickly enough. |
| Response time | How long it takes the agency to acknowledge and start work on a request. |
| Candidate or worker availability | Whether sufficient suitable supply was visible when the request arrived. |
| Cancellation and no-show rate | Whether booked demand became delivered work. |
| Gross margin | Whether filled work supports the agency's commercial model. |
The worker-readiness guide explains why a large candidate database is not the same as a ready, eligible, and available worker pool.
How Scissors supports the operating workflow
Scissors helps staffing agencies connect jobs, worker availability, Talent Pool eligibility, job invitations, scheduling, timesheets, client approvals, and payroll-ready exports. Those connected records can make it easier to establish consistent operational reporting boundaries.
Scissors does not define a universal fill-rate target, make placement decisions, or replace payroll and accounting systems. Agency leaders still choose the definition, validate the source data, and interpret the result.
Healthcare operators can see how these pieces connect in the healthcare staffing software guide. The wider recruitment KPI dashboard template shows where fill rate sits alongside delivery, quality, and commercial measures.
Fill rate FAQs
Is staffing fill rate based on jobs or shifts?
It can use jobs, positions, shifts, or requested hours. Choose one unit that matches the operating question and use it consistently in both parts of the formula.
Should cancelled shifts count in fill rate?
Keep original demand and cancellations visible. An adjusted view may exclude defined client cancellations, but it should not erase worker cancellations, no-shows, or supply failures.
What is a good fill rate for a staffing agency?
There is no universal figure. Definitions, lead times, client mix, roles, and markets vary. Use a documented definition and compare consistent segments against the agency's own history and service commitments.