Table of Contents
Takeaways
- Quality of hire measures long-term employee success, performance, and retention.
- Quality of start evaluates how well new hires adapt and perform in their first few months.
- Tracking these metrics helps businesses refine hiring, reduce turnover, and build stronger teams.
- A proactive hiring and onboarding experience helps new hires succeed from day one.
What Is Quality of Hire?
Quality of hire measures how well a new employee contributes to the organization over time. It’s a long-term metric that helps HR teams understand whether their hiring process is bringing in the right people.
Key quality of hire indicators
- Performance: how well an employee meets or exceeds job expectations
- Cultural fit: how well they align with company values and team dynamics
- Engagement: their level of motivation, collaboration, and willingness to go beyond their job duties
- Retention: whether they stay with the company long-term
By tracking these factors, businesses can identify what’s working—and what needs improvement—in their hiring process.
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What Is Quality of Start?
While quality of hire looks at long-term impact, quality of start focuses on a new hire’s first few months. It measures how well they adjust, whether they feel supported, and how quickly they start contributing.
Tracking this metric shows where your onboarding process shines—and where a little extra support can make all the difference.
Key quality of start indicators
- Onboarding completion: how smoothly new hires complete training and integrate into the role
- Early performance: productivity and milestones achieved in the first 30-90 days
- New hire satisfaction: their feedback on the onboarding experience
- Manager feedback: how well supervisors believe the new hire is adjusting
A strong quality of start leads to higher engagement, faster productivity, and lower turnover.
“You’ll want to make sure your new hires feel welcomed, supported, and ready to hit the ground running.”
– Marisa Ramirez, Director of People Operations at Wizehire
Why Should You Measure Both Quality of Hire and Quality of Start?
Tracking both metrics gives you a complete picture of your hiring process—and where you can level up. When you measure these metrics, you’ll:
- Spot hiring trends: Identify what qualities make a successful long-term employee.
- Boost retention: Address gaps in onboarding and training to improve new hire experiences.
- Strengthen company culture: Ensure every hire aligns with your values and team dynamics.
- Improve onboarding efficiency: Make better training decisions based on data, not just instinct.
Tracking just one metric gives you half the story. To truly improve hiring, you need both—quality of hire for long-term success, and quality of start for early impact.
“The goal is for every employee to get the best possible start.”
– Marisa Ramirez, Director of People Operations at Wizehire
How to Measure Quality of Hire
Measuring your quality of hire involves gathering data on employee performance, retention, and satisfaction. The goal? Refining your hiring strategies to attract and retain top talent. Here’s how to make it count.
1. Use Performance Reviews
Not just the standard yearly check-ins, but ongoing conversations that track an employee’s growth. For example, if a new sales rep is crushing 90% of their targets within the first year, that’s a sign they were a great hire! On the flip side, if someone struggles to meet expectations, it might indicate gaps in the hiring process, onboarding, or motivation.
“Come up with a dedicated measuring system like a 1-5 rating from ‘exceeds expectations’ to ‘doesn’t meet expectations.’” -Marisa Ramirez
2. Measure Your Retention Rate
Employees sticking around after one year means that something is working: your hiring process is bringing in the right people, and they’re happy enough to stay. But if retention is low, it’s a signal to dig deeper into onboarding, culture fit, or job expectations.
Ask yourself: Are employees leaving because the role wasn’t what they expected? Is there a disconnect between hiring and team culture?
3. Survey Your Managers
If managers consistently give new hires rave reviews, that’s a good sign. But if managers struggle to integrate new employees or notice performance issues, it’s a sign that something in the hiring, training, or onboarding process needs adjustment.
4. Survey Employees at Six Months and One Year
Send employee surveys after six months and one year to reveal workplace alignment. Are employees engaged and growing in their roles? Do they feel supported? High scores indicate a strong quality of hire, while lower scores could point to gaps in their onboarding or training.
5. Administer Exit Interviews
Exit interviews can reveal why employees leave and whether hiring or onboarding plays a role. If high performers leave the company too soon, it’s time to assess whether expectations were misaligned or if there were cultural fit issues that could have been caught earlier.
How to Measure Quality of Start
Measuring quality of start helps you see how well new hires are adjusting in their first few months—and where you can improve their experience. A strong start sets the tone for long-term success, so tracking these indicators ensures your hiring and onboarding process is truly effective.
To get a clear picture, focus on three key areas:
- onboarding completion
- early productivity
- new hire satisfaction
1. Know Your Onboarding Completion Rate
Are new hires completing all their training and paperwork within the first 30 days? For example, a company with a 95% completion rate does a great job setting employees up for early success. If that rate is lower than 80%, it could signal that onboarding is overwhelming, unclear, or missing key support systems.
2. Measure Early Productivity
Check 90-day performance goals to see if new hires are hitting key milestones. For example, if a customer service rep resolves 80% of their assigned tickets within 60 days, that’s a great indicator of a strong start. But if performance is lagging, they might need better training, clearer expectations, or extra support from their manager.
3. Administer New Hire Satisfaction Surveys
Ask employees how their onboarding experience went. Did they get the tools, training, and support they need to do their job well? Were they excited and confident in their new role? If new hires struggle in their first few months, it might signal gaps in onboarding, training, or job expectations.
Key Differences Between Quality of Start and Quality of Hire
Tracking both helps fine-tune hiring, onboarding, and long-term employee success.
| Factor | Quality of start | Quality of hire |
| Timeframe | First 30-90 days | 6 months to 2+ years |
| Focus | Onboarding success | Long-term performance |
| Metrics used | Engagement, early productivity | Retention, cultural fit, job performance |
| Goal | Ensure smooth transition | Assess long-term impact |
How These Metrics Impact Hiring Success
A strong quality of start leads to a strong quality of hire. If employees struggle early on, they’re less likely to stay long-term.
By measuring both, businesses can:
- Identify the traits of successful hires.
- Improve onboarding and training for a smoother transition.
- Strengthen employer branding by ensuring a great employee experience.
- Reduce employee turnover rate by supporting new hires early on.
Data-driven hiring decisions create a stronger, more engaged workforce.
“When employees start strong, they’re more likely to stick around, grow with the company.”
– Marisa Ramirez, Director of People Operations at Wizehire
How to Improve Quality of Hire and Quality of Start
Boosting these metrics starts before a candidate is hired. It’s all about setting employees up for success from the moment they walk through the door. Here’s how to make it happen:
How to improve quality of hire:
- Write clear job descriptions so candidates know exactly what to expect.
- Use structured interviews to assess skills, cultural fit, and long-term potential.
- Track hiring success over time to refine recruitment strategies.
How to improve quality of start:
- Personalize onboarding to help new hires adjust faster.
- Set clear performance benchmarks for the first 90 days.
- Encourage communication between managers and new hires.
“A strong start leads to long-term success.”
– Marisa Ramirez, Director of People Operations at Wizehire
Pros and Cons of Measuring Quality of Hire and Quality of Start
The benefits far outweigh the challenges—especially when hiring is proactive and strategic.
Pros
- Optimizes your strategic hiring efforts
- Improves overall employee life cycle
- Reduces employee turnover and strengthens retention
- Provides data-driven insights for HR strategy
Cons
- Requires consistent tracking to be effective
- Cultural fit can be hard to quantify
- Some data points (like satisfaction surveys) are subjective
Wize Words
Great hires don’t happen by chance—they happen by design. Measuring quality of hire and quality of start helps you find the right people, set them up for success, and build a team that thrives. Small improvements today lead to better business outcomes tomorrow.
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