Applicants per opening: formula and example

Formula

Worked example

A supermarket chain in Nagpur ran three requisitions in September 2026: 10 cashiers, 4 floor supervisors and 2 store accountants. It received 240 applications after removing duplicates, and 72 passed the first screening: 60 for cashier, 8 for supervisor and 4 for accountant roles.

1. Openings = 10 + 4 + 2 = 16
2. Applicants per opening = 240 / 16 = 15
3. Qualified applicants per opening = 72 / 16 = 4.5
4. Qualified per opening by role: cashiers 60 / 10 = 6, supervisors 8 / 4 = 2, accountants 4 / 2 = 2

Volume versus quality of applicants

A high applicant count can mislead. Hundreds of applications for a cashier role may contain only a handful who meet the basics, while a specialized role may attract ten applicants who are all suitable. That is why the qualified version of the metric matters more for decisions. If qualified applicants per opening are low, the fix is better targeting: a clearer advertisement, the right channel and an honest salary range, rather than more advertising spend.

Using the metric to plan sourcing

Compare applicants per opening for each job family with the same quarter last year and between channels. A channel that sends many applications but few qualified ones costs screening time without adding value. When a role draws very few applicants, check the salary range, job title and location before spending more on advertising. For hard roles, set a target number of qualified candidates per opening before the requisition goes live.

• Applicants and qualified applicants per opening, by job family.
• Qualified share by channel: careers page, referrals, portals, walk-ins.
• Applicants per opening by location.

Counting pitfalls

Duplicate applications through several channels inflate the count, so remove duplicates by phone number or email before dividing. Counting requisitions instead of openings distorts the ratio when one requisition covers ten cashiers. Keep the screening criteria the same across the period, or the qualified figure will move for reasons that have nothing to do with the job market.

How to improve it

• Use job titles candidates actually search for, not internal designations.
• State the salary range, shift and location clearly in every advertisement.
• Ask employees to share openings in their own networks, backed by a referral bonus.
• Keep the application form short enough to finish on a phone.
• Post roles where the target candidates already look, such as local job groups for store roles.

Tracking it in ZeniaHR

ZeniaHR's Recruitment Hub keeps job requisitions with their openings and a public careers page with a multi-step application form, so direct applications land on the pipeline board under New. Screening moves candidates to the next stage, with notes. Recruitment analytics shows the funnel and open requisitions. Count applications and screened candidates per requisition and divide by its openings.

Frequently asked questions