A Fit Rate is a critical performance metric used across various industries, including recruitment, manufacturing, and supply chain management. It measures the percentage of subjects or items that meet a specific set of criteria out of the total population evaluated. In simple terms, it tells you how effective your selection or production process is at hitting the target requirement.
How to Calculate Fit Rate: The Formula
The mathematical calculation for fit rate is straightforward but provides profound insights into process efficiency. The formula is as follows:
Fit Rate (%) = (Total Matches / Total Population Evaluated) × 100
Step-by-Step Calculation Guide
Define the Sample: Determine the total number of items, candidates, or leads you are assessing.
Identify Matches: Filter the group to find only those that meet 100% of your specific criteria.
Divide: Divide the number of matches by the total sample size.
Convert to Percentage: Multiply the result by 100 to get your Fit Rate percentage.
Practical Example (Recruitment):
If an HR department reviews 200 resumes for a Senior Developer role and finds that 12 candidates perfectly match the technical stack and experience requirements: (12 / 200) × 100 = 6% Fit Rate.
Why Monitoring Fit Rate Matters
Tracking your fit rate is essential for optimizing business operations. A consistently low fit rate often signals a problem at the top of the funnel—for instance, poor job descriptions in hiring or low-quality raw materials in manufacturing. Conversely, an exceptionally high fit rate might suggest that your criteria are too lenient or your evaluation process isn't rigorous enough.
Recruitment: High fit rates indicate effective sourcing and clear job descriptions.
Logistics: In packing, the fit rate refers to volume utilization and shipping efficiency.
Manufacturing: It measures the precision of components fitting into an assembly.
Marketing: It calculates how many leads match the "Ideal Customer Profile" (ICP).
function calculateFitRate() {
var total = parseFloat(document.getElementById('totalEvaluated').value);
var matches = parseFloat(document.getElementById('matchesFound').value);
var resultArea = document.getElementById('resultArea');
var mainResult = document.getElementById('mainResult');
var resultText = document.getElementById('resultText');
if (isNaN(total) || isNaN(matches)) {
alert("Please enter valid numbers for both fields.");
return;
}
if (total total) {
alert("Matches cannot exceed the total evaluated population.");
return;
}
var fitRate = (matches / total) * 100;
var unfitRate = 100 – fitRate;
mainResult.innerHTML = fitRate.toFixed(2) + "%";
resultText.innerHTML = "Out of " + total.toLocaleString() + " units, " + matches.toLocaleString() + " met the criteria. This represents a " + fitRate.toFixed(2) + "% match rate, while " + unfitRate.toFixed(2) + "% of the sample did not fit the required profile.";
resultArea.style.display = "block";
}