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6 examples of Acquisition metrics and KPIs

What are Acquisition metrics?

Crafting the perfect Acquisition metrics can feel overwhelming, particularly when you're juggling daily responsibilities. That's why we've put together a collection of examples to spark your inspiration.

Transfer these examples to your app of choice, or opt for Tability to help keep you on track.

Find Acquisition metrics with AI

While we have some examples available, it's likely that you'll have specific scenarios that aren't covered here. You can use our free AI metrics generator below to generate your own strategies.

Examples of Acquisition metrics and KPIs

Metrics for Talent acquisition success

  • 1. Time to hire

    The average number of days taken to fill a job vacancy from when the job opening is posted to when the candidate accepts the offer

    What good looks like for this metric: 30-45 days

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Streamline the interview process
    • Use recruiting software to track applications
    • Build a talent pipeline before positions open
    • Improve job descriptions to attract qualified candidates
    • Train hiring managers on effective interview techniques

  • 2. Quality of hire

    Measures the value a new hire adds to the company, often assessed by their performance ratings, retention rates, and manager satisfaction

    What good looks like for this metric: 80-90% satisfaction rate

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Align hiring criteria with job performance
    • Implement structured onboarding programs
    • Collect feedback from multiple stakeholders
    • Conduct regular performance reviews
    • Provide continuous training and support

  • 3. Offer acceptance rate

    The percentage of job offers that are accepted by candidates out of the total number of offers extended

    What good looks like for this metric: 80-90%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Ensure competitive compensation packages
    • Improve candidate experience during the interview process
    • Communicate company culture clearly
    • Address candidate concerns promptly
    • Personalise offer communications

  • 4. Cost per hire

    The total amount of money spent to hire a new employee, including advertising, recruitment agency fees, referral bonuses, and internal hiring costs

    What good looks like for this metric: $3,000 - $5,000 per hire

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Use cost-effective recruiting channels
    • Encourage employee referrals
    • Leverage social media for recruiting
    • Automate repetitive hiring tasks
    • Negotiate with recruitment agencies for better rates

  • 5. Employee retention rate

    The percentage of new hires who remain with the company for a certain period, typically one year

    What good looks like for this metric: 85-90%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Implement robust onboarding programmes
    • Foster a positive work environment
    • Offer competitive benefits and salaries
    • Provide opportunities for career growth
    • Conduct exit interviews to identify reasons for turnover
efficiencysatisfactionhiring-managerrecruiterhr-teamtalent-acquisition-team
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Metrics for Growth for Startups

  • 1. Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

    MRR is the monthly revenue your startup can reliably anticipate based on subscriptions or recurring contracts

    What good looks like for this metric: $1,500 - $10,000 for early-stage startups

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Develop new pricing tiers
    • Upsell existing customers
    • Reduce churn rate
    • Implement referral programs
    • Expand market reach

  • 2. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

    CAC is the total cost of acquiring a new customer, including marketing and sales expenses

    What good looks like for this metric: Typically between $100 - $400

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Optimise marketing campaigns
    • Enhance sales team efficiency
    • Utilise cost-effective channels
    • Improve customer targeting
    • Negotiate better ad rates

  • 3. Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

    CLTV is the total revenue expected from a customer during their entire relationship with your company

    What good looks like for this metric: 3-5 times CAC

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Enhance customer experience
    • Implement loyalty programs
    • Increase product range
    • Upsell and cross-sell effectively
    • Provide consistent value

  • 4. User Growth Rate

    The percentage increase in the number of users or customers over a specific period

    What good looks like for this metric: 5-7% monthly for early-stage startups

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Launch marketing campaigns
    • Enhance product features
    • Engage with users on social media
    • Implement referral incentives
    • Offer limited-time promotions

  • 5. Churn Rate

    The percentage of customers who stop using your product or service over a given period

    What good looks like for this metric: 5-7% monthly is often considered standard

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Improve customer service
    • Gather feedback to understand issues
    • Regularly update and improve the product
    • Offer personalised experiences
    • Create re-engagement campaigns
revenueacquisitionmarketing-managerfinancial-analystgrowth-teamcustomer-success-team
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Metrics for Success of recruitment campaigns

  • 1. Cost per hire

    Total recruiting costs divided by the number of hires within a specified time frame

    What good looks like for this metric: USD 4,000 - USD 6,000

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Optimize job advertisement placements
    • Leverage employee referrals
    • Automate parts of the recruitment process
    • Negotiate better rates with recruitment agencies
    • Enhance employer branding

  • 2. Time to fill

    Average number of days it takes to fill a position from the moment the job is posted until an offer is accepted

    What good looks like for this metric: 30 - 45 days

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Streamline the interview process
    • Implement applicant tracking systems
    • Pre-screen candidates effectively
    • Improve job descriptions
    • Build a talent pipeline

  • 3. Quality of hire

    Performance of new hires compared to existing employees, often measured after the first year

    What good looks like for this metric: Similar or higher performance compared to existing employees

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Enhance candidate assessment methods
    • Use behavioural interviewing techniques
    • Improve onboarding processes
    • Encourage ongoing employee development
    • Gather and act on feedback from new hires

  • 4. Retention rate

    Percentage of new hires that remain with the company for a specified period, usually one year

    What good looks like for this metric: 75%-80%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Improve company culture
    • Provide career development opportunities
    • Offer competitive salaries and benefits
    • Enhance employee engagement
    • Conduct stay interviews

  • 5. Offer acceptance rate

    Percentage of job offers extended that are accepted by candidates

    What good looks like for this metric: 90% or higher

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Ensure competitive compensation packages
    • Communicate clear career growth opportunities
    • Build a strong employer brand
    • Maintain a consistent and engaging recruitment process
    • Gather feedback from candidates who decline offers
recruitment-efficiencyemployee-retentionrecruitment-managerhr-analysthuman-resourcestalent-acquisition
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Metrics for Growth For Scaleups

  • 1. Revenue Growth Rate

    Measures the rate at which a company's revenue is increasing over a specified period of time

    What good looks like for this metric: 20%-40% annual growth

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Enhance marketing strategies
    • Expand into new markets
    • Introduce new product lines
    • Increase sales efforts
    • Optimize pricing models

  • 2. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

    Calculates the total cost of acquiring a new customer, including all marketing and sales expenses

    What good looks like for this metric: $1 to $3 per customer

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Streamline marketing campaigns
    • Utilise referral programs
    • Optimise ad targeting
    • Improve sales funnel efficiency
    • Negotiate better rates with vendors

  • 3. Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

    Estimates the total revenue a business can reasonably expect from a single customer account throughout their relationship

    What good looks like for this metric: $200 to $1000 per customer

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Increase average order value
    • Improve customer retention
    • Enhance customer support
    • Upsell additional products or services
    • Create loyalty programs

  • 4. Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

    Measures the amount of predictable revenue a company can expect each month

    What good looks like for this metric: $10,000 to $50,000 for early scaleups

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Increase subscription prices
    • Offer annual payment plans
    • Launch new subscription tiers
    • Reduce churn rate
    • Expand customer base

  • 5. Churn Rate

    Indicates the percentage of customers who stop using a product or service during a given period

    What good looks like for this metric: 2%-5% monthly churn

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Improve product features
    • Enhance user onboarding
    • Engage with customers regularly
    • Offer discounts or incentives
    • Provide excellent customer support
revenue-growthcustomer-acquisitionmarketing-managerfinancial-analystmarketing-teamsales-team
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Metrics for Launching a New Product

  • 1. Customer Acquisition Rate

    Measures the number of new customers acquired within a specific period after the product launch, typically calculated as the percentage of new customers relative to total target audience

    What good looks like for this metric: 20-30%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Increase marketing efforts
    • Offer promotions or discounts
    • Enhance online presence
    • Use influencer partnerships
    • Optimise your sales funnel

  • 2. Customer Retention Rate

    Indicates the percentage of customers who continue to purchase your product after initial acquisition, calculated by dividing the number of repeat customers by the total number of customers

    What good looks like for this metric: 40-60%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Improve customer service
    • Introduce a loyalty programme
    • Regularly update the product
    • Solicit customer feedback
    • Follow up with customers

  • 3. Revenue Growth Rate

    Tracks the increase in revenue generated by the new product over a set period, usually expressed as a percentage

    What good looks like for this metric: 10-25%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Upsell and cross-sell
    • Expand into new markets
    • Increase marketing investment
    • Optimise pricing strategies
    • Refine product features based on feedback

  • 4. Market Penetration

    Measures the extent to which the new product is being adopted in the target market, calculated by the percentage of target market users purchasing the product

    What good looks like for this metric: 5-15%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Conduct market research
    • Adjust marketing messaging
    • Offer introductory offers
    • Establish strategic partnerships
    • Create compelling product demo and trials

  • 5. Customer Satisfaction Score

    Gauges customers' satisfaction with the new product, commonly measured using surveys and net promoter scores

    What good looks like for this metric: 70-85%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Enhance product quality
    • Improve customer support
    • Offer easy-to-find help resources
    • Regularly collect customer feedback
    • Implement suggested improvements
customer-acquisitionrevenue-growthmarketing-managercustomer-service-representativemarketing-teamproduct-development-team
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Metrics for Referral Marketing

  • 1. Referral Rate

    The percentage of your customers who refer others to your business. This is calculated by dividing the number of referred customers by the total number of customers

    What good looks like for this metric: 10-30%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Enhance referral incentives
    • Simplify the referral process
    • Promote the referral program frequently
    • Provide excellent customer service
    • Recognise and reward top referrers

  • 2. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

    The cost associated with convincing a consumer to buy your product or service, including all marketing and sales expenses. This is calculated by dividing the total costs of acquisition by the number of new customers

    What good looks like for this metric: $7-$15 per customer

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Optimise marketing spend
    • Increase organic reach
    • Leverage social proof
    • Enhance referral incentives
    • Use cost-effective advertising channels

  • 3. Lifetime Value (LTV)

    The predicted net profit attributed to the entire future relationship with a customer. This is calculated by multiplying the average purchase value, purchase frequency, and customer lifespan

    What good looks like for this metric: $400-$500

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Improve customer retention strategies
    • Enhance product/service quality
    • Upsell and cross-sell effectively
    • Provide excellent customer service
    • Offer loyalty programs

  • 4. Referral Conversion Rate

    The percentage of referred leads who become paying customers. This is calculated by dividing the number of referred customers who make a purchase by the total number of referred customers

    What good looks like for this metric: 10-20%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Streamline referral onboarding
    • Offer time-limited incentives
    • Provide clear value proposition
    • Enhance user experience on landing pages
    • Engage referrals with follow-up communications

  • 5. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

    A measure of customer loyalty and satisfaction, calculated by asking customers how likely they are to recommend your business to others on a scale of 0-10 and subtracting the percentage of detractors from promoters

    What good looks like for this metric: 30-50

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Regularly solicit and act on customer feedback
    • Improve product quality
    • Provide exceptional customer service
    • Engage with customers on social media
    • Implement loyalty and reward programmes
referral-marketingcustomer-acquisitionmarketing-analystcustomer-success-managermarketing-teamcustomer-service-team
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Tracking your Acquisition metrics

Having a plan is one thing, sticking to it is another.

Having a good strategy is only half the effort. You'll increase significantly your chances of success if you commit to a weekly check-in process.

A tool like Tability can also help you by combining AI and goal-setting to keep you on track.

Tability Insights DashboardTability's check-ins will save you hours and increase transparency

More metrics recently published

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Planning resources

OKRs are a great way to translate strategies into measurable goals. Here are a list of resources to help you adopt the OKR framework:

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