倍率 and 率: recruitment ratio and actual hiring rate
Read each recruitment ratio with its reference headcount. When advertised places and actual hires differ, the actual hiring rate is not simply the reciprocal of the applicant-to-place ratio.
倍率 relative to advertised places
倍率 is read ばいりつ. 今年の採用試験は高い倍率になった。 says that this year’s recruitment exam ended up with a high recruitment ratio. The sentence alone gives no numerical ratio.
In this example, define the recruitment ratio as applicants divided by advertised places. With 20 applicants and 5 places, 20 divided by 5 gives a ratio of 4 to 1.
率 of actual hires among applicants
率, read りつ, means rate or proportion. 全応募者に占める採用者の率は、前年より高かった。 says that the proportion of hires among all applicants was higher than in the previous year.
If 4 of those same 20 applicants were actually hired, the hiring rate is 4 divided by 20, or 20 percent. Keep the 5 advertised places separate from the 4 actual hires.
Do not mix the reference headcounts
人数, read にんずう, means number of people. The 4-to-1 ratio compares applicants with advertised places; the 20-percent rate compares actual hires with applicants.
Using the reciprocal of 4, or 25 percent, as the actual hiring rate substitutes the 5 advertised places for the 4 hires. Keep each rate’s reference headcounts, and do not treat it as a guaranteed outcome for an individual applicant.
With 20 applicants, 5 advertised places and 4 actual hires, is the actual hiring rate 25 percent?
Show the answer and why
No. The actual hiring rate is 4 divided by 20, or 20 percent. Twenty-five percent instead compares the 5 advertised places with the 20 applicants.