Cost of Vacancy: Calculate the Cost of Open Roles
What This Article Covers
Every unfilled position costs an average of $4,129 per 42 days. For revenue-generating roles, vacancy costs run $7,000 to $10,000 per month. Leaving a sales role open can reduce company revenue by 5% or more.
PersonaScore's Take
An empty seat isn't free — it's bleeding money every day. But rushing to fill it with the wrong person costs even more. The fastest path to the right hire is a structured process that identifies fit early, not after 90 days of regret.
Why This Matters
The economics of hiring are brutal when you get it wrong. A single bad hire can cost $17,000 to $240,000 depending on the role, and nearly 9 out of 10 hiring failures come down to behavioral fit rather than technical skills. The ROI calculation for structured assessments is straightforward: even preventing one bad hire per year pays for the investment many times over.