Hiring cost & cost of vacancy calculator
Open roles cost more than recruiting fees. Estimate the productivity you lose while roles sit empty — plus your direct hiring cost — and see what's at stake.
What is the cost of vacancy?
The cost of vacancy is the value a business loses while a role is unfilled — lost output, overtime, delayed projects and missed revenue. A simple estimate is the role's daily salary (annual salary ÷ 260 working days) multiplied by the number of days the role stays open. Many teams treat that as a conservative minimum, because high-impact roles often generate far more value than their salary.
Estimate your cost of vacancy
Move the sliders to match your hiring plan.
Your estimated hiring cost
Simple model: cost of vacancy = (salary ÷ 260 working days) × days open × roles. Use it as a starting point, not an audit. Your own figures will differ.
Want a precise number — and a plan to cut it?
Send us your estimate. A recruitment specialist will review your roles and show you where an RPO model can shorten time-to-fill and reduce cost per hire.
- A breakdown of your real cost per hire
- Benchmarks for your roles and industry
- A recommended engagement model (full, project or on-demand RPO)
Get your free hiring cost review
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How we calculate it
| Figure | Formula | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Daily cost of an empty seat | Annual salary ÷ 260 working days | A conservative proxy for the value the role produces |
| Cost of vacancy | Daily cost × days to fill × open roles | Shows the hidden cost of slow hiring |
| Direct hiring cost | Cost per hire × open roles | Ads, fees, tools, recruiter time and interviews |
| Total estimated cost | Cost of vacancy + direct hiring cost | The number RPO aims to reduce |
Want to lower these numbers? Read how to reduce time-to-hire or how RPO pricing works.
Frequently asked questions
Short, direct answers to the questions we hear most.
How do you calculate cost per hire?
Cost per hire is the total of internal recruiting costs (recruiter time, tools, referral bonuses) and external costs (job ads, agency fees, background checks, travel) divided by the number of hires in the same period.
How do you calculate cost of vacancy?
A simple method is: (annual salary ÷ 260 working days) × number of days the role is open. Multiply by the number of open roles for the total.
What is a good time-to-fill?
It varies widely by role and industry. Hourly operational roles often fill in days or a few weeks, while specialized or senior roles can take months. Track your own baseline and aim to improve it.
How can RPO reduce hiring costs?
RPO consolidates job ads, agency fees and tools under one provider, uses AI to cut manual screening time, and shortens time-to-fill — which lowers the cost of vacancy.
Is this calculator accurate for my business?
It's a starting estimate based on a simple, widely used model. Submit your numbers for a free review and we'll refine them with your real data.
Ready to hire faster, with less effort?
Tell us about your open roles. We'll map out a recruitment plan, timelines and the right engagement model — free, with no obligation.