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See what an open role costs every day

An empty seat has a price: the work that is not done, the overtime of the people covering it, the projects that wait. Enter your revenue and headcount, or the yearly pay of the role, and how long it has been open: you get the cost per working day, per week and in total.

The value of a day of work

With the headcount, gives revenue per employee.

How much more the work is worth than its pay. 1 counts the pay only; it is your assumption.

The vacancy

Overtime, contractors, agency staff.

Cost of the vacancy

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Enter your yearly revenue and headcount, or the yearly pay of the role.

How the cost of a vacancy is calculated

  • value of a working day = yearly revenue ÷ employees ÷ working days, or, without revenue, yearly pay × value multiple ÷ working days
  • working days open = calendar days open × 5 ÷ 7
  • total = value of a working day × working days open + what you paid for cover

Both ways are estimates. Revenue per employee suits roles that earn money directly, such as sales; for other roles the pay with a value multiple you choose is fairer. The calculator holds no benchmark: the multiple is your assumption, and the page says which method it used.

Questions about the cost of vacancy calculator

What is the cost of a vacancy?

The value of the work that does not get done while a role is empty, plus what you pay for cover such as overtime or contractors. It grows with every working day the role stays open.

How do you calculate the cost of a vacancy?

Take the value of one working day of the role, from revenue per employee or from its pay with a multiple, multiply by the working days the role has been open, and add what you paid for cover.

How long do roles stay open?

It depends on the work. The “How to hire…” guides on this site show, for each kind of work, how long today’s open postings have been up.

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