How much is that empty seat costing you?
Most Canadian employers underestimate the true cost of an unfilled role. Plug in the basics and we’ll show you the hidden productivity, revenue, and recruiting drag — so you can decide whether to keep waiting or move now.
Your inputs
Numbers update live as you type.
Total cost so far
$23,000
After 30 days unfilled, including productivity loss and recruiting spend.
Daily cost
$600
Productivity lost
$18,000
Recruiting spend
$5,000
If the role stays open longer…
Projected total cost (productivity + recruiting), assuming the same daily run-rate.
After 30 days
$23,000
After 60 days
$41,000
After 90 days
$59,000
How we calculate the cost
The math is simple, but the assumptions matter. Tweak them to fit your industry — knowledge-work salaries justify higher multipliers; support and admin roles sit on the lower end.
Daily value generated
(annual salary × productivity multiplier) ÷ working days
Industry research (SHRM) finds employees generate roughly 1.5–2.0× their salary in value. Customer-facing or revenue-generating roles often skew higher.
Productivity loss
daily value × days unfilled
Output that’s simply not happening while the seat sits empty — work that gets reshuffled, delayed, or dropped.
Total cost
productivity loss + one-time recruiting spend
Doesn’t yet count overtime paid to existing staff, customer churn, or burn-out attrition that often follows. The real cost is usually higher.
A note on accuracy
This is an estimator, not an audit. For a tailored cost-of-hire analysis specific to your roles and industry, book a free consultation with our HR team.