Vacancy cost calculator
What does an unfilled position cost?
Every day without the right person costs money – even though no invoice arrives. Work piles up, the team works overtime, orders are delayed. The vacancy cost calculator estimates these costs per working day and shows how quickly a recruiter pays off.
Calculate vacancy costs
Enter the figures for your role. The defaults are example values.
Vacancy costs
€48,000 ÷ 250 working days × factor 2
- Per working day
- €384
- Per week
- €1,920
- 60 working days
- €23,040
The unfilled position costs about €384 per working day – €23,040 over 60 working days.
The placement fee of €12,000 equals 32 working days of vacancy. If a recruiter fills the role that much faster, the fee has paid for itself.
The link contains the figures you entered – for example for a LinkedIn post or an email to colleagues.
Fill the position faster.
Post the position anonymously – vetted recruiters propose suitable candidates. You see every fee up front and only pay once you hire.
- Set up in a few minutes
- No calls from recruiters
- Contact details only after your release
Estimate based on the widely used model by Dr John Sullivan. Not an actual expense but lost output: saved salary costs are not deducted, lost customers and team overtime are not included. Not an offer and not advice.
How the vacancy cost calculator works
Daily value of the role
The annual salary divided by the working days gives what the role costs per working day. A well-filled role usually generates more than it costs – hence the vacancy factor.
The vacancy factor
1 for simple roles, 2 for skilled professionals without leadership responsibility, 3 for leadership and key positions. The model goes back to the US HR expert Dr John Sullivan and is widely used in Germany.
What the figure means
Vacancy costs are not an invoice but lost output: work left undone, extra work for the team, postponed orders. They show what filling the role quickly is worth.
Shorten the vacancy
The sooner the right person starts, the lower the vacancy costs. On SilentHire you post your job anonymously and receive proposals from vetted recruiters – the platform is free for companies.
Frequently asked questions about vacancy costs
What are vacancy costs?
Vacancy costs arise while a position is unfilled: lost output, extra work for the team, delayed orders. They do not appear on any invoice and are therefore often underestimated.
How are vacancy costs calculated?
A widely used model is Dr John Sullivan's: annual salary divided by the working days per year, multiplied by a vacancy factor of 1 to 3 and by the number of unfilled working days. Example: €45,000 ÷ 250 × 2 × 60 days = €21,600.
Which vacancy factor is realistic?
Common values are 1 for simple roles, 2 for skilled professionals without leadership responsibility and 3 for leadership and key positions. For revenue-driving roles, for example in sales, the actual costs can be higher.
Does a recruiter pay off if the position stays open for long?
The comparison in the calculator shows it: it converts the fee into working days of vacancy. If a recruiter fills the role at least that many days faster than you would on your own, the fee has paid for itself.
Model and guide values as of October 2026.