Unfilled Roles Cost Companies an Estimated $14,700 a Month, New Connext Global Report Finds

New research shows 66% of leaders have lost business or suspect they did after a role sat vacant too long, and 52% say a rushed bad hire is just as costly

HONOLULU, Sept. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Companies waiting for the “perfect” hire may be paying more for that patience than they think. According to the Connext Global 2026 Unfilled Role Report, a single unfilled critical role costs an organization an estimated $14,700 a month once lost productivity, overtime and the scramble to cover the work are added up.

Connext Global surveyed 750 U.S. full-time employees with direct involvement in hiring decisions or visibility into cost and budget impact in August 2026, using the third-party survey platform Pollfish. The survey measured how long companies let critical roles sit open, what breaks first once the workload gets redistributed and how leaders weigh a rushed hire against a prolonged vacancy.

Key findings from the Connext Global 2026 Unfilled Role Report include:

• A single unfilled critical role costs an organization an estimated $14,700 a month, once lost productivity, overtime and the scramble to cover the work are factored in.
• 15% of leaders say they have no idea what their own unfilled positions are costing them each month.
• 47% say an unfilled role has forced a manager or executive to personally step in and do the work, and 46% say it has slowed response times to customers or clients.
• 41% of leaders say a prolonged vacancy has directly led to another employee resigning, and 39% haven't seen it happen yet but worry it might.
• Two-thirds of leaders (66%) say their organization has definitely lost a customer, client or piece of business because a role sat open too long, or suspect it happened but can’t confirm it.
• 24% of leaders say they’ve hired someone they knew wasn’t right for a role just to end the pressure of an extended vacancy, and regretted it.
• More than half of leaders (52%) say hiring the wrong person quickly and leaving a critical role vacant for months are equally costly, while only 11% think the vacancy alone is worse.
• 48% say they’d only consider offshore or nearshore talent as a last resort or wouldn’t consider it at all, even after a prolonged domestic search, though just 17% say nothing would change their mind.

The findings suggest most companies are managing an open role as an abstraction rather than a live cost. Just 33% of leaders calculate lost productivity directly and only 35% track the overtime tied to a vacancy, even as the workload concentrates on a handful of people: 43% describe their team as stretched thin when a role stays open for months, and 33% describe it as exhausted.

“Every open seat has a cost attached to it, whether a company measures it or not,” said Tim Mobley, founder and CEO of Connext Global. “The teams absorbing that gap are the ones who pay for it first, long before it shows up in a budget review. Solving it faster, including with offshore or nearshore talent, protects the people already doing the job as much as it protects the bottom line.”

The research comes as more companies weigh offshore and nearshore staffing against a slow domestic search, often without realizing how workable the option already is. For leaders exploring it, Connext Global has published case studies from similar companies and a full breakdown of what a U.S. hire costs beyond salary, resources built to answer the quality, security and cost questions leaders raise most before ruling offshore staffing out.

For leadership teams, the message is clear: a vacancy carries a cost whether or not anyone puts a number on it. Companies that treat an open critical role as an active cost, and widen their search to include offshore and nearshore options sooner, stand a better chance of closing the gap before it costs them a customer or an employee.

Frequently asked questions about unfilled positions:
How much does an unfilled position actually cost a company?
An unfilled critical role costs an organization an estimated $14,700 a month, according to the Connext Global 2026 Unfilled Role Report. That figure is modeled from the cost ranges leaders reported, with 37% putting the monthly cost between $5,000 and $15,000 and 21% putting it between $15,001 and $30,000.

How long can a role stay open before it starts hurting performance?
Performance can start to suffer within about a month of a role being open. 22% of leaders say an open role hurts team performance within the first two weeks and 39% say it happens after about a month, a combined 61%. Despite that, 37% of companies report their longest vacancy of the past year ran three months or longer.

Can an unfilled position cause other employees to quit?
Yes, an unfilled position can cause other employees to quit. 41% of leaders say a prolonged vacancy has directly led to another employee resigning, either once (24%) or more than once (17%). Another 39% say it hasn’t happened on their team yet, but they’ve worried that it might.

Is it better to hire the wrong person quickly or leave a role vacant longer?
There’s no clean win to either hiring the wrong person quickly or leaving a vacant role open long. More than half of leaders (52%) say a rushed bad hire and a months-long vacancy cost about the same over time, and 24% say they’ve hired someone they knew wasn’t right just to end the pressure of an extended vacancy, then regretted it.

What keeps companies from considering offshore or nearshore staffing sooner?
Familiarity, not cost or quality, is the biggest barrier to companies considering offshore or nearshore staffing while faced with open roles. 25% of leaders say their organization has simply never considered offshore or nearshore staffing, ahead of concerns about communication (21%) or data security and compliance (18%).

For the full results and additional insights, view the Connext Global 2026 Unfilled Role Report.

About Connext Global Solutions
Connext Global Solutions delivers scalable, customized outsourcing solutions to help businesses grow faster and operate more efficiently. With deep expertise in healthcare, finance, and back-office operations, Connext builds high-performance teams that combine technical skill with a commitment to client success. Headquartered in Honolulu, Connext is dedicated to creating long-term value for clients, employees, and communities alike. Discover how Connext Global Solutions can help your business scale efficiently with customized offshore support teams. Contact us to schedule a free assessment of your business needs, explore our transparent pricing options, and learn how Connext can help you scale efficiently.

Media Contact
Idea Grove on behalf of Connext Global
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