Time-to-Hire Runway Drain Calculator
Quantify the hidden cost of open roles. Enter your salary, burn rate, days vacant, and team drag hours to see how unfilled positions affect your runway.
- Calculates total productivity loss from vacant roles
- Factors in team drag and management distraction
- Shows cash stalled and months of burn at risk
- Built for tech and biotech founders scaling teams
What this covers
This calculator quantifies the total productivity cost of an open role, including the salary value of the vacancy, team drag hours, and management distraction. Use it to understand the real cost of a slow hiring process.
Who this is for
- Founders and CEOs deciding whether to accelerate a search
- CFOs modeling the cash impact of unfilled headcount
- Hiring managers making the case for recruiting investment
- Any startup with a role open more than 30 days
How to use this
- Enter the role's target salary, current days vacant, and estimated team drag hours per week
- Review the total productivity loss and estimated runway impact
- Adjust inputs to model different hiring timelines
- Use the output to prioritize searches and justify recruiting spend
Limitations
Calculations are estimates based on inputs you provide. Productivity loss from a vacancy varies by role, team structure, and market conditions. Results are directional — use them to prioritize decisions, not as precise financial projections.
Common Questions
What counts as 'team drag hours'?
Team drag hours are the time existing team members spend covering work that should belong to the open role — handling extra tasks, attending meetings the vacant role would own, or training workarounds. Estimate conservatively if you are unsure.
Is runway impact based on salary or total comp?
The calculator uses base salary as the primary input. Total comp including benefits and equity will increase the actual runway impact. For a conservative estimate, add 20 to 30 percent to base salary when estimating total cost.
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