The Cost of Open Positions: How Vacant Roles Are Hurting Your Bottom Line
When it comes to hiring with speed and efficiency, few business leaders have mastered the process like Jeff Bezos. Amazon is built on rapid decision-making, data-driven hiring, and minimizing vacancy costs—all of which contribute to its market dominance and continuous growth. Bezos has frequently emphasized that leaving positions unfilled for too long is a costly mistake, not just in lost productivity but also in missed revenue, employee burnout, and reduced customer satisfaction.
If one of the most successful business leaders in history sees hiring speed as critical to success, shouldn’t your business take note?
At Catalyst Career Group, we help companies fill roles faster through job fairs, private recruiting events, and candidate search services. Our streamlined hiring solutions ensure that you don’t leave money on the table by waiting too long to bring in the right talent.
Let’s dive into why vacant positions are costing your business more than you realize—and what you can do about it.
Jeff Bezos on Hiring Fast and Minimizing Vacancy Costs
Jeff Bezos has long been obsessed with efficiency, and his philosophy on hiring is no exception. His approach? Identify the best people quickly, make decisions fast, and never let an open position slow down business growth.
What Bezos Has Said About Hiring and Speed
🚀 “I’d rather interview 50 people and not hire anyone than hire the wrong person.”
(Source: Jeff Bezos in an interview with Inc. Magazine, 2018)
While Bezos values quality over quantity, he also knows that a slow hiring process can be just as damaging as hiring the wrong person. He built Amazon’s hiring strategy around eliminating bottlenecks, ensuring that roles are filled quickly and with the right fit.
💡 “Speed matters in business—if you slow things down, you’re dead.”
(Source: Jeff Bezos, Recode Conference, 2016)
Leaving positions open for too long creates workflow disruptions, overburdens current employees, and ultimately affects revenue. Bezos believes that companies should move quickly, not only in product innovation but also in hiring decisions.
How Open Positions Drain Your Bottom Line
Many businesses fail to recognize the hidden costs of vacant roles, but the numbers tell a clear story.
📉 Lost Productivity & Revenue
Each day a position remains unfilled means lost output, delayed projects, and decreased efficiency. A study from SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) estimates that the average cost of a vacant mid-level position is $500 per day, while leadership roles can cost even more.
😓 Increased Employee Burnout & Turnover
When roles stay open for too long, existing employees are forced to pick up the slack. This leads to:
✅ Lower morale
✅ Increased burnout
✅ Higher turnover costs
Jeff Naugle, Co-Founder of Catalyst Career Group, explains:
“We’ve seen it time and time again—companies wait too long to fill a role, and by the time they do, they’ve already lost valuable team members to burnout. The cost of keeping a position open is often far greater than the cost of hiring the right person quickly.”
🔄 Delays in Business Growth
Vacant roles stall expansion efforts, product launches, and customer service improvements. If Amazon operated at a slow hiring pace, it wouldn’t have been able to scale into a trillion-dollar company.
Jeff Straub, Co-Founder of Catalyst Career Group, puts it simply:
“If you’re not hiring fast, you’re losing money. The most successful businesses keep a constant pipeline of talent ready to go. That’s exactly what we help companies do—find the right people before vacancies start costing them growth.”
The Solution? Hire Faster With Catalyst Career Group
So, how do you keep your hiring process fast and effective—without sacrificing quality? That’s where Catalyst Career Group comes in.
🔥 Solution #1: Job Fairs for Instant Hiring
🔹 Meet dozens of pre-screened candidates in one day
🔹 Virtual & in-person events available
🔹 Save time compared to traditional recruiting methods
🚀 “Amazon moves fast, and so should your hiring team. Job fairs are a proven way to get in front of top candidates and make same-day hiring decisions.”
🔗 Find Your Next Hire at a Job Fair
🔥 Solution #2: Private Recruiting Events for Targeted Hiring
🔹 We bring pre-qualified candidates directly to your office
🔹 You set the interview schedule—we handle the rest
🔹 Best for high-volume or specialized hiring needs
🚀 “Amazon wouldn’t waste time filtering through stacks of resumes. Neither should you. A private hiring event ensures you only meet with the best candidates.”
🔗 Schedule a Private Recruiting Event
🔥 Solution #3: Candidate Search & Placement for Hard-to-Fill Roles
🔹 We source, screen, and present top candidates—fast
🔹 Get qualified applicants in as little as 48 hours
🔹 Ideal for companies struggling with hard-to-fill positions
🚀 “Amazon built a talent pipeline that never runs dry. We help companies do the same by continuously delivering top candidates ready to hire.”
🔗 Find the Right Talent with Candidate Search
Stop Losing Money on Vacant Position
Jeff Bezos built Amazon into a global powerhouse by prioritizing speed, efficiency, and smart hiring strategies. The lesson? Businesses that move fast win big.
If your company is dragging its feet on hiring, you’re not just losing candidates—you’re losing money, productivity, and valuable growth opportunities.
Catalyst Career Group can help you fill roles faster, hire smarter, and keep your business moving forward.
💼 Ready to Take Action?
📅 Sign up for a Job Fair → Virtual & In-Person Events
🏢 Host a Private Hiring Event → Tailored Recruiting Solutions
🔎 Find Qualified Candidates Fast → Candidate Search & Placement
💡 Don’t let vacant roles slow you down—let’s build your team today! 🚀