Talent Cost to Acquire Calculator

Understand the true cost of hiring and whether a hire becomes profitable over time.

Hiring Details

Select a role to prefill defaults, then customize as needed.

Role Selection

Select Role

Hiring Costs

Total Hiring Spend

Direct costs, labor time, tools/recruiters

Time Loss

Vacancy Days

Days without a hire

Ramp Days

Days to full productivity

Ramp Productivity Gap50%

Average productivity loss during ramp

Revenue & Retention

Gross Profit per Day

Revenue generated per working day

90-Day Retention Rate100%

Probability hire stays past 90 days

Schedule

Days per Week4

Weeks per Year48

Cost to Acquire Talent (CAC)

$402,600

Includes vacancy + ramp losses

Hiring Spend

$30,000

Vacancy Cost

$207,000

Ramp Cost

$165,600

Annual Lifetime Value (LTV)

$529,920

Profitability Over Time

1-Year Outcome

Not Profitable

1.3 : 1

LTV to CAC Ratio

Target: 3:1 or higher

2-Year Outcome

Break-even

2.6 : 1

LTV to CAC Ratio

Target: 3:1 or higher

3-Year Outcome

Profitable

3.9 : 1

LTV to CAC Ratio

Target: 3:1 or higher

Coaching Insights

Hiring is expensive here. Long vacancies are doing most of the damage.

Most hiring problems are caused by long vacancies and slow ramp-up.

Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates for educational purposes only. Actual hiring outcomes may vary based on role, market, and retention.

See true cost to hire and profitability timeline