Most companies measure hiring success by how quickly they can close a role. In fact, the national average time-to-fill sits around 42 days across industries. Tech roles often move a little faster, while specialized positions in engineering, healthcare, or manufacturing can drag much longer. On paper, filling a role in under 30 days looks like a win.
But here’s the reality: speed to start doesn’t guarantee speed to impact. A hire who accepts an offer quickly but takes nine months to contribute meaningfully is more costly than a slower hire who ramps up in 60 days.
This is the core mistake, leaders chase time-to-fill instead of measuring time-to-impact.
Resumes are designed to showcase the past, not predict the future. They don’t tell you how someone will adapt under pressure, collaborate with your current team, or handle the leadership style in place. That’s why “perfect-on-paper” hires often stall.
The cost of getting it wrong isn’t just annoying, it’s expensive. Studies show a single bad hire can cost up to 30% of that person’s first-year salary, and the average direct loss is nearly $15,000 per hire. That doesn’t include hidden costs like manager supervision time, lost productivity, or the turnover it can spark across the team.
One of our manufacturing clients illustrates this point clearly. They were battling constant turnover on the production floor. Candidates looked great on paper, certifications, years of industry experience, the right technical skills. Yet, within months, most were gone.
When we dug deeper, supervisors explained that success on the floor wasn’t about the perfect resume. It came down to three things: stamina, clear communication, and a willingness to learn under pressure.
So, instead of focusing on resumes, we built the search around those real-world traits. The result? A candidate who not only stayed but earned a promotion within a year. Turnover on that floor dropped dramatically, and productivity rose, saving the company the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars in retraining and lost output.
That’s what it looks like when you hire for readiness and impact, not just for a resume.
If your team still lacks the right people, the problem may not be the talent pool, it’s the lens you’re using. Three practical shifts can change the outcome:
At RX2 Solutions, we believe your next hire shouldn’t be measured by how fast they show up on day one, but by how quickly they move the business forward. The data makes it clear: rushing to fill a seat without alignment costs more in the long run.
Our focus is on time-to-impact, not just time-to-fill because that’s what builds real business outcomes. When you shift the conversation from resumes to readiness, from speed to alignment, you end up with teams that grow, deliver, and stay.
That’s not just filling roles. That’s building strength, the RX2 way.
RX2 Solutions
A Respectfully Professional People Company