By Erbi Ago: The Cost of Losing an Employee and How Outsourcing Can Help Avoid It

The Cost of Losing an Employee and How Outsourcing Can Help Avoid It

Losing an employee is not just about finding a replacement; it carries hidden costs that can significantly affect a company’s bottom line. According to a recent PAC study, the financial burden of employee turnover includes recruitment, training, lost productivity, and potential damage to morale. Let’s dive into the specifics and explore how outsourcing helps businesses manage these challenges effectively.

Employee Turnover Costs: A Breakdown in USD

The PAC study highlights that replacing an employee can cost a company between 50% to 200% of the employee’s annual salary, depending on their role.
Here’s how these percentages translate into real-world costs:

  • Recruitment Costs (16% of Annual Salary)
  • For an employee earning $50,000 USD annually, recruitment expenses alone amount to $8,000 USD.
  • These costs include advertising, headhunting fees, interviews, and onboarding processes.
  • Training and Integration Costs (10-20% of Annual Salary)
  • Training a new hire to reach full productivity can cost between $5,000 and $10,000 USD for mid-level employees. For specialized roles, this figure can be much higher.
  • Lost Productivity (30-50% of Annual Salary)
  • During the time it takes to fill a vacancy and onboard a new hire, companies lose productivity worth $15,000 to $25,000 USD for a mid-level employee.
  • Total Turnover Cost (Up to 200% of Annual Salary)
  • For high-level or specialized roles, the total cost of turnover can climb to $100,000 USD or more per employee.
The cost of losing an employee

How Outsourcing Mitigates These Costs

Outsourcing is a strategic solution that helps businesses avoid the significant costs of employee turnover. Here’s how it addresses each aspect of these expenses:
1. Eliminating Recruitment Costs
By outsourcing critical functions, such as HR, IT, customer support, assistants, or even managers, companies save on recruitment expenses. Outsourcing providers supply pre-vetted, highly skilled professionals, eliminating the need for costly job postings, agency fees, or lengthy hiring processes.
2. Reducing Training and Integration Costs
Outsourced teams come office trained, meaning there’s no need to spend additional resources on upskilling or orientation, but only their actual internal duties. For example, outsourcing prior authorizations in healthcare eliminates the need to train staff on complex insurance processes.
3. Maintaining Productivity During Transitions
Outsourcing ensures continuity of operations, avoiding the productivity losses typically incurred when employees leave. Instead of halting projects or overburdening existing staff, outsourced teams maintain constant service delivery.
4. Matching Demand all year Round
Outsourcing allows companies to scale their workforce according to their demand, without the costs associated with layoffs, severance packages, or adding undertrained employees. Companies can hold onto the number of employees they need at peak seasons year-round, as they cost much less, and csn have them ready to go when needed. For example, seasonal businesses can outsource customer support during peak times, saving on full-time American salaries while keeping full time International employees that cost a fraction of the cost and are fully trained. This also grows company happiness and culture internationally.
5. Enhancing Retention and Reducing Burnout
By outsourcing repetitive or administrative tasks, internal employees can focus on higher-value work that aligns with their expertise. This leads to greater job satisfaction and retention. For example, outsourcing payroll or IT support allows HR and technical teams to dedicate their energy to strategic initiatives.

The PAC study illustrates how turnover costs can skyrocket, particularly for specialized or senior roles. For companies, these expenses are a major drain on resources. Outsourcing, on the other hand, offers a proven way to not only reduce these costs but also improve efficiency, scalability, and employee satisfaction. With outsourcing, businesses can turn turnover challenges into opportunities for streamlined operations and sustainable growth.

CheaperTeam is a European based outsourcing company with headquarters centrally located in the heart of Manhattan, NY. Our objective is to provide high-quality, motivated employees while maintaining cost efficiency for businesses. We offer a boutique style of doing business, allowing flexibility in vetting and sourcing employees for various industries. Our staff comprises data entry specialists, medical billers, interior designers, back-office employees, and virtually any position that can be executed remotely.

Jack Lamm

CEO / Cheaperteam
As the CEO of Cheaperteam, Jack is the driving force behind the company’s growth. He oversees all things in the life of the company, like management, operations, expansions to new countries, marketing, and so much more. Jack is a visionary leader who is highly skilled in managing company operations. He represents effective leadership and management skills by demonstrating composure and building strong relationships.

After graduating magna cum laude from Queens College, Jack spent three years as a Loan Officer where he helped close over $100M in financing. As a highly experienced BPO specialist, Jack led Cheaperteam to become a globally recognized outsourcing agency with offices in five countries.

Quote from Jack: “Find Solutions, Not Problems.”