Submitted on Mon 18 Aug 2025
Let’s be honest, hiring in tech is rarely “just hiring” anymore. It’s a high-stakes, fast-moving game of chess where even the smallest delays can cost you serious time, money, and momentum.
I’ve seen it too many times…companies with good intentions, promising projects, and all the right goals… that stall on hiring decisions. Three weeks go by. Then five. Then, before you know it, the perfect candidate has been snapped up, and you’re back at square one. Or worse, your project is now behind, your team’s stretched thin, and your CTO is breathing fire.
So, how exactly does waiting too long to hire your next dev turn into a $100K mistake? Let’s break it down.
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The Cost of Vacant Seats…It’s Not Just Salary
Think a vacant dev role is saving you money on salary? Think again.
For every month a critical role remains unfilled, you’re not just losing productivity, you’re likely losing revenue. Missed feature releases, delayed product timelines, burnt-out team members, and poor internal morale add up fast. I’ve seen businesses delay a $140K hire, only to lose double that in missed client opportunities and emergency contractor costs to fill the gap.
Rough math:
- Delayed project = delayed revenue
- Overworked teams = higher risk of burnout + churn
- Constant re-hiring = lost momentum and poor culture signals
It’s death by a thousand delays, and it’s avoidable.
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Top Talent Doesn’t Wait (Especially Not in Software Dev)
Here’s what candidates don’t do…sit around twiddling their thumbs while you “review your options.”
The best software engineers are off the market within 10–14 days. That’s it. If you're not ready to move quickly, from interview to offer, you're simply not in the race. I recently had a candidate interview with three companies in five days. Two had offers out by the following Monday. The third? Still scheduling their “second round with the CTO” the next week.
Spoiler alert…they missed out.
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Speed Creates Confidence (and a Better Candidate Experience)
You might think a longer hiring process gives the impression you're thorough. But from a candidate’s perspective? It can look more like indecision… or disinterest.
When you move quickly and clearly, candidates feel it. They’re more likely to trust you, engage deeper in the process, and accept your offer. It creates a smoother, less stressful experience on both sides, and that’s what builds lasting employer brands.
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You’ll Compete Smarter (Not Just Harder)
Hiring quickly doesn’t mean rushing. It means being prepared to move at the speed of the market.
That means:
- Knowing your budget and salary expectations up front
- Aligning your hiring team on decision-making timelines
- Trusting your recruiter to bring you market-fit candidates fast
This preparation reduces bottlenecks and makes you a far more attractive prospect to top developers, many of whom are juggling multiple offers.
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The Opportunity Cost…What Could You Have Built?
Beyond the dollars and deadlines, there’s one question every hiring manager should ask themselves: What would we have already shipped if we had hired six weeks ago?
Think about it…a delayed hire means a delayed roadmap. That’s lost innovation. Lost edge. In some industries, that’s the difference between leading the market and playing catch-up.
Look, I get it. Hiring’s hard. Teams are busy. Projects evolve. Stakeholders need convincing. But trust me when I say this…in today’s market, speed isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s a competitive advantage.
The companies that win top tech talent don’t just have the biggest budgets or flashiest perks, they’re the ones who are decisive, efficient, and candidate-focused. So if you’ve got a dev-shaped hole in your team, don’t let it become a black hole in your bottom line.
Want help hiring faster and smarter? Let’s chat!
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Specialist Sydney Employment Agency within Information Technology, Project Services, IT Infrastructure, Software Development, SAP, Data and Analytics, Devops and Cloud.
