Talent cost
The lowest salary can produce the highest team cost
Salary tables are useful, but they do not capture vacancy time, retention risk, management load, seniority mismatch, benefits, or the revenue cost of a slow hire. The cheapest-looking market can be expensive if it delays the role you need most.
| Cost layer | What to measure | Why it changes the decision |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll cost | Gross, employer cost, benefits. | Baseline budget. |
| Vacancy cost | Weeks to hire times lost output. | Can exceed tax-rate differences quickly. |
| Retention risk | Turnover probability and replacement cost. | Cheap hire can be expensive twice. |
| Management time | Founder or lead hours needed to supervise. | Remote setup friction is a real cost. |
- How quickly can you hire the right seniority?
- Will the role need local-language coverage?
- Can your current managers support that country?
- What is one month of delay worth?
Publishable upgrade: add proprietary salary, vacancy, or hiring funnel data once collected.
Sources: EURES employer recruitment support, EURES cross-border labour market guidance.