HR leader roles stay vacant over five months on average when search waits until incumbent leaves
Key points
- Roles stayed vacant over five months on average when recruitment began after the incumbent left
- Roles averaged 2.1 months of vacancy when recruitment began while the incumbent was still in post
- Of 26 replacement searches, 17 began after the incumbent left
HR Recruit analysed 32 HR leader searches it ran in North America from January to September 2026. Roles stayed vacant over five months on average when recruitment began after the incumbent left, versus 2.1 months when it began beforehand. Of 26 replacement searches, 17 began after exit and nine before. The sample was mostly private companies with 30 to 400 employees.
Original report: Human Resources Director ↗Edited with AI assistance. Facts are based on official sources and original reports.