The Hidden Cost of Resignations — Why Companies Must Rethink Talent Movement

Introduction

Every resignation costs more than just a farewell lunch. In fact, research from Gallup estimates that the cost of replacing an employee can range from 50% to 200% of that employee’s annual salary, depending on the role. When multiplied across departments and years, this translates into staggering losses—both financially and culturally.

The Real Price Tag of Losing an Employee

Let’s break it down. When an employee resigns, companies incur:

• Recruitment costs: Advertising, headhunter fees, internal HR resources.

• Onboarding costs: Training, ramp-up time, paperwork.

• Lost productivity: It often takes new hires 3–6 months to reach full efficiency.

• Knowledge drain: Departing employees take valuable experience and institutional knowledge with them.

• Team disruption: Morale drops and workloads spike for remaining team members.

According to SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), the average time to fill a role is 36–42 days. During this window, tasks are either delayed, dropped, or redistributed inefficiently.

Internal Mobility: The Missed Opportunity

Despite the costs, many companies ignore an often-overlooked solution: internal talent transfer. A study by LinkedIn found that employees who make internal moves are 64% more likely to stay with their employer after 3 years, compared to just 45% for those who don’t.

And yet, only 6% of companies believe they’re excellent at enabling internal mobility, according to Deloitte's Human Capital Trends report.

Enter OBIT – One Big Internal Transfer

OBIT was born to transform this inefficiency into opportunity. It’s a transparent, match-based platform where companies can share, transfer, and retain talent—rather than lose it.

The idea is simple: instead of competing for the same external candidates, what if companies could trade full-time talent within a trusted network? This reduces hiring friction, accelerates onboarding, and cuts down turnover costs dramatically.

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

The job market is evolving. Employees crave growth, purpose, and mobility. Companies need to stay agile and cost-effective. Internal movement isn’t just a retention strategy—it’s a business necessity.

Key Stats That Say It All

• 73% of employees would stay longer at a company if it offered more internal mobility (LinkedIn, 2020)

• Companies with high internal mobility retain employees almost twice as long (Gartner, 2021)

• The cost of losing an employee making $60k/year is roughly $30k to $120k (PeopleKeep, 2022)

Conclusion

If you're still treating resignations as an unavoidable reality, you're leaving value on the table. By facilitating fair, structured, and data-driven internal transfers, OBIT turns churn into continuity—and cost into opportunity.