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Work out what a wrong hire actually costs your business. In building products sales, it's usually more than you think.
Updated July 2026
Most hiring managers underestimate the real cost of a bad sales hire. It's not just the salary you paid someone who didn't work out. It's the lost revenue while the territory sat idle, the cost of hiring again, and the client relationships that took a hit. In building products, where ramp-up depends on specification knowledge and long-cycle relationships, the damage runs deeper and lasts longer. Adjust the sliders below to see what it could cost you.
Want the full breakdown? Read the blog post: The True Cost of a Bad Sales Hire in Building Products →
Estimated total cost of a bad hire
$541,000
That's 4.5x the annual salary
Weighing that against the recruiter's invoice? Work out the recruitment fee side of the equation.
Wasted salary
Pay during underperformance period
$60,000
Lost revenue
Underperformance + vacancy + ramp-up gap
$440,000
Hiring costs
Advertising, interviewing, onboarding (x2)
$20,000
Management time
Interviewing, managing out, re-hiring
$9,000
Hidden costs
Team morale, client trust, lost specifications
$12,000
What this doesn't include
Job ad costs across multiple boards, HR and admin time processing termination, potential legal or performance management costs, damage to your employer brand in a small market, and the cost of lost specifications that take 12 to 18 months to win back.
"The building products market is small. A bad hire doesn't just cost money. It costs relationships, specification pipelines, and market reputation. Getting it right first time is cheaper than getting it wrong twice."
James Bowesman, Specified Select
A specialist recruiter who knows the building products market reduces the chance of a bad hire. I've placed sales talent across cladding, lighting, waterproofing, flooring, tiles, and more. If you're hiring, let's make sure you get it right first time.
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