The CFO Lens: What Really Drives Talent Cost
The greatest hiring costs come from what it takes to make a full-time employee productive and keep that momentum going.
Several factors influence that total. Cost-per-hire includes recruiting expenses such as job advertising, agency fees and internal HR time. Time to fill creates vacancy costs through lost output and overtime for existing employees.
Once a hire starts, it takes many months for an employee to reach full productivity. Six to 12 months is common in complex roles.
Turnover multiplies every cost. When someone leaves early, organizations must recruit and retrain while absorbing another productivity gap. Over time, these repeat costs often exceed base compensation.
Direct Hire: Speed, Experience and Hidden Risk
Organizations often default to direct hire because it promises speed. Hiring managers look for candidates who already have the right credentials and expect them to step in with minimal training.
That assumption holds true in some situations. Experienced hires can contribute at full productivity sooner, and their employers do not need to invest in internal training infrastructure. However, these kinds of advantages are not guaranteed.
Prior experience helps, but it does not always transfer cleanly. Differences in systems, workflows and team expectations can narrow the expected speed advantage.
Problems increase when the role, culture or compensation is not a strong fit and people leave. Teams remain understaffed, and organizations incur recruiting costs again. Direct hire can fill an immediate gap, but in competitive healthcare and IT roles, it often leads to repeat vacancies rather than stability.
Apprenticeships: Earn-While-You-Learn and Measurable ROI
Apprentices learn the role while working in it, allowing organizations to develop skills without paying full market wages upfront. Training occurs alongside productive work, spreading costs over time.
Although apprentices start with less experience than seasoned hires, apprenticeships allow employers to train workers in their own systems and expectations. Employees build skills gradually and grow into the role.
This model can improve retention. Research from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that roughly 90% of apprentices stay with their employer after completing training, reducing the need to repeatedly recruit and retrain. Net benefits continue to accrue for up to five years after completion, illustrating a greater incentive to pursue apprenticeships vs. direct hires.
How MedCerts Partner Solutions De-Risks Apprenticeships for CFOs
Comparing the total cost over two to three years highlights the difference between repeated replacement and retaining an employee who grows into the role. Apprenticeships may not replace all direct hire employees, but they can be a strategic component of a strong workforce plan. MedCerts Partner Solutions supports this approach by helping employers launch apprenticeships and train-and-hire pipelines in healthcare and IT. We provide DOL-approved apprenticeships, pre-hire training programs and training content. With our support, you can reap the benefits of an apprenticeship while reducing the risk and setup time that comes with approaching it on your own.
