Glossary: HR & Recruiting Definitions
Backfill Position
Learn what a backfill position is, why it matters for business continuity, and best practices for filling roles left vacant by departing employees.
What is a Backfill Position?
A backfill position is a job opening created when an existing employee leaves, retires, is promoted, transfers internally, or takes extended leave. Instead of creating a new role, the organization hires someone to replace the departing employee and maintain business continuity.
Backfill hiring is one of the most common types of recruitment because organizations regularly experience employee movement across departments, offices, and leadership levels.
Why Does a Backfill Position Matter?
Vacant positions can reduce productivity, increase workload for existing employees, and delay important projects. Filling backfill positions quickly helps organizations maintain operational efficiency while minimizing disruptions.
Since the responsibilities and expectations are usually well defined, recruiters can often move faster than they would for newly created roles.
Example
A senior software engineer is promoted to Engineering Manager. The engineering team still needs someone to perform the original technical responsibilities, so HR opens a backfill position to hire a new senior software engineer.
Best Practices
- Review the role before reopening it.
- Update the job description based on current business needs.
- Begin recruitment before the employee exits whenever possible.
- Conduct knowledge transfer sessions.
- Consider internal candidates before hiring externally.
FAQs
What is the difference between a backfill position and a new position?
A backfill position replaces an existing employee, while a new position is created to support business growth or changing organizational needs.
Can companies eliminate a backfill position?
Yes. Organizations sometimes redistribute responsibilities or restructure teams instead of hiring a replacement.
Why is backfill hiring usually faster?
Because the role already exists, responsibilities, budgets, and reporting structures are typically established.
