The Unspoken Truth of Vacant Roles in Your Organization
A friend recently sent me a job posting, hinting that the hiring company could use my help while they searched for the right candidate. When I clicked the link, I saw a familiar listing—a job that had been posted for over a year, still unfilled.
This wasn’t just any position. It was a full-time role meant to touch every department and impact the organization’s present and future. And yet, for 18 months—roughly 2,880 working hours—it remained vacant.
Why Would a Company Leave a Key Role Vacant?
Why would an organization invest so much time and money promoting a role—and then leave it empty? Were they waiting for some mythical “perfect candidate”? Or was something else at play?
Often, the unspoken truth is simpler than that: The company may be more comfortable with the role staying vacant than they’d like to admit.
It sounds harsh, but if this position were truly essential, it would have been filled by now. When an organization tolerates a long-term vacancy, it’s a sign of a deeper decision—conscious or not—that the status quo is acceptable. And whether that decision stems from fear, indecision, or something else, the impact on the organization is real.
Guiding Principle: Honesty in Leadership
As a leader, there’s one rule above all others: Leaders must be honest.
And the most important thing leaders must be honest about is themselves. At On The Way Enterprises, our approach to leadership development is built on the framework of “Know Yourself, Lead Yourself, Know Others, Lead Others.” If we want to lead effectively, we must first understand our own motivations, strengths, and areas for growth. This includes confronting the tough truths, even the ones that are hidden just below the surface.
Truth often lies beneath the surface of everyday operations, much like an iceberg.
What’s visible? Unfilled roles, perhaps team performance issues—symptoms of a deeper problem.
What’s hidden? The underlying issues driving organizational behavior, often obscured in the dark waters below.
To uncover these truths, leaders can use The Five Whys—a simple yet powerful tool that digs into the root cause of actions or inactions by repeatedly asking, “Why?”
This method pushes past surface-level answers, exposing the deeper, more complex realities that need addressing.
Exploring the Vacancy Scenario: Using The Five Whys
Step 1: Start with the obvious.
"Why hasn’t the role been filled?"
Answer: "We haven’t found the right person."
Step 2: Dig deeper.
“Why are we prioritizing waiting over taking action with the best candidate available?”
Step 3: Uncover hidden concerns.
Perhaps the answer is:
"We’re concerned that hiring for this role will reveal deeper issues we’re not ready to address."
"We’re avoiding the cost of making a hire."
Step 4: Reach the core truth.
At the final “why,” the reality becomes clear:
The vacancy persists because the company is okay with the vacancy.
If the company weren’t okay with it, they would have acted decisively to fill the role.
By using The Five Whys, leaders can uncover these deeper truths and make a conscious choice:
Address the underlying issues and change the status quo.
Acknowledge the reality and accept it with full awareness.
“When leadership doesn’t act, it’s not just about the vacant role. It’s about a broader message that might say, ‘We aren’t fully committed to investing in our people’.”
A Culture of Inaction: What Does It Mean for Employees?
Here’s where things get even more revealing: Employees are keenly aware when critical roles stay unfilled. They see the inaction, and they form their own conclusions. Behind closed doors, they’ll question leadership priorities, wondering if the vacancy signals that their departments and futures aren’t truly valued.
When leadership doesn’t act, it’s not just about the vacant role. It’s about a broader message that might say, “We aren’t fully committed to investing in our people”.
Get Control of Your Narrative: Own Your 'Why'
As a leader, it’s crucial to address these “whys” head-on. Your employees will fill in the blanks if you don’t. They’ll create their own narrative, which may or may not align with your intentions.
By understanding the root cause behind your actions—or inactions—you can take control of the narrative. Whether it’s a vacancy in a key role or another leadership decision, transparency and honesty are critical to maintaining trust within your team.
Key Takeaways:
If a critical role remains unfilled, it signals to employees that leadership might not prioritize the company’s future.
Vacant roles, especially in key positions, can hurt employee morale and clarity across departments.
Honesty from leadership is crucial to maintaining transparency and trust in the workplace.
So, what’s your “why”?
Like an iceberg, your organization’s true motivations and priorities are often submerged beneath the surface. It’s up to you, as a leader, to dive deep and bring those truths to light before they become an unseen weight on your company’s growth and morale. Ask yourself, your team, and your organization: What are the real reasons behind your actions or inactions? If you’re not happy with the answers, it might be time to make a change.
Let’s talk about your “whys” and explore how you can start addressing them—whether in your organization or your career. The first step is always honesty.
