Backfill

What is Backfill?

Backfill is the HR and staffing term for filling a role that someone has left, either permanently or for a while. When a manager says they need to “backfill a position,” they need someone to take over the work of a person who has resigned, been promoted, moved to another team, or gone on leave. (Outside hiring, backfill also means refilling an excavated hole in construction. This entry covers the hiring meaning.)

A backfill is different from a new position. A new role adds headcount and usually needs fresh budget approval. A backfill replaces capacity the business already had, so the budget and job description usually already exist. That often makes a backfill faster to approve, but the pressure to fill it is higher, because the work doesn’t stop while the seat is empty.

What is a backfill position?

A backfill position is the specific role being filled. It usually falls into one of three types:

• Permanent backfill: replacing someone who has left the company for good, typically through direct hire or permanent placement.
• Temporary backfill: covering for someone who will come back, such as during parental leave, medical leave, or a sabbatical. This is usually done through temporary placement or contract staffing.
• Internal backfill: moving an existing employee into the role. That opens a second vacancy in their old job, which is why backfills come up so often in succession planning.

How do you backfill a position during a leave?

A temporary backfill works best when the coverage hire starts before the leave does, so they can learn the role from the person they’re covering. Write down the core responsibilities, decide which work can pause, and agree on how the role will be handed back when your team member returns.

The right approach depends on the type of leave:

• Parental Leave Coverage: planned leaves with time for a full handoff before and after.
• Medical Leave Coverage: leaves that may start suddenly or run longer than expected.
• Vacation & PTO Coverage: short absences where key work can’t wait.
• Leave of Absence Coverage: sabbaticals, personal leave, and other extended time away.

Persona matches you with vetted remote talent to backfill a role for as long as you need, often in under a week.

Why does backfilling matter?

When a role isn’t backfilled, its work usually gets split across the rest of the team. That can work for a few days, but over weeks it leads to missed deadlines, burnout, and higher employee turnover, which creates more roles to backfill. Planning backfills ahead of time is part of good workforce planning.

Dos and Don’ts of Backfilling

Dos

• Start the backfill as soon as you know about a departure or leave
• Document the role’s core tasks, tools, and contacts before the handoff
• Build in overlap time so the backfill can shadow the current employee
• Set clear expectations for how long the backfill will last
• Plan the return handoff for temporary backfills

Don’ts

• Don’t spread the work across your team indefinitely instead of backfilling
• Don’t assume the old job description still fits; review it first
• Don’t leave the backfill without a clear point of contact
• Don’t wait until the last day to start the search
• Don’t forget to tell clients and colleagues who’s covering the role