TL;DR: Employers claim that the talent market is struggling, but difficulty filling roles may have more to do with your hiring process. Inflated job requirements, lengthy hiring processes, and focusing on the wrong credentials (rather than relevant skills) can make you lose great candidates to other opportunities.
If you're struggling to fill open positions, the problem might not be the talent market—it might be your hiring process.
While 75% of employers say they struggle to find qualified candidates due to skill shortages, many are making their hiring process harder. They're writing job descriptions that scare away qualified candidates, dragging out processes until talent gives up, and clinging to outdated requirements that have little to do with actual job performance.
Let's examine the three most common recruitment gaps that are costing you quality hires—and what you can do about them.
3 Recruitment & Hiring Mistakes That Cost You Top Talent
Your Job Requirements Are Scaring Away Good Candidates
Job descriptions that overstate requirements shrink the candidate pool unnecessarily.
Most job postings read like a wish list written by someone who's never performed the role. You'll see requirements like "5+ years of experience" for tasks that could be learned in six months, or a laundry list of "nice to have" skills presented as absolute must-haves.
This approach backfires for two reasons. First, it intimidates qualified candidates who don't check every single box—research shows women are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet 100% of the qualifications, while men typically apply when they meet around 60%. Second, it signals to candidates that your company might have unrealistic expectations or a poor understanding of the role itself.
The solution is ruthless prioritization. Separate your requirements into three categories:
- Must-have: Core skills absolutely required on day one
- Should-have: Skills that would be helpful but can be developed
- Nice-to-have: Bonus qualifications that shouldn't influence your decision
Focus your job posting on the must-haves only. Everything else can be discussed during the interview or addressed through training.
Your Process Takes Too Long
Hiring processes are bloated. Too many interview rounds and slow decisions lead to talent loss.
The best candidates don't stay on the market long. While you're scheduling a fourth round of interviews and waiting for everyone to align on feedback, your top choice is accepting an offer from a company that moved quickly and decisively.
Lengthy hiring processes signal indecision and disorganization to candidates. They also increase the likelihood of candidate dropout—one of the top reasons talented people abandon applications mid-process is poor communication and unclear timelines.
Streamline your process by:
- Limiting interviews to three rounds maximum: Initial screening, skills assessment, final decision
- Setting clear timelines upfront: Tell candidates when they can expect to hear back at each stage
- Designating decision-makers: Avoid committee-based hiring where everyone has veto power but no one has authority to say yes
- Communicating proactively: Even if you don't have news, update candidates on where things stand
Remember, speed doesn't mean sacrificing quality—it means being decisive about what you need and efficient in how you assess it.
You're Hiring Credentials Instead of Skills
Credential bias persists—degrees and years of experience are favored over proven skills or potential.
The most qualified person for your accounting role might not have a finance degree. The best project manager you could hire might have three years of experience instead of five, but has managed more complex projects than someone with a longer resume.
Skills-based hiring is gaining traction precisely because traditional credentials often fail to predict job performance. A college degree tells you someone can complete long-term projects and follow instructions—valuable skills, but not necessarily the ones that matter most for your specific role.
Instead of defaulting to degree requirements and experience minimums, focus on abilities:
- Use practical assessments: Ask candidates to complete a realistic work sample or case study
- Focus on outcomes: Look for evidence of results achieved, not just time spent in previous roles
- Consider adjacent experience: Someone who managed volunteers might have stronger people skills than someone who only managed employees
- Value problem-solving ability: Can they think through challenges and propose solutions relevant to your business?
This approach expands your candidate pool significantly while helping you identify people who can actually do the job well.
Stronger Recruiting = Stronger Candidates
These recruitment problems stick around because they feel safer than the alternatives. Inflated requirements seem like they'll filter for higher-quality candidates. Multiple interview rounds feel thorough and collaborative. Degree requirements appear to guarantee competence.
But "feeling safer" and "being more effective" are different things.
In a competitive talent market, companies that cling to outdated hiring practices will consistently lose out to those that focus on speed, clarity, and skills over credentials.
The companies winning the talent war are those that make it easy for qualified candidates to apply, assess skills quickly and fairly, and make decisions fast enough to compete.
Moving Forward
Recruitment challenges are real, but they're often amplified by process problems you can control. Start with one gap—perhaps the easiest win is streamlining your interview process—and measure the results. Track metrics like time-to-hire, candidate dropout rates, and new hire performance to see which changes make the biggest impact.
The goal isn't to lower your standards—it's to focus your standards on what actually matters for success in the role.
Let's talk about how we can take the administrative burden off your plate so you can focus on finding the right people for your team.
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