The Risks of Hiring People Who Lack Hard Skills

In a previous post, we discussed why hiring candidates who don’t fully meet the job’s hard skills requirements might be justified.

Now, let’s outline the risks employers face when making this decision.

⚠️ The new hire may make more mistakes

Yes, people learn from mistakes, but these mistakes cost the company time and money. Employers need to weigh whether they are ready to handle additional expenses while the employee catches up on the required skills.

⚠️ The employee may struggle to learn quickly

For instance, the new hire might take too long to fill in their skill gaps, while the company urgently needs a competent specialist.

Sometimes, the issue lies with the employer. Some companies adopt a “sink or swim” approach — hiring underqualified candidates and leaving them to figure things out on their own. If they fail, the company will part ways with them during the probation period.

This harsh filtering process can lead to high turnover and increased costs. It also damages the company’s employer brand as more candidates speak negatively about their experience, making future hiring efforts more challenging.

⚠️ The employee may not be ready for the new role

A typical example is when a senior-level specialist transitions into a leadership role, moving from an individual contributor to a manager.

How are hard skills relevant here? For the manager, skills like leadership, business acumen, motivation, and effective communication become critical hard skills.

Transitioning into management is often stressful for former specialists. They accept the role for career growth but then discover, for example, that instead of coding, they spend most of their time in meetings and filling out reports.

Sometimes, these employees decide, “This isn’t for me,” leaving the company to realize its investment in their growth was in vain.

“It’s common for senior specialists who’ve become managers to later want to return to their previous roles,” says Ekaterina Veselkina, IT recruitment lead at NEWHR.

⚠️ The employee may struggle in emergencies

Less experienced professionals are more likely to falter in challenging situations, such as:

• A sudden influx of new clients;
• The departure of a senior colleague who was mentoring and supporting them;
• A change in leadership or team dynamics;
• A shift in company strategy due to market disruptions.
  Etc.

💡 Idea: If the market lacks the specialists you need, consider whether you can develop them internally. Promoting and training current employees is often a great motivator for the team to grow professionally.

💙 NEWHR Recruiting Agency: We help find top tech talent in Europe, US and other places. Submit a request on our website or contact us at contact@new.hr