Why Prioritizing Speed Over Quality is Hurting Your Business

Did you know that a bad hire can cost your company up to 30% of the employee’s annual salary?

Recruitment is the foundation of any successful business. Yet, many organizations continue to measure recruiter performance based on how fast they fill positions rather than how well those hires perform in the long run. This focus on speed over quality creates a dangerous blind spot—leading to high turnover, poor employee performance, and mounting costs.

It’s time to ask: Are your hiring goals driving short-term wins or long-term success?

The Problem with Quantity-Driven Hiring

Recruiters are under constant pressure to meet hiring quotas tied to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as:

– Number of hires per quarter
– Time-to-fill positions

While these metrics may seem effective at addressing immediate staffing needs, they create hidden risks that undermine long-term business health:

Overlooked Quality Risks
Recruiters focused on hitting hiring targets often push candidates through the pipeline without thorough vetting. This increases the chances of hiring individuals with falsified credentials or BGV failures.

High Turnover Rates
A bad hire isn’t just a hiring mistake – it’s a costly business problem. Poorly vetted employees are more likely to underperform or leave within months, increasing replacement costs and disrupting team dynamics.

Financial Impact
In industries where billability drives profitability (such as IT and consulting), low-quality hires reduce productive output, eroding revenue and profit margins.

The Cost of a Bad Hire

Research shows that a bad hire costs a company approximately 30% of the employee’s first-year salary – a figure that rises when you factor in:

– Onboarding and training expenses
– Lost productivity
– Impact on team morale

Yet, despite these consequences, most recruiters are rewarded based on the number of hires they secure — not the quality or longevity of those hires. This misalignment creates a vicious cycle of poor hires and increasing costs.

Why It’s Time to Shift the Focus

Quantity-driven hiring strategies may help meet short-term goals, but they create long-term instability.

But that doesn’t mean chasing quantity is wrong. It’s possible to balance both quantity and quality — as long as the business can sustain the hires being made. Recruiting more people isn’t a problem if those hires are properly vetted and integrated into the business model. Credibility first, business next. A sustainable recruitment strategy ensures that the business benefits not just from higher headcount, but from high-performing, long-lasting hires.

The solution? Incentivizing recruiters based on the success and performance of hires – not just the speed at which they’re onboarded.

Curious how a quality-based recruitment strategy can reduce turnover and improve business outcomes?

Stay tuned for our next blog!