{"id":279,"date":"2026-02-16T00:00:47","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T00:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/?p=279"},"modified":"2026-01-26T17:39:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T17:39:26","slug":"you-cant-find-good-people-and-youre-paying-for-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/you-cant-find-good-people-and-youre-paying-for-it\/","title":{"rendered":"You Can\u2019t Find Good People \u2014 and You\u2019re Paying for It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Madison had interviewed a few local candidates for a new client renewals role, but all of them seemed to miss the mark. One of them had strong technical skills, but his brusque communication style didn\u2019t sit well with her. Another hit it off with both Madison and her executive assistant but had little experience with renewals. But her small team was overtaxed and needed someone weeks ago. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Am I being too picky? <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">she wondered. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I don\u2019t want to make a rash decision, but I have to do something; otherwise, we won\u2019t be able to handle the business we\u2019ve taken on.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making the wrong hire can seriously affect a company\u2019s long-term plans, derailing success. In this post, we\u2019ll talk about the major repercussions of a bad hire \u2014 and how to correct course. By using smart recruitment strategies, you\u2019ll both find the right people and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/5-recruitment-strategies-that-cut-one-clients-hiring-time-by-75\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reduce your hiring time<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> substantially.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read on to learn more about how a bad hire can impact your business \u2014 and how to avoid hiring the wrong person.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Impacts of a Bad Hire<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the average cost of a bad hiring decision? Making the wrong hire can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.business.com\/articles\/cost-of-a-bad-hire\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cost 30%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of their first-year salary, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. But when considering all of these consequences, the costs can be far steeper:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additional recruiting expenses and time<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Training and onboarding costs and time spent<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Salary wasted on someone who\u2019s just not contributing at a high level<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lowered quality of work<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lost opportunities for productivity and growth<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You and your other staff might invest substantial time and energy in a new hire, without getting much of a return. When considering the true value of your time, the cost of a bad hire can escalate fast. And for managerial roles, the average cost of a bad hiring decision can climb even higher. For some roles, hiring a new person can cost <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shrm.org\/topics-tools\/news\/talent-acquisition\/real-costs-recruitment\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">three to four times<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the position\u2019s salary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But lowered productivity and lost opportunities for growth are the biggest costs of a bad hire. You can\u2019t put an exact price tag on this, but it can be astronomical. With the right people in place, your team culture can thrive, innovation can flourish, and you can achieve goals that once seemed impossible. If even one team member is holding you back, it can have a detrimental effect on engagement, morale, and creativity. Their peers will grow frustrated and motivation will suffer; they might even start burning out because they have to constantly pick up the slack.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For these reasons, it\u2019s better <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shrm.org\/topics-tools\/news\/employee-relations\/hiring-nobody-better-hiring-just-anybody\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not to hire anyone<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than to make the wrong choice. But fortunately, those aren\u2019t your only two options, as we\u2019ll discuss in a moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reasons Why Bad Hires Happen<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the hiring process, companies often prioritize the wrong attributes \u2014 especially if they\u2019re not experienced in hiring. When a candidate\u2019s technical skills impress them, they might fail to consider cultural fit and personality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Second, small businesses often don\u2019t hire until they have a dire need for help. They\u2019re overtaxed and overwhelmed. They don\u2019t have the mental energy to carefully plan and structure the process. Stressed and distracted, they prioritize speed above finding the right fit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Third, small business leaders might not be used to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.careerbuilder.com\/advice\/employer-blog\/the-cost-of-a-bad-hire-and-how-to-avoid-one\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">spotting red flags<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that imply a candidate might be a poor fit. If a candidate doesn\u2019t seem knowledgeable about their company, or doesn\u2019t show up with questions for them, for instance, those things might not give them pause. Meanwhile, an experienced recruiter would think, \u201cThis person is sure acting interested in the job, but they clearly haven\u2019t done their homework, which shows a lack of passion for the role.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/five-common-interviewing-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">common interviewing mistakes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like these, founders are prone to making the wrong choice. But avoiding these pitfalls can substantially increase their ability to scale.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why a Good Hire Is a Game-Changer<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-280\" src=\"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-27-013811.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"408\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/confident-beautiful-asian-woman-in-suit-is-smiling-during-job-interview-in-office-environment-18848929\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image source<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hiring the right person will <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/allbusiness\/2025\/06\/30\/the-true-cost-of-a-bad-hire-and-how-to-avoid-making-one\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">elevate your culture<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/my-first-visit-to-manila-and-what-it-taught-me-about-teamwork\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">enhance teamwork<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in your organization. It\u2019s not just about ensuring that tasks get done well \u2014 it\u2019s about building an atmosphere where camaraderie and creativity can thrive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you hire the right person, it catalyzes a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.c-suite-strategy.com\/blog\/harnessing-the-virtuous-cycle-strategies-for-sustainable-business-growth\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">virtuous cycle<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 a positive feedback loop in which good things compound over time. Team relationships grow stronger, engagement increases, and your team moves closer to its big-picture goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In personal lines insurance, our clients who hire a skilled virtual assistant bolster new business production by $100K\u2013$250K annually, on average. Their client response time drops by 50%, with the VA handling countless customer service requests. For commercial lines, we see business rise by $200\u2013$500K annually and quoting response time improve by 40\u201360%. Meanwhile, stress and burnout decreases sharply for other employees, since they no longer have to carry an overwhelming taskload.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, how to avoid making a bad hire? Let\u2019s dive into that next.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoiding Bad Hires \u2014 and Making Good Ones<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take these steps to start finding, and hiring, the right candidates for your business.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Broaden your search. If you\u2019re just looking at local talent, you\u2019re missing out on a lot of highly skilled people. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/outsourcing-means-giving-up-control-wrong\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing a virtual employee<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can give you access to specialized skills and knowledge.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/action.deloitte.com\/insight\/4497\/ways-managers-can-use-data-analytics-for-hiring-smarter\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forecast<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> your hiring needs months in advance. Don\u2019t wait until a critical moment to start, which can cut the planning process short. Consider your plans to scale your operations, then look at which roles and skills will be needed to make that happen.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember that past behavior <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/corporatefinanceinstitute.com\/resources\/team-development\/avoiding-bad-hires\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">predicts future performance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In interviews, ask specific questions about how they\u2019ve handled challenges in the past.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strive to overcome hidden biases. If you\u2019ve been hiring people because they remind you of yourself, it\u2019s time to think outside of the box. Likewise, beware of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shrm.org\/topics-tools\/news\/talent-acquisition\/how-to-curb-unconscious-bias-in-hiring\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">false predictors of success<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 someone\u2019s appearance or handshake doesn\u2019t actually indicate how well they&#8217;ll perform the job. And be careful of relying too heavily on AI, which can have its own algorithmic biases, as the Society for Human Resource Management says.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work on your employer branding. You\u2019ll attract the right candidates when you show them what you have to offer. Make sure your job description expresses your culture and values, along with the opportunities for professional development that the role will offer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hire for cultural fit, not just technical skills. Look for people who can add to your culture, bringing a different approach or perspective, even if they don\u2019t match your current culture exactly.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you aren\u2019t sure how to avoid hiring the wrong person, don\u2019t despair. As your recruiting partner, ia Blueprint can help you excel in each of these areas. We know how to dodge common hiring pitfalls and select a candidate who will be an invaluable addition to your team.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By partnering with a recruiting firm, Madison broadened her access to qualified talent. Meanwhile, she freed up her own time to lead the business. Within a few weeks, the recruiter had found exactly the right person for the role \u2014 someone who fit well with the team and brought the skill set they direly needed. Training the new staff member took minimal time, and soon, their team was skillfully handling a robust volume of business. Better yet, they weren\u2019t working overtime anymore, so they all enjoyed a healthy work-life balance. And their motivation soared, leading them to achieve increasingly more ambitious targets as time went on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ready to make the right hire? ia Blueprint can help you find the best person for your team, with minimal time and effort on your part. We do all the legwork to match you with the ideal candidate. That\u2019s why our clients enjoy a <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/90-employee-retention-heres-what-that-looks-like-2\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">90% retention rate<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, building long-term relationships with the people we help them hire. You\u2019ll not only gain a staff member with the perfect skill set; you\u2019ll also build a strong foundation that will allow you to scale.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hiring the wrong person has ongoing repercussions. Let\u2019s discuss the pitfalls of a bad hire \u2014 and how to avoid this problem by making the right hire in the first place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaux-pilgirm","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=279"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":281,"href":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279\/revisions\/281"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iablueprint.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}