Hiring Strategy
March 24, 2026
Most businesses underestimate the cost of a bad hire.
On paper, it’s easy to think about it in simple terms: salary, recruitment fees and the time spent hiring.
But the reality is very different.
In the UK, research suggests a bad hire can cost anywhere between 1.5 to 4 times the individual’s annual salary once everything is factored in.
And at senior level, that impact is often significantly higher.
There are the direct, visible costs:
Even replacing a mid-level hire can run into six figures once all of this is accounted for.
But that’s only the surface.
Senior hires are usually brought in to do something specific:
When the hire isn’t right, progress slows.
Decisions take longer.
Projects stall.
Momentum drops.
And in many cases, it takes months before it becomes clear something isn’t working.
By that point, the cost isn’t just financial – it’s strategic.
Senior individuals set the tone.
A poor fit can affect:
Often, this isn’t immediate.
It shows up gradually – in disengagement, slower output, or increased turnover.
And once that happens, the impact spreads beyond one role.
The biggest cost is usually the one that’s hardest to measure:
Opportunity.
While the wrong person is in place:
In high-growth or regulated environments, that can have a lasting effect.
In most cases, it doesn’t come down to a lack of effort.
It comes down to process.
At senior level, small issues early on tend to become bigger problems later.
Getting senior hiring right isn’t about running more processes.
It’s about running better ones.
That means:
It takes slightly more discipline upfront.
But it significantly reduces the risk of getting it wrong.
A bad hire isn’t just a hiring mistake.
It’s lost time, lost momentum and missed opportunity.
And at senior level, those costs compound quickly.
Which is why the process behind the hire matters just as much as the hire itself.
INSIGHTS
Whether you’re growing your team or planning your next career move, we’re here to help you get it right.
