Hiring under pressure is a manager’s rite of passage. Whether it’s an unexpected resignation, a sudden project ramp-up, or the panic of quarter-end targets, we’ve all been there. The scramble to fill a gap quickly feels justifiable, until it backfires.
The problem is, rushed hiring rarely leads to smart hiring. According to a LinkedIn Global Talent Trends report, 89% of bad hires are linked to poor soft skill assessment and rushed decisions. That’s not just a performance problem, it’s a team morale and culture risk too.
Hiring the wrong person costs businesses up to 30% of that person’s first-year salary, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Imagine throwing that kind of cash into a black hole repeatedly.
If you’re in a hiring dash right now, pause. Take a deep breath. Let’s walk through the top three mistakes most managers make when hiring in a hurry and how to do better (without slowing down too much).
Mistake 1: Prioritizing Speed Over Fit
Hiring “the next available candidate” rarely works out long term. Culture fit, team dynamics, and future potential often get sidelined in the name of speed. And what do you get? Someone who technically ticks the boxes but drains the vibe of your team or quits in three months.
In fact, companies with strong alignment between culture and talent are 1.8x more likely to report higher performance, according to PwC’s Future of Work study.
A smarter shortcut? Build a pre-vetted talent pool in advance. If you’re not already using platforms like Anutio (especially for African and immigrant professionals), or Hiretual for AI-driven sourcing, you’re missing a huge chance to hire fast and right. These tools help you stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready in panic mode.
Always have a “bench” of warm leads even if you’re not hiring today. That way, when a role opens up, you already know who to call.
Mistake 2: Ignoring Red Flags in Interviews
Desperation clouds judgment. In rushed interviews, managers tend to overlook warning signs: inconsistent answers, vague responsibilities on resumes, or even attitude issues. You start convincing yourself why it’s okay, “They’re coachable,” “We’ll train them,” “They seem eager.”
You can’t teach integrity, emotional intelligence, or work ethic in onboarding.
According to Harvard Business Review, one of the most cited reasons for failed hires is a lack of soft skills, which are often easy to spot if you’re paying attention. But in a rush, we zoom past those gut-check moments.
A better strategy? Use structured interviews with scorecards, like the Topgrading method, to anchor your decision-making. And if you’re not using tools like VidCruiter or HireVue, you’re leaving too much to guesswork. These platforms help standardize the process and surface patterns you might miss in a quick chat.
If a candidate can’t give clear examples of past work, lacks curiosity, or overuses buzzwords without substance, pause.
Mistake 3: Skipping Onboarding Planning
So you finally found someone. Signed, sealed, starting Monday. Relief, right?
But then you realize, no onboarding doc, no welcome email, no tools set up. The new hire spends the first week staring at a half-configured laptop and shadowing people who are “too busy” to train them. That’s not onboarding; that’s being set up to fail.
According to Gallup, only 12% of employees strongly agree their organization does a great job onboarding. That’s terrifying when you consider that good onboarding improves new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%.
Even if you’re in a rush, onboarding should never be an afterthought. It’s how you anchor new hires into your culture, expectations, and momentum. Use checklists like ClickUp’s free onboarding template or Trello’s remote onboarding board to create structure, even if you’re building the plane while flying it.
A rushed hire without onboarding is a ticking resignation letter.
The Hidden Costs of Rushed Hiring
Hiring mistakes don’t just cost time, they bleed money, morale, and team momentum. According to CareerBuilder, 74% of employers admit they’ve hired the wrong person for a position. And that’s not even counting burnout from team members who have to pick up the slack.
A bad hire affects:
- Team trust: When managers hire recklessly, employees lose faith in leadership judgment.
- Culture dilution: One toxic or disengaged hire can undermine months of team building.
- Time lost: From training to managing poor performance to eventual replacement, it’s exhausting.
Want to visualize this? HeyTaco’s Cost of Turnover Calculator can help you estimate what each bad hire could be costing your organisation, especially in fast-paced or resource-tight environments like nonprofits or startups.
You’re not saving time when you hire fast. You’re just borrowing problems from the future.
How to Hire Fast and Smart (Yes, It’s Possible)
Speed doesn’t have to mean sloppiness. You just need the right guardrails.
Here’s how high-performing teams balance urgency with excellence:
- Build a hiring scorecard – Tools like Notion or Workable let you align your team on what “great” actually looks like.
- Pre-write your job descriptions – Keep evergreen roles on file so you’re not scrambling to craft JD copy at 1 a.m. when someone quits.
- Use async interview tools – Platforms like Willow and Hireflix help you gather video responses fast, saving you 60% of your screening time.
- Always be hiring – Even when you’re not hiring. Build your pipeline in advance through career pages, talent newsletters, or partnerships with platforms like Anutio that help you connect with vetted talent across Nigeria and Canada.
- Keep onboarding plug-and-play – Store your company intro deck, process maps, and welcome checklist in one linkable doc. It makes each onboarding feel intentional even if you’re onboarding during a fire drill.
Hiring fast isn’t about skipping steps. It’s about streamlining the right ones.
