Why Your Hardest Role to Fill Might Actually Be a Training Problem
Not every hiring challenge is a recruitment problem.
Sometimes, it’s a development problem in disguise.
The Myth of the Unicorn Hire
We’ve all seen it: the job ad asking for 7+ years of experience, 5 niche certifications, fluency in legacy systems, and a dash of leadership magic.
Sometimes, that person exists. Usually, they don’t.
When roles stay open for months despite heavy recruitment activity, it’s time to ask: is this role unfillable, or are we unwilling to create the person who can fill it?
The Upskilling Opportunity
Forward-thinking employers are turning hard-to-fill roles into development opportunities. We’ve helped several clients do just that by:
- Splitting one unicorn job into two focused roles
- Promoting internally and backfilling the junior role
- Hiring for potential and investing in on-the-job training
You’ll often spend less money and gain more loyalty in the long run.
A Framework for Decision-Making
When struggling to fill a position, ask yourself:
- Can we train for this skill?
- Is this truly a full-time permanent need?
- Would a hybrid team of perm + contract better solve this challenge?
You don’t have to lower standards. You just have to broaden your strategy.
Sometimes, the right person isn’t out there yet.
But they could be - with the right support.
