What if No One Wins the Interview

“You hire them right, you train them right, and you treat them right. If you don’t start with hiring the right person, you can’t afford to move forward.”

I’ve seen it happen too many times: a company runs a round of interviews and no one really stands out. As a leader you’re tired of the process, the role has been sitting open, and the team is stretched thin. The temptation is there to pick the “best of the non-winners” and hope it works out. But it rarely does.

The cost of turnover is enormous. 30 to 35% of an employee’s annual salary when you factor in training, overtime, lost productivity, and disruption to your team. Every time you compromise on a hire, you’re setting yourself up to pay that cost again. Filling a chair quickly might feel like progress, but it often means you’ll be right back in the same spot months later.

Now, this doesn’t mean you wait around for the mythical “perfect” candidate. Unicorns don’t exist. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s motivation, passion, and skill. If a candidate demonstrates those traits and has the potential to grow, that’s what winning the interview looks like. But if no one clears that bar, you have to be willing to go back to market.

It isn’t easy. You may feel pressure from above or frustration from the team. But the long-term payoff of patience is undeniable. When you hold out for the right person, you save money, reduce turnover, and strengthen your culture. That’s when the pain of waiting transforms into years of stability and success. And sometimes, those decisions lead to stories worth sharing.