Switch Language
Hiring the right talent has become increasingly complex. Many companies struggle to balance speed, quality, and long-term fit, often leading to delayed decisions or costly mis-hires.
This is where the 70/30 hiring rule comes in. It offers a practical framework to make faster, smarter hiring decisions without waiting for the “perfect” candidate.
The 70/30 hiring rule is a recruitment principle suggesting that employers should hire a candidate who meets around 70% of the required qualifications, while the remaining 30% can be developed on the job.
Instead of holding out for someone who ticks every box, this approach focuses on:
The idea is simple: skills can be taught, but mindset and potential are harder to train.
Hiring in 2026 could be difficult for HR teams. Talent shortages, rising salary expectations, and faster business cycles mean you don’t always have time to wait.
Here’s the benefit of 70/30 hiring rule:
Waiting for a 100% match often leads to unnecessarily long hiring cycles, especially when the “perfect candidate” is rare or highly competitive. This delay can slow down team productivity and put pressure on existing employees.
By focusing only on the most critical qualifications, the essential 70%, recruiters and hiring managers can streamline decision-making, reduce back-and-forth, and move candidates through the pipeline more efficiently without compromising overall quality.
Strict and overly specific requirements often narrow the talent pool, causing companies to miss out on capable candidates who don’t meet every single criterion. The 70/30 hiring rule encourages a more flexible approach, allowing recruiters to consider individuals with strong potential, transferable skills, and the ability to learn quickly.
Candidates hired based on potential rather than perfection are often more motivated to learn and grow within the company. They tend to be more adaptable, open to feedback, and eager to develop new skills. With the right onboarding and training, these employees can evolve alongside the business, contributing more over time.
Traditional hiring practices often place heavy emphasis on credentials such as degrees, past job titles, or years of experience, which can unintentionally introduce bias. The 70/30 hiring rule shifts the focus toward actual capability, problem-solving skills, and mindset.
This is where many hiring teams get stuck. Not all requirements are equal.
These are the must-haves:
If these are missing, the ramp-up becomes too risky.
These are the nice-to-haves:
These can be developed through onboarding, mentorship, and training.
Let’s say you’re hiring a Marketing Manager.
Traditional approach:
70/30 approach:
You can train:
This shift alone can cut your hiring time significantly.
While the 70/30 hiring rule is effective, it can fail if applied incorrectly.
If critical skills are wrongly categorized as “trainable,” the impact shows up quickly in day-to-day work. What looks like a small gap during hiring can turn into missed deadlines, lower output quality, or heavier reliance on teammates. The 70% should always cover the core responsibilities of the role. If a candidate cannot perform those from the start, the risk becomes much higher than expected.
Not every role can follow the 70/30 rule strictly. For highly technical, specialized, or regulated positions, the margin for learning on the job is much smaller. Roles in areas like finance, legal, or advanced engineering often require closer to 90–100% readiness to avoid costly mistakes or compliance risks.
Hiring for potential only works when there is a clear plan to support that growth. Without structured onboarding, mentorship, or defined learning milestones, the 30% gap can remain unresolved for too long. This often leads to frustration on both sides, where the employee feels unsupported and the team feels the gap isn’t closing fast enough.
The 70/30 rule is meant to improve decision-making, not to justify cutting corners. Rushing to hire someone who only partially fits the role without proper evaluation can lead to poor hiring outcomes. The goal is still to be selective, but in a smarter way, focusing on what truly matters rather than trying to fill the role as quickly as possible.
If you’re applying the 70/30 rule but still struggling to find the right talent locally, expanding your talent pool can make a big difference.
With Glints TalentHub, you can tap into pre-vetted Southeast Asian talent and hire quickly without the complexity of setting up entities. From sourcing to onboarding and compliance, everything is handled in one place, so you can focus on building a team that grows with your business.
The 70/30 hiring rule is not about settling for less. It’s about hiring smarter.
Instead of chasing perfect candidates who may never come, you focus on people who can deliver value now and grow with your business.
In a fast-moving hiring landscape, that’s often the difference between staying stuck and scaling successfully.
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive all our latest news and offers delivered right to your desk.