Hilt Career Consulting shows structured hiring boosts performance and talent retention

Hilt Career Consulting has emphasised the importance of skilled hiring in improving business performance and employee wellbeing.

Sinead English, founder and CEO, said, “Being a good judge of people, or a good conversationalist, does not automatically make someone a skilled interviewer. Because that is a learned skill, and small mistakes can cost organisations the best talent, it makes sense to leave hiring to those who have trained for the task.”

Research shows a bad hire can cost up to 30% of an employee’s salary, while poor mental health may cost organisations up to €2,000 per employee annually. English highlighted that structured interviews help reduce bias and allow fairer assessment of candidates.

“Being aware of bias is important. It can creep in, even when interviewers believe they are being objective. Hiring managers often give more weight to a candidate’s years of experience than to the quality of their skillset,” she said.

Hilt also advises careful use of AI in recruitment. “80 per cent of candidates are using these platforms to prepare their CV. This is absolutely fine once they’re not getting AI to lie for them,” English added. Employers integrating AI responsibly can streamline administrative tasks while keeping human judgement central to hiring decisions.

The consultancy said clear job descriptions, consistent interviews, and candidate-focused processes strengthen outcomes and attract top talent.

English concluded, “Because recruitment outcomes are impacted by candidate perception of the hiring process, hiring managers should think about how well written the job ad is and whether it reflects clearly what’s required for the role.”

Read the full report to see how structured hiring practices are shaping HR performance.

Photo credits to Sinead English’s LinkedIn