A wrong hiring decision costs far more than just a lost salary. In the industrial, construction, maritime, and offshore sectors, employers often face pressure to fill positions quickly, but the price of a rushed decision can be high.

Financial losses, team demotivation, project delays, and even reputational damage — all of this can stem from a single wrong hire. Knowing these risks makes one thing clear: efficient and accurate recruitment is not a choice, but a necessity.

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Who Is an Unsuitable Candidate?

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An unsuitable candidate isn’t necessarily completely unqualified. Often, it’s someone who:

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• Lacks the practical experience or specific competencies required for particular conditions (e.g., safety regulations),

• Doesn’t fit the project culture or team dynamics (e.g., collaboration with multicultural rotating crews on ships or construction sites),

• Fails to meet expectations in terms of work quality, punctuality, or efficiency.

 

Such cases are especially common in sectors where the work is intensive, time-bound, and demands a high level of responsibility.

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How Much Does It Cost?

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1. Costs Covered by the Company

 

The company covers flights, local transportation, accommodation costs, sometimes meals, and pays taxes and salary to a person who doesn’t add value or cause problems, often for several months.

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2. Training and Onboarding Costs

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​Integrating a new employee into processes takes time — and it costs your team members’ time as well as money for training, safety briefings, and equipment.

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3. Productivity Losses

 

An unsuitable specialist can slow down work or even cause costly mistakes (e.g., improperly performed installation tasks, poor-quality welding, project delays).

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4. Team Morale

The team notices when someone “isn’t pulling their weight.” This lowers motivation, especially when others have to fix their mistakes or work twice as hard.

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5. Reputational Damage

In construction and industrial sectors, sticking to schedules is a critical metric. Delays or defects can harm your reputation as a reliable subcontractor or supplier.

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6. Repeated Recruitment

The entire process — from searching for new candidates, reviewing CVs, conducting interviews, and selection — must be repeated. This means additional HR costs and even longer time without a suitable specialist.

It’s estimated that one unsuitable technical employee can cost a company between €10,000 and €50,000 or more, depending on the sector, project complexity, and time lost.

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How to Avoid It?

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• Clear Position Profile

The clearer you define what you’re looking for — both technically and personally — the easier it is to find the right person.

• Candidate Evaluation Beyond the CV

Assess whether the candidate has truly worked on similar projects and has real experience with specific equipment, environments, or systems. This is where our role as recruitment partners becomes especially important.

 

• Working with a Specialized Agency

HiSpecialists works exclusively with technical and industrial sectors, so we:

- Filter candidates based on real experience (not just general descriptions),

- Verify references, documentation, and language skills,

- Take sector-specific factors into account — whether it’s a platform in the North Sea or a large infrastructure construction.

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Investing in the Right Specialist Always Pays Off

When hiring in technical sectors where every mistake is costly, it’s important to focus not only on speed but also on quality. That’s why working with a professional recruitment team knowledgeable about the industry is an investment in project success, team stability, and the company’s reputation.

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Looking for reliable specialists for industrial, construction, marine, or offshore projects?

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