Recruiters love perfect résumés. Straight career path, strong skills, confident personality. But perfect candidates are rare, very expensive, and often get poached within months. Most companies can’t wait for unicorns. So they focus on something else. That is -Potential.
That’s where the 70 percent hiring rule gets real. You bring someone on board if they meet 70 percent of the role expectations. The missing 30 percent can be trained with onboarding, shadowing, and clear feedback.
This idea isn’t new. Experienced hiring managers have used it for years. Now it’s common in fast moving teams, tech firms, sales companies, and small business units where waiting too long hurts the entire business’s growth.
Let’s see what the rule really means before we move into benefits of improved recruitment process, risks, and how to apply it within an effective recruitment process.
What Does The 70% Rule Mean In Hiring?
The recruitment 70% rule says a candidate doesn’t need to tick every box. You look for core skills, attitude, and willingness to learn. If these three appear strong, the person qualifies even if some gaps exist.
Three buckets that define the 70% rule include following:
1. Core Skills That Matter Today
These skills relate to revenue, customers, delivery, or operations.
Example: A marketing hire must understand copywriting, campaigns, and analytics. Extra things like video or SEO can come later.
2. Ability To Grow Into More Advanced Work
Some candidates learn fast. They show curiosity, ask questions, and adapt to new tools. They don’t fear technology. Teams love this mindset because change is routine.
Example: A support rep who understands tickets and chat can learn product training, escalations, and reporting later
3. Culture And Collaboration
The candidate fits how your team works. They respect timelines, communicate clearly, and take responsibility. A small team values reliability more than flash.
Example: A developer who fits the team, shares updates, and asks for feedback will perform better than a silent expert who avoids meetings.
Any candidate who hits at least 70 percent of the role skill sets across these three areas is someone worth considering. The remaining 30 percent can be trained through a structured plan.
Why Do Companies Follow This Rule?
Talent shortages keep rising. A report from Gartner found that around 64 percent of HR leaders in technology and professional services said it was harder to find qualified talent.
Roles stayed open longer, salaries went up, and projects slowed. Small businesses feel this even more because teams already run tight.
The 70 percent hiring rule solves many such issues promoting:
- Faster hiring pipeline
- Better offer acceptance
- Strong loyalty from employees
- Larger internal talent pool
- Realistic salary expectations
This doesn’t mean you are lowering standards for your role. It means you are hiring a talent based on future potential instead of searching for someone who has already done everything in the past.
Before using this rule, teams need clarity. They must decide which 70 percent matters most.
What Makes Up The First 70 Percent?
Every role has a few non-negotiables. Without them, success is impossible. These become part of recruitment selection criteria.
For example:
- A developer must know core languages
- A sales rep must hold past quota numbers
- A finance executive must know forecasting
Then we expect real potential talent. The rest of the skills become 30 percent.
For example,
A logistics tech firm needed a Business Analyst. Five needed items:
- Excel
- SQL
- Requirement documentation
- Stakeholder meetings
- Clear written communication
Three extra items:
- Power BI
- Domain knowledge in shipping
- Automation tools
Every candidate who met around 70 percent of the list got a call. Someone without BI or shipping knowledge still got hired. After two months, he learned enough to close gaps.
The team saved time. Work moved faster. Hiring turned into a calmer process.
Where The 70% Rule Helps Most?
This rule fits in teams where learning is normal.
Entry And Mid Level Roles
Freshers and junior hires rarely hit 100 percent. Waiting for perfect profiles only delays work. When you pick those with curiosity, you get better long term results.
Growing Companies
Startups and recruiting software for small businesses use this idea constantly. They avoid bulky interviews. They focus on attitude and coachable skills.
Soft Skills Heavy Roles
Customer support, sales, and account management often depend more on communication than deep technical work. Training fills skill gaps.
Let’s see how this rule works with modern tools like an AI recruitment platform.
How Technology Supports 70% Hiring
Old recruitment depended on gut feeling. Today data guides decisions. Tools can score applications against criteria. They find patterns. They surface candidates who have potential but fewer keywords on their résumé.
An AI recruitment platform can:
- Match candidates based on skill clusters
- Score profiles for job fit
- Predict learning ability from career patterns
- Reduce recruiter screening time
Teams use this data to narrow down the list. Then interviews confirm soft traits like problem solving or communication.
Recruiting software for small businesses offers templates, scorecards, video interviews, and reference checks. This creates fairness. Every candidate gets equal attention and final recruitment becomes much simpler. But human judgement stays important. You still need managers who know what they want.
Benefits Of The 70% Hiring Rule
The 70 percent hiring rule keeps hiring quick and practical. Roles get filled sooner, teams stay productive, and budgets stay under control. New hires grow inside the company, build loyalty, and strengthen culture. Managers get a solid bench of people who can step into bigger work when needed.
- Faster hiring cycle: Roles don’t sit open for months. Companies that follow this rule fill positions 40 percent faster as per industry surveys.
- Higher loyalty: Candidates given a chance often stay longer. They remember the trust. They grow inside the company instead of hopping for small salary jumps.
- Strong talent pipeline: When you hire based on potential, you build a bench. Seniors can move to bigger jobs. Juniors rise into senior roles. Knowledge stays inside.
- More candidates to choose from: Since the bar isn’t set at perfection, more profiles enter the shortlist. Recruiters get stronger options while still keeping standards clear.
- Less interview pressure: Teams don’t spend hours chasing tiny details. They discuss real duties, mindset, and growth. The process feels calmer for both sides.
How to Implement the 70% Rule
A simple roadmap works for most teams.
Step 1: Define role in plain language
Avoid jargon. Write real duties. Remove fantasy requirements. If a skill is needed once a year, it’s not core.
Step 2: Split requirements
Group them into:
- Must have
- Good to have
This defines the hiring process rules.
Step 3: Scoring template for interviews
Each item gets a number. Two interviewers score separately. You remove bias. You get a fair view.
Step 4: Training plan
Once hired, start coaching. Don’t wait. Use documents, shadowing, and tools.
Step 5: Track results
Review after 30, 60, and 90 days. Fix gaps early. This keeps momentum.
Conclusion
The 70 percent hiring rule keeps recruitment practical. Instead of waiting for the perfect profile, teams pick strong talent, fill gaps through training, and keep work moving.
Performance improves because people grow inside the company, culture stays healthy, and budgets stay steady.
Tools like AI recruitment platforms make this process easier by scoring candidates fairly. If hiring feels slow or costly, this rule offers a smarter way forward.
