71% of Irish employers hire 'underqualified' staff due to recruitment cost cuts

Eva Osborne

71 per cent of Irish employers admit to hiring underqualified employees - employees lacking the full set of qualifications, skills or experience required for a job - due to budget limitations.

According to the poll by global recruitment consultancy Robert Walters, only half (34 per cent) of employers hiring underqualified employees are willing to invest in the training required to bring them up to scratch.

The poll of 1,500 Irish professionals and employers also revealed that 46 per cent of employers cite budget constraints as the primary challenge in hiring the right person.

In the second quarter of this year, Ireland’s employment rate hit 74.4 per cent - the highest ever recorded. In turn, this has led to increased demand for skilled professionals across all industries.

Country manager of Robert Walters Dublin, Suzanne Feeney, said: “These findings highlight the concerning trend where budget constraints are causing the majority of Irish employers to hire underqualified talent.

“While only 34 per cent of employers are willing to invest in training underqualified hires, this approach may also not be the most efficient use of resources.

"Allocating budget towards hiring well-qualified talent from the outset could be a more strategic investment, potentially saving time and improving overall company performance.”

The survey reveals that 80 per cent of employers have noticed an increase in employee stress levels due to the additional workload created by hiring underqualified candidates.

This sentiment is echoed by employees, with 72 per cent reporting an increase in their workload due to less experienced new hires. As a result, 48 per cent of employees feel their workload is only somewhat manageable, while nearly a quarter (23 per cent) feel they have too much work at one time.

Feeney said: “Despite it being crucial that employers ensure their staff have the right skills to avoid workloads falling on the shoulders of qualified professionals, the fragile economy and still high costs are adding to employers’ overall reluctant to extend training budgets.

"If this trend continues, we will no doubt see a spike in cases of burnout and quiet-quitting amongst Irish workforces.”