The perfect candidate probably doesn't exist. Yet we still spend an incredible amount of time looking for them.

As an IT recruitment agency in Ireland, we see this play out on technology searches every week. A company meets someone who can do 80% or 90% of the role, fits the team, wants the job and has plenty of room to grow. And they decide to keep looking.

Three weeks later, they're still interviewing. Six weeks later, the original candidate has accepted another offer.

When the Brief Starts to Bend

Then, eventually, the brief starts to change.

• Maybe we can flex on that requirement.
• Maybe that skill isn't actually essential.
• Maybe we'd consider someone with slightly less experience.

Which usually raises an uncomfortable question: was any of it essential in the first place?

When a brief softens after six weeks, it's rarely because the market changed. It's because the original list mixed genuine must-haves with a wish list. The cost is the strong candidate who was ruled out under the old version of the brief.

What Slow Hiring Costs Irish Employers

Irish hiring data shows how quickly good candidates disappear while a business waits for perfect:

Put simply: the best candidates in Ireland have options. Eight in ten workers are open to a move, tech skills are scarce, and nearly a quarter of candidates will walk away from a process that drags. Every extra round of interviews looking for a slightly better match is a risk to the very good match you already have.

High Standards vs Hunting for Unicorns

There's absolutely nothing wrong with high standards. But there's a difference between high standards and looking for a unicorn.

Particularly in senior and specialist tech hiring, you're rarely going to find someone who has done:

• the exact job,
• in the exact industry,
• with the exact technology stack,
• at the exact scale,
• for the exact salary you're offering.

Every extra "exact" shrinks the pool. The reverse is also true. LinkedIn's research found that talent pools expand by nearly 10x on average when employers hire on skills rather than on job titles and past roles alone [4]. In a tight Irish tech market, that difference matters.

How an IT Recruitment Agency in Ireland Hires for Potential

At some point you have to hire for what someone can become, not just what they've already done. Here's the framework our recruitment consultants in Dublin use with clients on specialist and senior IT roles:

1. Cap the must-haves at three to five. If everything is essential, nothing is. Agree them before the role goes live, not after week six.
2. Define what 85% looks like. Decide in advance which gaps you're prepared to train or support.
3. Assess learning ability, not just experience. Ask how a candidate has picked up a new technology, domain or team before.
4. Set a decision deadline. Agree interview stages and feedback turnaround up front, ideally within 48 hours of each stage.
5. Plan for the gap. A clear 90-day onboarding plan turns an 85% match into a 100% performer faster than another month of searching.

Perfect Is the Enemy of Very Good

We'd take an excellent 85% match with the right attitude and potential over waiting three months for a mythical 100% candidate every time.

Because while you're waiting for perfect, someone else is hiring very good.

So we'll ask the question: are companies too focused on finding the perfect candidate?

If you have a technology role that's been open too long, or a brief that keeps changing, talk to TRC. As an IT recruitment company in Ireland, we help clients define what really matters and move quickly when the right person appears.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a unicorn candidate?

A unicorn candidate is someone who meets every requirement on a job spec: the exact role, industry, technology, scale and salary. In specialist tech hiring they are extremely rare, and waiting for one usually lengthens the search.

How long does it take to hire in Ireland?

IrishJobs reports a median time to hire of around eight weeks in 2026. Senior and specialist technology roles can take longer, especially when the brief changes mid-process.

Should I hire a candidate who meets 85% of the job requirements?

Often, yes. If they meet your core must-haves, fit the team and show strong learning ability, an 85% match with a clear onboarding plan is usually a better outcome than a long search for 100%.

About The Recruitment Company - Ireland

The Recruitment Company (TRC) is a specialist IT recruitment agency in Ireland, based in Dublin. We provide permanent, contract and executive search across IT infrastructure and cloud, software development, cybersecurity, data and AI, and IT leadership recruitment in Ireland, working with clients across the Irish market and internationally.

Sources

1. IrishJobs, Hiring Trends Update Spring/Summer 2026 (502 employers, 987 workers, April 2026): https://www.irishjobs.ie/recruiters/recruiters-news/hiring-trends-update-spring-summer-2026/

2. IrishJobs, Hiring Efficiency Survey (475 recruiters, 824 jobseekers, September 2025): https://www.irishjobs.ie/recruiters/recruiters-news/nearly-8-in-10-employers-in-ireland-using-ai-in-recruitment-as-adoption-accelerates/

3. EY Ireland, Tech Leaders' Outlook Survey 2026: https://www.ey.com/en_ie/newsroom/2026/06/skills-shortages-top-constraint-for-irish-tech-leaders-ai-cyber-concerns

4. LinkedIn Economic Graph, Skills-First Report: https://economicgraph.linkedin.com/research/skills-first-report