Why Firms Keep Getting Hiring Wrong — and Why It’s Costing Them Talent

I recently interviewed a Project Director.

After 7 months of searching, countless interview and CV submissions, she finally found the role she’d been working towards.

And then, just 3 months later, she resigned.

Not because she lacked capability. Not because the market shifted overnight. But because the reality of joining the business didn’t live up to the promise that attracted her in the first place.

Stories like this are becoming increasingly common across the built environment.

Despite how challenging the job market can feel for candidates, early attrition is quietly increasing. The number of candidates resigning within the first three months is on the rise compared with 2024.

Whilst first-year turnover has improved overall, the most vulnerable period remains the earliest one.

In simple terms: If someone leaves, they are most likely to do so within the first 90 days.

That early phase of employment should be defined by momentum and optimism. Too often, however, it ends with resignation conversations instead.

At face value, this feels counterintuitive. Candidates today apply for dozens, sometimes hundreds of roles before receiving an offer. Long job searches inevitably change behaviour. Over time, people become more willing to accept roles that feel good enough, rather than genuinely aligned.

When a more compelling opportunity appears shortly after they start, leaving becomes an easier decision.

But in our experience, this explanation only scratches the surface.

The deeper issue is not the role — it is the experience around the hire.

Senior hiring processes are often lengthy and complex. Candidates invest significant time meeting stakeholders, understanding strategy, and aligning themselves with a business’s vision. Expectations are carefully set, sometimes over many months.

Then the offer is signed and the dynamic changes.

Communication often drops off during notice periods. Onboarding becomes procedural rather than personal. Cultural integration is left until “later”. In some cases, wider business priorities shift mid-process — office attendance policies are revised, projects are paused, or growth plans are quietly scaled back.

For a new employee,  particularly at senior level, this creates uncertainty quickly. Confidence begins to erode. Questions surface quietly: Is this what I was sold? Do I belong here? Is my role really as strategic as it sounded?

When those questions go unanswered, disengagement follows — often long before anyone realises there is a problem.

The firms that retain talent most effectively approach hiring very differently.

The best organisations we work with understand that recruitment does not end when the offer is signed. They nurture the relationship with the candidate throughout the process and beyond. Future colleagues are introduced early. Communication remains consistent during notice periods. Onboarding is planned with care and intent.

By the time the individual joins, they already feel part of the team.

The result is clear. New hires who feel connected early settle faster, perform more confidently, and are far less likely to leave within the first year. They don’t arrive as outsiders — they arrive invested.

By contrast, shortcuts in hiring frequently backfire. Under pressure to move quickly, organisations compress timelines, dilute assessment, or underestimate the importance of onboarding. What appears efficient on paper often results in costly early turnover.

In a people-driven industry, that cost goes far beyond recruitment fees. It impacts project continuity, team morale, client confidence, and ultimately long-term growth.

As we look ahead, the message for firms is clear.

Those that align expectations with reality, communicate openly, and genuinely invest in people will continue to attract and retain high-quality talent. Those that treat hiring as a transaction — or lose sight of their people in the pursuit of growth — will continue to struggle, regardless of how strong their brand appears externally.

Hiring is not simply about filling a vacancy.

It is about building belief — before day one, and long after.