Hiring managers often start a search with an understandable goal: find the perfect candidate who meets every requirement on the job description. But that approach may be causing employers to overlook great people. The 80% rule in hiring encourages employers to consider candidates who meet most of the important requirements for a position- even if they don’t check every box.
Instead of asking, “Does this candidate meet 100% of our requirements?”, ask a more useful question:
“Can this person successfully perform the core responsibilities of the role, and can we develop the rest?”
That shift can open the door to a larger talent pool, create opportunities for professional growth and help employers focus on what truly makes someone successful in a role.
What Is the 80% Rule in Hiring?
The 80% rule is a simple way of thinking about candidate qualifications.
Rather than expecting applicants to meet every qualification listed in a job posting, hiring managers consider whether someone who meets approximately 80% of the important requirements could still succeed in the position.
The remaining 20% may include skills, systems, industry knowledge or responsibilities that can reasonably be learned after joining the organization.
This doesn’t mean lowering hiring standards.
It means separating the qualifications someone must already have from the ones they can realistically learn.
That distinction can make a significant difference when you’re trying to attract and hire strong candidates.
Why Hiring Managers Should Consider the 80% Rule
- You Can Reach a Larger Talent Pool
Long job descriptions filled with mandatory qualifications can discourage capable candidates from applying.
Someone may have the core experience necessary to succeed in the role but lack one specific credential, software program or number of years of experience.
Before making every requirement mandatory, ask:
Does someone truly need this qualification on their first day, or could they learn it?
Removing unnecessary barriers can introduce you to candidates with different experiences, perspectives and career paths.
And sometimes the candidate who doesn’t look perfect on paper brings something your original job description didn’t anticipate.
- You Can Hire for Potential, Not Just a Checklist
A resume tells you what someone has already done.
It doesn’t always tell you what they’re capable of doing next.
Candidates who meet most- but not all- of the requirements may have the ability, curiosity and motivation to develop quickly once they’re given the opportunity.
That’s why hiring managers should consider both current capability and future potential.
Ask yourself:
- Can this candidate perform the core responsibilities?
- Have they demonstrated an ability to learn?
- Are their existing skills transferable?
- Are they motivated by the opportunity?
- Could the missing skills reasonably be taught?
A candidate who meets 80% of the requirements and is eager to develop may ultimately outperform someone who checks every technical box but has little interest in growing.
- The Missing 20% Can Become Professional Development
Instead of treating the missing 20% as a weakness, consider whether it could become part of the employee’s development plan.
For example, maybe a candidate hasn’t used a particular software platform but has extensive experience with comparable systems.
Or they haven’t managed a team of 15 people but have successfully led smaller teams and are ready for greater responsibility.
Those gaps may be teachable.
The question becomes:
“Can we help this person develop the remaining skills?”
If the answer is yes, you may be looking at an excellent hire.
- Skills Aren’t the Only Predictor of a Successful Hire
Technical ability matters. However, hiring decisions shouldn’t be based solely on qualifications.
Think about the other factors that contribute to long-term success:
- Communication
- Adaptability
- Problem-solving
- Curiosity
- Leadership potential
- Motivation
- Values
- Ability to collaborate
A candidate can meet every technical requirement and still be the wrong fit for a particular team.
Another candidate may need some development in one area but bring exceptional strengths elsewhere.
The goal should be to understand the whole candidate, not simply compare their resume against a checklist.
How to Apply the 80% Rule to Your Job Postings
The 80% rule in hiring starts before you interview anyone.
It starts with the job description.
Before publishing your next job posting, separate your requirements into two categories:
Must-have qualifications
These are the skills or credentials someone genuinely needs to perform the role successfully from the beginning.
Nice-to-have qualifications
These are valuable, but they shouldn’t automatically prevent an otherwise strong candidate from being considered.
Being intentional about that distinction can make your job postings more accessible while keeping your hiring standards intact.
Focus on Skills Instead of Unnecessary Credentials
One of the easiest ways to improve a job posting is to ask whether each credential is genuinely necessary.
For example:
Marketing Manager
Traditional approach:
“Master’s degree in Marketing or MBA preferred.”
Skills-focused approach:
“Proven experience developing and executing successful marketing campaigns, with strong analytical and leadership skills.”
The second version focuses on what the person actually needs to accomplish rather than prescribing exactly how they must have developed those skills.
Someone may have gained exceptional marketing expertise through experience, professional certifications, entrepreneurship or another career path.
Reconsider Strict Years-of-Experience Requirements
Years of experience can provide useful context, but they aren’t always a precise measure of someone’s ability.
For example, instead of:
“Minimum five years of experience required.”
consider whether:
“Several years of relevant experience managing similar projects or responsibilities.”
would more accurately describe what you need.
One candidate may accomplish more in three highly relevant years than another candidate has in six.
Focus on the depth and relevance of the experience, not simply the number.
Write More Inclusive Job Descriptions
Small wording choices can also affect who sees themselves in a position.
Use gender-neutral language when describing candidates and employees.
Instead of:
“The ideal candidate will have his/her qualifications…”
use:
“The ideal candidate will have the qualifications…”
or:
“The successful candidate will bring…”
Job descriptions should communicate what success looks like without introducing unnecessary barriers.
Another Example: Hiring a Graphic Designer
Consider a graphic design position.
Traditional approach:
“Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design or a related field is mandatory.”
But what does the employer actually need?
Perhaps something closer to:
“Strong portfolio demonstrating visual design skills, proficiency with relevant design software and an ability to translate ideas into effective visual communication.”
Now the job posting focuses on capability.
A talented designer who developed their skills through professional experience, freelance work, mentorship or independent training isn’t automatically excluded because they took a different educational path.
What Should Still Be Non-Negotiable?
The 80% rule doesn’t mean every qualification becomes optional.
Some positions require specific credentials, licences, certifications, technical knowledge or regulatory requirements.
Those should remain mandatory when they are genuinely necessary.
The point is to challenge requirements that have become part of a job description simply because “that’s what we’ve always asked for.”
For every qualification, ask:
“Why does someone need this?”
If there’s a strong answer, keep it.
If there isn’t, reconsider whether it belongs in the mandatory column.
Use the 80% Rule During Interviews Too
The same thinking should continue during the interview process.
Don’t spend the entire interview searching for gaps.
Look for evidence of:
- Relevant accomplishments
- Transferable skills
- Learning ability
- Adaptability
- Motivation
- Problem-solving
- Career progression
- Alignment with the role and organization
If a candidate is missing one skill, ask how they’ve learned something comparable in the past.
Their answer may tell you much more about their future performance than whether they’ve already encountered one particular system or responsibility.
Stop Searching for the Perfect Candidate
There is a risk in waiting endlessly for someone who checks every box.
While you’re searching for the theoretical 100% candidate, an excellent 80% candidate may accept another opportunity.
Strong recruitment isn’t about lowering the bar.
It’s about determining which parts of the bar actually matter.
The next time you write a job description or review a resume, ask yourself:
Does this candidate have what they need to succeed- or am I rejecting them because they don’t perfectly match a checklist?
That distinction could lead you to your next great hire.
Need Help Finding the Right Candidates?
At TerraHR, we believe effective recruitment goes beyond matching resumes against job descriptions.
We help employers take a thoughtful and customized approach to recruitment, identifying candidates who have the skills, potential and experience needed to succeed.
If your organization is hiring and you’d like support building a stronger recruitment strategy, learn more about TerraHR’s recruitment and advisory services for employers or contact our team to start a conversation.
