Because hiring the wrong person won’t just stress you out, it’ll wreck your bottom line. Bad hires cost you cash, client trust, productivity, and more than one sleepless night.

Hiring someone just because you’re drowning is like dating someone just because you’re lonely. Sure, you’re no longer alone, but now you’ve got twice the stress, more mess to clean up, and no one’s doing the dishes.

So no, I’m not an HR professional.

But as a Partner who led the advisory department of an international accounting firm, as a CEO, and as a trusted advisor to business owners, I’ve seen what a bad hire can do, not just on paper, but in real life.

I’ve worked directly with business owners, cleaning up the operational messes that come from hiring too fast or without intention. And after all those years? I can tell you this with full confidence:

A bad hire is worse than no hire at all.

Desperation Is Not a Hiring Strategy

When you’re overwhelmed, behind on deadlines, or doing the work of three people, it’s tempting to say yes to the next warm body that shows up with a résumé and a pulse.

But here’s what usually happens:

• You’re too busy to properly define the role.

• You don’t have a process to onboard or train.

• You overlook red flags in interviews because you just need help.

• They don’t fit the culture or the pace of your business.

• You spend more time fixing their work than doing your own.

Worse? They mess up in front of your clients. And now, your reputation’s on the line. Hiring just to fill a seat won’t lighten your load. It’ll pile on more weight.

What a Bad Hire Really Costs You

• Time lost in training, correcting, and redoing their work

• Money wasted on salary, software access, onboarding, and (eventual) severance

• Credibility with your clients when service suffers

• Team morale when one person disrupts everyone’s rhythm

• Energy you could’ve used to grow, now spent putting out fires

You could’ve kept that money. You could’ve kept that peace. You could’ve waited for the right fit.

What Smart Hiring Actually Looks Like

Even if you’re not a hiring pro, and most business owners aren’t, you can do better by slowing down and thinking long-term.

• Define the actual responsibilities of the role, not what you wish they could do, but what your business needs right now.

• Hire for fit and train for skill. You can teach software. You can’t teach attitude.

• Have an onboarding plan, even if it’s just a checklist for the first week.

• Don’t ignore your gut, or references. If something feels off, it probably is.

• Give yourself permission to wait. One right person is worth ten rushed hires.

• And one of my favorite CEO moves: hire someone to help you hire. A great recruiter, HR consultant, or talent manager can filter candidates, prep materials, and make sure you’re not choosing out of panic. That’s not an expense. That’s a smart investment.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about alignment.

My Cafecito-Sized Takeaway

Hiring isn’t just a leadership decision; it’s a financial one.

A bad hire doesn’t just cost you time and energy. It drains your bank account, disrupts your operations, and risks everything you’ve worked to build.

You’re better off staying solo a little longer than paying for the wrong person, in salary, in training, in lost clients, and in peace of mind.

So before you say yes out of desperation, pause. Define the role. Get help with the process. Trust your standards.

Because when you hire someone, you’re not just giving them a job, you’re handing them a piece of your business.

Make that decision like the owner you are. Cafecito in hand. Budget in check. Standards high.