What 1 Bad Hire really costs your centre?
It’s More Than Money. It’s Morale + Momentum
When it comes to education recruitment, few decisions carry more weight than hiring. Yet, time and time again, education leaders are pressured to fill roles quickly, often overlooking the deeper cost of a poor hiring choice. And while most think a bad hire simply means wasted salary or onboarding hours, the real impact runs far deeper affecting your staff morale, your centre’s growth, and most importantly, your students. Some studies estimate the cost of a bad hire across industries to range between 30–50% of that employee’s annual salary. In education, where student experience, compliance and community trust are involved, the fallout is far more significant. The reality? One bad hire can unravel the very fabric of what makes your centre thrive.
The Hidden Price Tag of Hiring Mistakes
Most leaders are aware of the direct costs that come with recruitment advertising the position, onboarding, training, and of course, paying someone who may not be performing. If that hire exits or needs to be terminated, there could also be severance pay and legal fees. However, the indirect costs tend to blindside leadership. You lose productivity during the time that person is underperforming. You need to re-advertise the role, allocate time for new interviews, and invest all over again in training their replacement. Not to mention the missed opportunity cost what projects didn’t get done, what improvements were delayed, or what potential revenue or enrolment you lost during that time?
For education centres in particular, the stakes are even higher. If a teacher or centre manager isn’t aligned or effective, families notice. You might field more complaints from parents, see student satisfaction drop, or even lose enrolments. And let’s not forget compliance when performance standards aren’t met, your centre could be at risk of non-compliance with regulatory bodies, which can jeopardise future funding and reputation.
When Morale Takes a hit, so does everything else
One of the most damaging outcomes of a poor hire is what it does to your team’s spirit. Educators are collaborative by nature, and they rely on each other to maintain consistency, routines and a high standard of care. When one team member disrupts that flow through disengagement, negativity, or underperformance it creates imbalance. Soon enough, high-performing educators feel the weight. They’re stretched thinner to compensate, leading to frustration and burnout. They might begin questioning leadership decisions, especially if the issue isn’t addressed promptly. This erosion of trust can silently unravel your culture from within. Once that’s lost, it’s incredibly hard to rebuild.
Progress Slows. Innovation Stops.
Every education leader knows the energy it takes to maintain forward motion whether it’s embedding a new curriculum, improving compliance, or upskilling your team. A poor hire can put the brakes on all of that. They disrupt workflows, miss deadlines, and pull focus away from bigger-picture goals. In some cases, they cause your strongest team members to leave, taking valuable knowledge and consistency with them. Suddenly, instead of working toward quality improvement or innovation, you’re in crisis mode, trying to plug holes. It’s exhausting, demotivating, and often stalls your centre’s overall momentum.
The Student Impact
Perhaps the most overlooked cost of a bad hire is the one borne by the children. In early learning, students form deep emotional connections with educators. They crave stability, engagement and nurturing environments. When an educator isn’t equipped to meet those needs, it directly affects behaviour, development and learning outcomes. Students may feel unsettled, leading to more behavioural incidents or even withdrawal from the service. Parents notice when their child’s experience changes, and trust erodes fast. As that trust diminishes, so too can your enrolment numbers and reputation within the community. Beyond that, your centre could face scrutiny from regulators if the educator’s underperformance breaches compliance standards. A single staff member not meeting expectations can influence the outcome of an audit or rating assessment.
Prevention is Your Best Defence
While it’s impossible to eliminate all hiring risks, a robust recruitment process is your first and strongest line of defence. It starts with writing job descriptions that go beyond tasks to reflect values and expectations. From there, a multi-stage hiring process, cultural fit assessments, and strong reference checking protocols are essential. It’s also vital to look at your probation period as more than a formality it’s a chance to assess alignment, communication style, and ability to grow with your team.
At Radical Recruitment, we believe in placing educators who align not just with the role but with the heart of your centre.
What if it’s too late?
Remember recovery starts with action.
We get it not every hire works out. When that happens, early action is key. Watch for the warning signs: low engagement, recurring parent concerns, tension in the team. Step in early with support or performance planning, but don’t be afraid to decide if the fit isn’t right. Use the experience to improve your recruitment process. Engage your team in reflecting on what went wrong and how future hiring decisions can be more aligned. Communicate openly with staff and families during transitions to maintain trust.
Hire Once, Hire Right
When it comes to education recruitment, the true cost of a bad hire is never just financial. It’s the damage to your culture, the disruption to your programs, and the ripple effect it has on your staff, families and reputation. Investing in a smart, strategic hiring process and working with partners who understand the sector can save your centre thousands, and more importantly, help you build a team that thrives long-term.
At Radical Recruitment, we don’t just send you candidates. We help you build lasting teams that strengthen your service from the inside out.
Contact us today!