Approximately 71% of Irish employers admit to hiring underqualified employees due to budget limitations, reports Breakingnews.ie, citing research from Robert Walters Ireland. The research defined underqualified employees as employees who lack the full set of qualifications, skills or experience required for a job.

The study also found that 34% of Irish employers hiring underqualified employees are willing to invest in the training required to bring them up to scratch.

The poll of 1,500 Irish professionals and employers also showed that 46% of employers cite budget constraints as the primary challenge in hiring the right person. In the second quarter of this year, Ireland’s employment rate hit 74.4%, the highest ever recorded. In turn, this has led to increased demand for skilled professionals across all industries.

Country manager of Robert Walters Dublin, Suzanne Feeney, said, “These findings highlight the concerning trend where budget constraints are causing the majority of Irish employers to hire underqualified talent. While only 34% of employers are willing to invest in training underqualified hires, this approach may also not be the most efficient use of resources.”

The survey also found that 80% of employers have noticed an increase in employee stress levels due to the additional workload created by hiring underqualified candidates. This sentiment is echoed by employees, with 72% reporting an increase in their workload due to less experienced new hires. As a result, 48% of employees feel their workload is only somewhat manageable, while nearly a quarter (23%) feel they have too much work at one time.