Does casting a wide net in hiring really work?

Casting a wide net in hiring – opening your search to a broader, more diverse talent pool – is more than just a nice idea. It’s become a strategic necessity across industries. Recent research from 2022 through 2025 shows that broadening your recruiting reach can impact everything from how fast you fill jobs to how well new hires stick and perform. Below, we break down the findings on key hiring metrics and what they mean, globally and in the U.S., when you widen the talent pool.

Faster Time to Fill with a Broader Talent Pool

In today’s tight labor market, hiring speed is critical. A “wide net” approach can significantly affect time-to-fill (the days from posting a job to signing a hire). Research highlights a clear pattern: the larger your candidate pool, the quicker you can fill a role, especially compared to a narrow search. Key findings include:

• Global hiring is slowing: By 2023 the average time to fill a position hit 42–44 days​ – an all-time high. This is a broad figure (LinkedIn’s data didn’t single out one country), showing a worldwide trend. Highly specialized roles take even longer when the talent pool is narrow; “difficult to fill” jobs can stay open 2–3 months. Cross-industry analysis shows time-to-fill varies widely: fast-moving sectors like tech and media hire in around 20 days, whereas industries like defense or investment banking average 60+ days to fill roles. This gap underscores how a limited talent pool (as in defense or finance) drags out hiring timelines.
• Broader search = faster hires: Organizations that widen their candidate pool see noticeably shorter fill times. For example, offering remote roles (expanding beyond local candidates) can shorten time-to-fill by quickly tapping talent in other regions. Conversely, roles with narrow requirements or limited candidate sources tend to have longer vacancies. In practice, casting a wider net – whether through remote work options, inclusive job criteria, or multi-channel sourcing – helps companies fill jobs faster by increasing the supply of potential hires.

Costs per application and hire: The wide-net ROI

Every extra day a job stays open or every mis-targeted ad can drain budgets. Recruiting costs are a major concern across all industries, and broadening the search can influence these costs. The data from 2022–2025 shows mixed news: average hiring costs have risen, but a wider net can improve efficiency by yielding more applicants per dollar spent. Consider the following:

• Rising cost per hire (U.S.): According to SHRM, the average cost per hire in the United States is about $4,700 as of 2023. That’s a 14% jump from 2019’s average, reflecting a tougher hiring climate. Executive and hard-to-fill positions cost far more – easily 3–4 times the role’s salary for senior hires when you factor in search firm fees and relocation​. These figures are U.S.-specific, but many developed markets see similar trends of climbing recruitment expenses.
• Cost per application trends: A broad talent search often involves casting a wide marketing net. The median cost per application (CPA) was around $25 in late 2022 (U.S. data), down from the highs of 2021 but still above pre-pandemic norms. This means employers were paying $25 on average for each candidate who applied, via job ads and campaigns. A wider net can actually lower the CPA if done smartly – by attracting a higher volume of applicants for the same spend – but it requires targeting multiple channels efficiently. (For instance, broad national campaigns might yield many applications at a modest cost each, whereas a narrow, highly specialized ad could cost more per applicant.)
• Industry variations in cost: Hiring costs aren’t one-size-fits-all. Competitive industries that must cast wider nets for scarce talent tend to pay more per hire. In 2023, U.S. tech companies averaged about $6,000–$8,000 per hire, while healthcare organizations spent $9,000–$12,000 per hire for top professionals. These higher costs reflect intense competition and the need to reach far-flung or passive candidates (for example, hospitals recruiting nurses from across the country). By contrast, industries with abundant local talent or lower complexity roles see lower cost per hire. The takeaway: when talent is hard to find, employers invest more in casting that wide net, and the net does deliver candidates – but at a price. The goal is to make that investment count by converting more applicants into quality hires, thereby improving the overall return on investment.

Retention Rates Improve with Wider Hiring Strategies

Bringing new employees in quickly and cost-effectively is only half the battle – keeping them is the other half. Retention is a pain point across industries: an alarming number of new hires leave within a year, driving up turnover costs. Interestingly, research shows that hiring with a wider net (skills-based criteria, flexible options, diverse sourcing) can boost retention by better matching people to jobs and giving them reasons to stay. Here’s what the 2022–2025 data reveals:

• Turnover is a cross-industry challenge: Roughly 1 in 4 new employees quits within their first year. (This statistic comes from a U.S. study by Work Institute, but high early turnover is a common issue globally.) Such early departures often stem from poor fit or unmet expectations – a sign that traditional hiring filters aren’t catching alignment issues. It’s costly for all industries, as replacing an employee can cost up to 60% of that person’s salary in recruiting and training expenses. This churn sets the stage for why casting a wider net, to find truly compatible candidates, matters for retention.
• Skill-based hires stay longer: When companies broaden their criteria beyond the usual pedigree – focusing on skills and potential rather than just degrees or “ideal” resumes – they see better retention outcomes. A multi-country study by Lightcast and BCG found that **skills-based hires had a 9% longer tenure on average than traditionally hired employees. In other words, hires brought in through a wider search (looking at non-traditional candidates or those from different backgrounds) were more loyal, sticking with their organizations longer. This 9% boost in tenure was observed across industries and suggests that casting a wide net can reduce costly turnover by finding people who truly fit the role and are grateful for the opportunity.
• Flexibility boosts retention: One way employers widen the talent pool is by offering remote or hybrid work – attracting candidates who wouldn’t relocate or who value flexibility. Research shows this has a retention bonus: companies with remote/hybrid options report 25% lower turnover rates on average than those mandating office-only work​. (This statistic, from an Owl Labs survey, mainly reflects U.S. organizations but speaks to a global trend.) By casting a wider geographic net and accommodating workers’ lifestyles, employers not only fill roles faster but also hang onto those hires. Employees are clearly willing to stay longer at companies that broaden how and where work can be done. The result across industries is higher retention when talent strategies get more inclusive.

Productivity and Quality of Hires: No Trade-Offs with a Wider Net

A common fear among hiring managers is that opening the floodgates (whether by lowering strict requirements or expanding outreach) might bring in quantity at the expense of quality. The latest data should put that worry to rest. Casting a wide net does not mean settling for subpar hires – in fact, it often means the opposite. Studies from 2022–2025 indicate that employees hired through broader searches perform on par with, or even above, their peers on the job:

• Performance remains high: Broader hiring criteria don’t compromise hire quality. A 2023 global study found that **candidates hired based on skills (rather than narrow credentials) get promoted at essentially the same rate as traditional hires. In practical terms, if you give a chance to a non-traditional candidate – say, someone without the typical degree but with the right skills – they tend to prove themselves just as capable of advancement as those from the usual talent pools. This was consistent across multiple industries examined in the study. Promotions and career progression are a solid proxy for productivity and performance, so equal promotion rates suggest that widening your criteria maintains the quality of hire. Companies aren’t trading excellence for volume; they’re often uncovering hidden gems who perform well.
• Fresh perspectives drive problem-solving: Hiring from outside your usual circle can inject new ideas and strong problem-solving skills into your team. In fact, Lightcast’s research noted that skills-based hires (those sourced by casting a wider net) were typically better problem-solvers on the job. They often bring diverse experiences and creative thinking that help tackle business challenges in innovative ways. Many HR leaders observe that when you mix in candidates from different backgrounds or industries, it boosts team productivity – you get a variety of approaches to draw on, avoiding groupthink. While “productivity” can be hard to quantify uniformly, one tangible outcome is innovation: McKinsey reported in 2024 that companies with diverse leadership (a result of broad talent sourcing) were 36% more likely to outperform in profitability. A dynamic, widely sourced workforce is simply better positioned to solve problems and drive results than a homogenous one.
• No more “paper ceiling”: The overall trend is that merit and skills are rising above paper credentials. Employers across industries are learning that by removing unnecessary barriers (the so-called “paper ceiling” of overly strict requirements), they can access highly productive talent that was previously passed over. This wide-net philosophy means using assessments, trials, or skill-based interviews to find capability. The payoff is hires who not only meet job demands but often exceed expectations because they’re chosen for the right reasons. In short, casting a wide net yields hires who are capable, motivated, and productive, helping organizations build stronger teams in the long run.

To get more insights into whether employers should cast a wide or narrow net when hiring students, recent graduates, and other candidates who are early in their careers, we reached out to 10 hiring experts to get their opinions.

• Diverse Teams Drive Innovation and Adaptability
• Unique Perspectives Fuel Creativity and Success
• Strategic Sourcing Enhances Team Performance
• Targeted Diversity Improves Business Outcomes
• Broaden Talent Search for Fresh Ideas
• Smart Recruitment Strategies Yield Better Results
• Diverse Hiring Practices Foster Inclusive Growth
• Automated Distribution Optimizes Recruitment Efforts
• Varied Expertise Accelerates Product Development
• Programmatic Ads Enhance Diversity in Hiring

Diverse Teams Drive Innovation and Adaptability

As Executive Director of PARWCC, I’ve seen how “casting a wide net” isn’t just about volume—it’s about intentional diversity of thought and experience. When our certified résumé writers work with companies on their hiring strategies, we consistently find that diverse teams solve problems more creatively and adapt to market changes faster.

The effectiveness of various job boards and career services offices varies dramatically by industry and role. One fascinating pattern we’ve observed is that niche platforms often outperform general boards for specialized positions. For federal-to-corporate transitions, we’ve found targeted outreach to professional associations yields candidates who better understand the cultural differences between these environments.

What’s rarely discussed about programmatic job distribution is the critical human element that must accompany it. Our CPRW and CPCC members report that while automation efficiently distributes listings, the content quality dramatically affects outcomes. When working with hiring organizations, we emphasize that A/B testing job descriptions with different emphasis points (culture vs. technical requirements) can yield entirely different candidate pools.

The most effective strategy I’ve seen combines technological efficiency with human insight. For example, a client organization automated distribution but had career coaches review the language for unconscious bias and added targeted questions that screened for the soft skills their culture valued. This hybrid approach increased their qualified applicant pool by 40% while reducing time-to-hire by nearly three weeks.

Margaret Phares, Executive Director, PARWCC

Unique Perspectives Fuel Creativity and Success

The most impactful team I’ve ever led wasn’t built on identical resumes. It was built on shared values and completely different life paths. Diversity of experience isn’t a checkbox; it’s the engine of creativity. When people come to the table with different life stories, challenges, and skill sets, they don’t just bring a new perspective, they challenge everyone around them to see differently, too. That kind of dynamic creates momentum that you simply don’t get when everyone shares the same background.

In my experience, some of the best problem-solvers weren’t the ones with perfect credentials, but the ones who had fought through real-life adversity. Others brought fresh ideas from industries I never thought we’d learn from. What united them wasn’t what was on paper; it was a sense of purpose, work ethic, and alignment with our core values. That’s what matters most.

When you’re building a team, you don’t just want people who can do the job; you want people who will think differently, push boundaries, and elevate the group. You only get that when you cast a wide net and give people from different walks of life a real shot.

I’ve learned to look beyond the resume. I look for the story. I look for the lessons someone’s learned the hard way. I look for heart, hustle, and humility. Because at the end of the day, the team that wins is the one that doesn’t all think the same, but can rally around the same mission.

Sean Smith, CEO & ex Head of HR, Alpas Wellness

Strategic Sourcing Enhances Team Performance

DIVERSITY OF EXPERIENCE CREATES PROBLEM-SOLVERS, not just diverse teams. It’s about bringing different approaches to everyday challenges.

In my experience leading a national moving company, teams with varied backgrounds consistently outperform homogeneous groups. When we faced a complex warehouse reorganization, it wasn’t our logistics veterans who found the solution – it was a former retail worker who applied merchandising principles to our storage issues, creating a system that cut loading time by 20%.

Regarding multiple sourcing channels, I’ve found they’re essential but require strategic management. College career offices deliver candidates with fresh perspectives but limited experience, while industry-specific job boards provide experienced talent who may need retraining. 

Using both creates a balanced pipeline. We recently hired a hospitality management graduate through a university partnership who revolutionized our customer service protocols.

Programmatic distribution has transformed our seasonal hiring efficiency. Rather than manually posting to dozens of sites, our system automatically adjusts spend based on which channels deliver quality applications. During our peak summer hiring, the technology shifted budget away from underperforming general boards toward niche sites targeting college athletes – who proved to be exceptional movers due to their stamina and teamwork skills.

It is about measuring quality, not just quantity. A wide net is only valuable if you’re catching the right fish.

Vidyadhar Garapati, CEO, Movers.com

Targeted Diversity Improves Business Outcomes

Diversity of experience in your team does matter significantly, but the effectiveness comes from how meaningfully different those experiences are rather than simply hiring from different sources.

At Thrive Local, we once ran an experiment where we tracked the performance of two project teams – one staffed with employees who came through traditional job boards and another with team members hired through varied channels including industry meetups, referrals from adjacent industries, and community organizations. The diverse-source team consistently generated more innovative solutions to client challenges and identified potential issues earlier in projects. They brought fundamentally different approaches to problem-solving that measurably improved our client outcomes.

What makes experience diversity valuable isn’t just different resumes but genuinely different perspectives on your business challenges. Someone who has worked only in large corporations brings a different viewpoint than someone from startups, regardless of which job board they found you through. The real question is whether your hiring sources connect you with people who think differently about your industry problems.

For sourcing tools, we’ve found that specialized communities often yield better candidates than broad job boards. For example, posting in industry-specific Slack groups or forums dedicated to particular skill sets has connected us with candidates who bring deeper expertise and passion than those who apply through general job sites. These specialized channels tend to attract people genuinely interested in your specific field rather than those mass-applying to dozens of positions.

Regarding programmatic job ad distribution, we tried this approach for six months and found it increased application volume but not quality. The automation optimized for cost-per-application without any way to measure the fit of those applicants. We saw better results by personally selecting fewer, more targeted channels and crafting customized messages for each audience.

If your goal is truly building a team with diverse experiences, focus more on defining what specific types of diversity would add value to your particular business challenges, then deliberately seek out sources where those perspectives can be found. This targeted approach generally produces better results than simply maximizing application volume through widespread distribution.

Matt Bowman, Founder, Thrive Local

Broaden Talent Search for Fresh Ideas

Casting a wide net isn’t just HR-speak–it actually matters. If your entire team thinks alike, works in the same manner, and comes from similar backgrounds, you’re building a monoculture. In fast-moving industries, this can lead to stagnant thinking. Different lived experiences bring fresh perspectives, improved problem-solving, and a stronger connection to diverse customers.

Traditional methods like job boards and college career offices still have a role–but they’re not sufficient on their own. They often attract the same pool of candidates. If you’re serious about reaching broader talent, you need to go where that talent already *is*–industry Slack groups, niche communities, and even non-traditional pipelines like bootcamps or returnship programs.

Programmatic job ad distribution can be a game-changer *if* used strategically. It’s excellent for saving time and covering ground quickly, but it’s not a “set it and forget it” solution. You still need to analyze what’s working, adjust targeting, and ensure your job descriptions aren’t unintentionally deterring people. The technology helps–but only if your message and intent are well-calibrated.

Justin Belmont, Founder & CEO, Prose

Smart Recruitment Strategies Yield Better Results

Casting a wide net works when you are smart about it. Spamming a dozen job boards and crossing your fingers does nothing. You need targeted breadth. College boards, niche job sites, industry groups—all of it matters if you align the pitch to the channel. You cannot use a blanket post and expect a fresh crowd. I mean, we pulled two of our best project managers from very non-traditional sources—one from a niche furniture manufacturing board, another from an events tech newsletter. Both outperformed candidates from the big, shiny job portals by about 30 percent in year one.

Programmatic job distribution? Honestly, it is mandatory if you are scaling or going international. You can run 50 micro-campaigns for the cost of two manual blasts. You stay dynamic. You see what is working by site, region, even by daypart. We ran a campaign in March that hit seven different platforms, adjusted the budget four times in ten days, and closed hiring two weeks early. Cost per qualified applicant dropped by 27 percent compared to last year. When you think about it, smart reach is not about flooding the internet—it’s about precision at scale.

Rick Newman, CEO and Founder, UCON Exhibitions

Diverse Hiring Practices Foster Inclusive Growth

In today’s competitive job market, casting a wide net is essential for building strong teams. The broader your talent pool, the higher the likelihood of finding individuals with non-traditional experiences and unique backgrounds who can bring fresh perspectives. Both Cisco and Google are well aware of this. Hiring from a diverse pipeline provides these companies with a range of problem-solving skills, which is the key to innovation and growth. A diverse team is not just hype; it’s a strategic advantage that can set an organization on the right path.

For finding candidates, career services and job boards are effective in reaching a large audience, but not necessarily the specific one you’re targeting. While you can expect to attract many candidates, many of them may not be suitable for the position you need to fill. Programmatic distribution of job ads addresses such situations. Job ad placement automation ensures that ads are displayed on appropriate platforms, reaching candidates who are better matches for the role. This saves time and focuses efforts on channels that provide higher-quality candidates. With the right combination of sourcing tools and smart ad placement, businesses can streamline their recruiting process and ensure they’re attracting the right people to grow and thrive.

Friddy Hoegener, Co-Founder and President, SCOPE Recruiting

Automated Distribution Optimizes Recruitment Efforts

Casting a wide net in hiring is crucial because it brings diverse experiences and perspectives into the workplace, which can drive innovation and problem-solving. A team with varied backgrounds can approach challenges from multiple angles, leading to more creative solutions. Additionally, it helps build a more inclusive company culture, which is increasingly important to both employees and consumers.

Promoting job opportunities across multiple platforms like job boards and college career services is effective, but it can be time-consuming. That’s where programmatic job ad distribution comes in. It automates the process, ensuring your job ads reach the right audience on the right platforms at the right time. This not only saves time but also optimizes your recruitment budget by targeting candidates more precisely. It’s like having a smart assistant that knows where to find the best talent without you having to lift a finger.

Jose Gomez, Founder & CTO, Evinex

Varied Expertise Accelerates Product Development

Employees who come from diverse backgrounds bring fresh perspectives and innovative problem-solving methods. Teams with varied expertise can approach challenges from different angles. This diversity can accelerate creativity and push projects forward in ways that might not have been anticipated. Bringing people with different skill sets together has made a significant difference in how we approach product development.

For technical or specialized roles, targeted platforms or niche job boards work better. As for programmatic job ad distribution, it is highly efficient for scaling the hiring process. It saves time and allows companies to automate where and when they post jobs, ensuring they reach the right audience without unnecessary effort.

Adam Yong, Founder, Agility Writer

Programmatic Ads Enhance Diversity in Hiring

Yes, diversity in hiring genuinely matters for several reasons.

Why does diversity work? When workers bring different experiences, educational backgrounds, cultural contexts, and thinking styles, they approach challenges in a very different way. This mental diversity helps the company adapt to changing markets and find innovative solutions.

Are traditional sourcing methods effective? Using multiple job boards, college career offices, and varied sourcing tools can be effective, but with meaningful limitations:

What works about traditional approaches:

They reach different candidate pools that do not always overlap.

College career services tap into emerging talent with fresh viewpoints.

Different job boards attract different demographic profiles.

Why traditional methods fall short:

1. Many repeat the same candidates across platforms.

2. Quality differs dramatically between sources.

3. Managing multiple platforms manually is time-consuming.

4. Sometimes, it is difficult to track which sources yield the best candidates.

How effective is programmatic job ad distribution?

Programmatic distribution offers significant benefits over manual approaches:

What makes it better:

1. Uses algorithms to place job ads where they are most likely to serve well.

2. Automatically adjusts spending based on real-time performance data.

3. Extends reach to niche sites (e.g., for Green jobs, choose Sustainabilityjobs.co) that employers might not consider manually.

4. Optimizes for cost-per-application or cost-per-hire rather than just views.

Why employers see results:

1. Lower time spent managing multiple platforms.

2. Delivers analytics on which sources deliver quality candidates.

3. Dynamically shifts budget away from underperforming channels.

4. Reaches prospects who might not visit mainstream job boards.

How it improves diversity: Programmatic tools can specifically target underrepresented candidate pools by distributing ads to specialty job boards and community sites that focus on specific demographic groups (e.g., quantumjobs.us is only for USA candidates interested in the Quantum Computing field), professional societies, or affinity networks.

Remember, this all-around technique not only casts a wider net but ensures you are using the right nets in the right places, while measuring what actually works for your specific hiring needs.

Nathan Fowler, CEO Quantum Realm | Founder Quantum Jobs USA, Quantum Jobs USA