The Hiring Unicorn Myth – Why You’re Searching for a Candidate That Doesn’t Exist

Part of the series “Recruit Like a RockaRolla by Mircea Ioan Soit”

Ah, the hiring unicorn—that mythical creature who’s apparently fluent in 12 programming languages, has a decade of experience (despite graduating three years ago), and possesses the leadership skills of Steve Jobs combined with the humility of Mr. Rogers.

They’re out there… right?

Spoiler alert: No, they’re not.

And yet, hiring managers everywhere are holding out hope, convinced that if they just tweak the job description one more time, this magical being will appear, riding in on a cloud of industry-changing innovation and ready to work weekends “because they’re passionate.”

Yeah. Good luck with that.

Let’s talk about why your hiring criteria might be completely unhinged—and how to fix it before you scare off every qualified human on the planet.

1. The Ridiculous Job Description – AKA “We Want a Full-Stack Developer with 15 Years of Flutter Experience”

Here’s an actual excerpt from a real job post I saw once:

“Looking for a junior developer with 7+ years of experience in Swift.”

Oh cool, so you’re looking for a time traveler?

This is where things get crazy: companies want entry-level prices for senior-level skills. You wouldn’t walk into a car dealership and say,

“I’d like a brand-new Ferrari, but my budget is $5,000. And I’d like it to fly.”

But somehow, this logic flies in hiring.

The Fix: Stick to reality. Separate the actual must-haves from the nice-to-haves. If you list 25 “requirements,” you’re not hiring a person—you’re writing a wish list to Santa.

2. The Swiss Army Knife Fantasy – AKA “We Need a Jack of All Trades”

This is the job description that reads like this:

• Expert in front-end, back-end, databases, machine learning, and DevOps.
• Strong leadership skills, but also humble enough to follow directions.
• Excellent communication skills, but also okay with working quietly for 12 hours straight.
• Comfortable working independently and collaboratively at the same time.

So… you want a person who codes like a senior architect, leads like a CEO, and communicates like a TED speaker—but you’re offering €40K a year and no remote work option?

The Fix: You’re not hiring one person to do five jobs. Identify the core skills you actually need and hire for those. If you need five different skills, guess what? You need multiple hires—not one magical unicorn.

3. The Personality Paradox – AKA “We Want Someone Bold, But Not Too Bold”

Hiring managers love to describe their dream hire as:

• A “go-getter” but also “a team player.”
• A “natural leader” who’s “humble.”
• “Creative” but also “structured.”
• “Flexible” but “follows the process.”

…so you basically want a confident doormat?

The Fix: Be clear about what kind of work style fits the role. If you want someone independent, stop penalizing them for not being a team player. If you want someone creative, don’t get mad when they suggest changing the process.

4. The Experience Trap – AKA “We Only Hire Senior People”

Nothing says “great hiring strategy” like rejecting a perfectly capable junior candidate because they don’t have “5+ years of experience.”

Experience is great—but it’s not the only thing that matters. The truth is, some junior developers could run circles around “senior” candidates who’ve spent five years copy-pasting Stack Overflow answers.

The Fix: Focus on skills over years. A junior candidate with a hunger to learn and solid problem-solving ability might be a better long-term investment than a senior developer who’s phoning it in.

5. The Culture Overload – AKA “We Want Someone Who Loves the Company”

Let me guess—your job post says the candidate should be:

• “Passionate about the industry.”
• “Excited to work long hours when needed.”
• “Eager to grow with the company.”
• “Treat the company like family.”

Translation: We’d like you to work late without complaining, for free, because we give out pizza sometimes.

Look, it’s great if someone likes the company, but don’t expect them to marry it.

The Fix: Drop the emotional guilt trip and focus on what really matters—can they do the job? If they happen to love the company, that’s a bonus, not a requirement.

RockaRolla Wrap-Up

If you’re holding out for a unicorn, you’re going to end up with empty seats and missed deadlines. Great candidates are human—not mythical creatures.

Instead of searching for someone who can do everything perfectly, hire someone who can do the important things well—and give them the tools to grow into the rest.

In the next article, we’re tackling “Why You’re Rejecting Great Candidates for Stupid Reasons”—because if you’ve ever rejected someone over an awkward handshake or a typo in their resume, you might be missing out on your next superstar.

Ever written (or suffered through) a ridiculous job description? Share it—I promise not to roast you too hard. Keep rocking recruitment!