Why “Any Industry Experience” Is a Hiring Mistake

Veejay Ssudhan

February 10, 2026

In many hiring discussions, one phrase appears again and again:
“Let’s look for someone with industry experience.”

At first glance, this feels sensible. Industry experience appears to reduce risk and shorten learning curves. However, in 2026, relying on any industry experience as a hiring filter is often the reason roles fail quietly.

Across jewellery, luxury retail, fashion, and D2C brands, this assumption is becoming a costly blind spot.

Why Industry Experience Became a Default Hiring Requirement

For years, industry experience acted as a shortcut. Hiring teams believed that familiar backgrounds meant faster onboarding and fewer mistakes.

As a result, candidates from the same industry were prioritised, while equally capable professionals from adjacent sectors were filtered out early.

Even business thinkers have challenged this logic. A well-known Forbes article argued that industry experience is often overrated because most professional skills are transferable and context dependent. Yet, despite this insight, many companies still rely on industry labels instead of real role fit.

Same Industry, Different Jobs

The core issue is simple.
Industries do not operate in a single way.

A retail leadership role in a luxury jewellery boutique focuses on trust, pacing, and relationship building. That same role in a D2C-led brand demands speed, operational control, and data-driven execution.

Although the industry sounds identical, the day-to-day work is not.

Because of this mismatch, hiring based solely on industry experience often leads to slower performance and longer ramp-up times.

The Hidden Cost of Hiring for Familiarity

Industry experience raises expectations instantly. Leaders assume less guidance is required. Teams expect fast results.

However, when processes, systems, or decision authority differ, performance slows. Over time, frustration grows on both sides.

Managers start compensating. Senior team members step in frequently. Momentum declines.

What looked like a safe hire gradually turns into an expensive one.

Why Big-Brand Experience Can Be Misleading

Large brand names on a resume signal exposure and scale. However, they do not always reflect ownership.

In many large organizations’, decisions move through layers. Execution happens within structured systems. When candidates enter leaner environments, they must make decisions independently and move faster.

Not all candidates adapt smoothly.

This is why industry experience without execution context often fails to predict success.

What Actually Predicts Performance in Modern Hiring

High-performing brands have shifted their hiring approach.

Instead of asking where someone has worked, they ask how that person operates.

They prioritize:

Decision ownership
Comfort with ambiguity
Speed of execution
Understanding of the business model

As a result, hires settle faster, perform better, and stay longer.

Hiring for Context, Not Categories

Creative and commercial roles are shaped by environment. Experience only transfers when it matches:

Brand maturity
Operating pace
Customer expectations
Team structure

Without this alignment, industry experience loses its value quickly.

This is why precision hiring is replacing broad experience filters.

The Mintly Perspective on Industry Experience

At Mintly, we see the same pattern across jewellery, luxury retail, and D2C hiring. Most failed roles are not talent failures. They are context mismatches.

When roles are defined clearly and candidates understand expectations upfront, hiring outcomes improve significantly.

Alignment creates performance. Assumptions create churn.

Final Thought

Industry experience is not outdated.
Blind reliance on it is.

In 2026, the most successful hiring decisions focus on context, execution, and fit rather than labels.

Because the real question is no longer whether someone has worked in your industry before.
It is whether they can perform in the version of the business you are building today.

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