Why Hiring for Web3 Roles Is Harder Than You Think (and How to Fix It)

Web3 is supposed to be decentralized, fast-moving, and open — so why is hiring in this space so painfully difficult?

You’re not alone if you’ve struggled to find the right developers, product managers, or marketers for your Web3 startup. The hiring funnel in this ecosystem is narrower, riskier, and more unpredictable than in traditional tech.

In this article, we’ll break down the five key reasons Web3 hiring is harder — and what practical steps you can take to make it easier.

Let’s start with the obvious: there simply aren’t enough experienced Web3 professionals.

• Most Solidity/Rust devs have been in the space <3 years
• Product managers and marketers often come from Web2 and need onboarding
• Many skilled contributors work in DAOs or pseudonymously

The fix:

• Expand your sourcing to GitHub, Discord, hackathons
• Don’t ignore pseudonymous talent — vet them via code, not résumés
• Offer context, not just a job — talented people want to work on missions, not titles

“Smart contract engineer,” “Web3 PM,” “DAO ops,” “crypto growth lead” — these titles mean different things to different teams.

The problem: candidates are often unsure what exactly they’re applying for. You might not even be sure yourself.

The fix:

• Write clear job descriptions with outcomes, not just responsibilities
• Explain what your org is (DAO? VC-backed startup? Sidechain infra?)
• Set expectations early around autonomy, async work, and collaboration

Great Web3 builders are often:

• Already contributing to top protocols
• Starting their own projects
• Getting paid in tokens from 2–3 DAOs at once

Which means: they’re not actively applying.

The fix:

• Go outbound. Treat hiring like business development
• Offer real ownership — not just a paycheck
• Highlight your traction, tech, or mission that makes your project worth joining

Web3 candidates are often flexible, freelance, and opportunistic by nature. Many have been burned by projects that overpromised.

The result:

• High churn
• Token comp expectations that shift with market cycles
• Distrust of vague roles or “we’ll figure it out” vibes

The fix:

• Be radically transparent about comp, vision, runway
• Start with a short-term contract or trial project
• Invest in onboarding and async team culture from day one

Web2 hiring templates often fail:

• Long application forms
• HR-led screening
• Heavy reliance on resumes

That doesn’t map well to contributors who ship onchain, write in public, and don’t care about LinkedIn.

The fix:

• Use async-friendly hiring steps: GitHub challenges, Discord conversations, voice notes
• Focus more on proof-of-work than résumés
• Streamline your process — speed builds trust

Hiring in Web3 is hard — but not impossible. You just need to:

• Look in the right places
• Talk in the right language
• Run the right process

At HR InX, we help Web3 startups rethink hiring: faster pipelines, stronger vetting, and matches that actually last.

Tired of chasing elusive Web3 talent?
Let us help you find builders who fit your culture, mission, and speed.
Get in touch with us