You receive so many resumes you’re always looking at reasons to rule someone out. But what if you should be ruling a candidate in? Taking a second look at a candidate you determined was underqualified may be exactly what your department needs. Hiring for experience isn’t always the most important thing. Employers who hire for potential often have higher retention rates. Here are a few things to look at when making your next hiring decision.
Attitude and Aptitude
Not every candidate will match up exactly to your expectations. But when you review their potential, consider the characteristics that can match your company culture. Even candidates with fewer years of experience can have all the right soft-skills necessary to learn and excel at the job. Look at every factor, not just experience. Look at their attitude, aptitude, interest, and personality.
Long Term Goals
Since you can’t evaluate their experience in identical roles, you can look at patterns of behavior in previous jobs. For example, were they often given additional responsibilities? Did their employers recognize them for hard work? Talk to the candidate about what they see for their future career. You can learn a lot about their motivation and determine if that’s a match for your team.
Fill a Hole
Business success is a team sport. It never lies on just one person’s shoulder. That means you have to architect your dream team to drive innovation. Candidates who are excited about their next opportunity will have the excitement level to help the team improve and thrive. Look for candidates with the potential to fill an important role in your department.
Evaluate Performance
Once you do hire an underqualified candidate, you need to focus on their onboarding experience and job training. They may take a little longer to get up to speed, but if they have potential they will do well. Rather than dumping them in a training program, consider matching them with a mentor. This person will be their go-to for questions and learning experiences. But be sure to provide feedback regularly, both constructive suggestions for improvement and praise for a job well done.
Could hiring for potential help your business succeed?
Contact Nextaff to see how we can help today.
