Prioritizing Potential: Rethinking Hiring Beyond Experience

Some hiring managers have a very clear idea of who they are looking for a job.

All too often, this leads them to fixate on requirements for applicants that they assume are crucial - but which in practice may not be that important. For example, hiring managers want someone with X years of experience in their industry, preferably having worked for X years at specific companies. Applicants must master a variety of skills from A-Z. Or, especially for entry-level positions, hiring managers look for graduates of a specific school with a specific major and a minimum GPA.

In some cases, e.g. For example, when filling outstanding, highly qualified positions or positions that require truly unique applicants, this approach makes sense. However, it doesn't make sense for the vast majority of roles - instead, it can pigeonhole companies into an arbitrary box and lead to a long, frustrating recruitment process in search of the "perfect candidate" who probably doesn't even exist... except for the paper.

During the ongoing talent shortage, exacerbated by widespread resignation, when it is much harder for companies to find and retain talent, such a rigid recruiting approach can be even more problematic. You may find that your team is chronically understaffed!

Today and in the future, companies will have to make compromises. This also means no longer looking for every box on the ever-growing list of requirements, but rather for potential.

What does “hiring for potential” mean?

No, this does not mean that you hire unqualified or clearly inexperienced applicants - to the detriment of your company.

Rather, what does it mean? It's about what someone is capable of doing, as opposed to what they have actually already done.

Of course, you are always looking for intelligent, motivated people. They just may not have the extensive industry experience or degree from the school you prefer.

As a business manager or HR manager, you must be prepared to:

To expand your own narrow definition of what a successful new employee is
To consider candidates who may not have the "appropriate experience" as you originally saw them
Try to learn more about the candidates and ask them follow-up questions rather than rejecting them outright
Give soft skills priority or at least equal weight to hard skills
Assess candidates holistically and not based on how they check off individual items.

For example, you might look at:

Military veterans who do not have X years of experience in your industry but have comparable experience in a different environment
Candidates with alternative experiences and training that translate well to the position
People with gaps in their CV (possibly housewives and househusbands or people who left working life a few years ago as a result of the pandemic-related SHE cessation)
Candidates who may be more “green” but show aptitude and eagerness
Applicants with minor criminal convictions (depending on the position)

Benefits of hiring for potential

Don't take this practice of hiring for potential to mean settling for a less good candidate than you would in an optimal job market.

On the contrary, it is very beneficial if you do not impose strict requirements on applicants. By hiring an “unconventional” candidate, your company can achieve the following

Spend less time recruiting and fill positions faster
Save money on new hires
Giving your team much-needed new insights and innovation (and combating groupthink!)
To reach a more diverse pool of applicants and thereby strengthen initiatives to promote diversity
Harness the desire to learn, develop and grow that all employees have to improve engagement and retention
You strengthen employee loyalty to your company and increase employee performance by providing them with opportunities.
Find outstanding talent that you would otherwise have overlooked.

You may even start to notice patterns in people who seem really good that have nothing to do with experience and academic training. This can take your company in a completely new and exciting direction in recruiting and really increase the effectiveness of your team!

Your guide to hiring people with potential

1.Put less emphasis on the things you once thought were important

Repeat after us: There is no such thing as the “perfect applicant”. So you have to change your expectations.

Don't get caught up in job requirements that ultimately don't mean much for the new employee's job or success.

As you think about all the requirements you have previously placed on applicants, you should question why you set them in the first place. Think about what type of knowledge and skills are critical at the start of the job and what can be learned and acquired over time.

Consider: What other experiences, knowledge, and skills might be relevant to the position being filled and transfer well?

Additionally, select employees who have proven themselves at your company and examine what they have in common.

2.Learn to recognize high potential

Some candidate qualities are just as important - if not more important - than the fact that they already know how to do the job. Look for candidates who:

Share your company's core values
That align with your company’s mission and vision
Fit well with you culturally
Show passion for the work and the role
Signs show that they are good problem solvers and critical thinkers
They demonstrate the ability to take responsibility for their work
You allow yourself to be coached and are willing to learn and develop.
You are adaptable and resilient (an important quality in an ever-changing work environment)
You have good business sense
You show leadership potential

On the last point: You may not be hiring a manager, but you never know how the role will change over time or what path the new employee will ultimately take within your company.

Spend less time in your job descriptions overwhelming job seekers with a long list of "must-have" requirements, which can turn off potential applicants and reduce your candidate pool. Instead, focus on a short list of critical requirements and take more time to explain your company's values and culture, as well as any soft skills you value. This will encourage desired candidates to apply.

When reviewing resumes and applications, read between the lines to recognize these qualities.

Ask candidates specific interview questions to find out the extent to which they embody these characteristics. This includes a combination of behavioral and situational questions.

Examples of behavioral questions:

Tell me about your ability to work effectively under pressure.
How do you approach challenges?
How do you work together within a team?
How do you set goals and how do you go about achieving them?
What do you do when you disagree with someone at work?

Examples of situational questions:

Describe a situation in which you had to work with a difficult colleague, boss, or customer and how you resolved the problem.
Tell me about a situation where you received criticism and how you responded to it.
Describe a situation in which you had to convince someone to accept your point of view or change something. What have you done?
Tell us about a situation in which you had to take the initiative and how you rose to the occasion.
Describe a situation in which you made a mistake at work and how you dealt with it.

3.Prepare new employees for success.

Your company should already have a standard framework for training and developing new employees - beyond a general orientation to familiarize them with the company culture and policies. For example, require that every new employee in a specific role complete a series of targeted and relevant skills and knowledge-based courses to prepare them for their specific role.

However, be prepared to deviate from this basic structure depending on the individual needs of the new employees. Some new employees need additional learning opportunities or an assigned mentor to help them thrive in their role. If you hired people based on their potential, you probably need to spend more time developing them up front.

Before hiring an employee, consider how much time and resources you can devote to onboarding and make sure your work environment is conducive to learning.

All in all

Contrary to what many hiring managers may think, hiring people with potential isn't about lowering expectations or hiring someone who isn't qualified. It simply means changing expectations and considering candidates outside of the traditional - and often overly rigid and incorrect - definition of a successful candidate. This means that applicants with different - but relevant - experiences, skills, training and knowledge will be considered. First, think about which qualities of the applicant are crucial right from the start and which you can develop over time. Focus on the universal qualities and soft skills that can often have an even greater impact on the long-term success of new hires. Make sure you have the necessary learning structures in place to bring new employees up to speed.

By prioritizing potential over rigid qualifications, companies can access a broader talent pool and foster innovation. IceHrm can help streamline this process.