Hiring For Potential Instead Of Experience

Experience may not be an indicator of how a candidate will succeed long term

When it comes to hiring top talent, there is more to a candidate than their work experience. While experience is important, it should not be the only factor that determines the outcome of a hiring manager’s search. In particular, when an organization is looking to hire talent that will help build and scale the business, experience may not be an indicator of how a candidate will succeed long term. 
 

This is where we see a difference between hiring for experience versus hiring for potential, much like there is a difference between hiring an executive and hiring a leader.

Although the initial draw for a hiring manager may be the candidate’s experience, it’s wise to consider the totality of the candidate, including any soft skills they might bring to the table that can enhance company culture. Hiring for experience is typically a reaction to a need versus a strategy. Identifying top performers by looking at their experience in depth has always been the go-to strategy for many hiring managers and decision makers. 

As most hiring managers know, the typical guidelines for hiring include the following:

•   Years of experience: Two or more years of experience is ideal
•   Industry experience: Relevance and correlation with a company’s industry/field
•   Quantifiable experience: Candidate’s experience can be quantified in the context of a company’s industry/field

Looking at the whole candidate rather than determining their relevance based on experience alone will yield a much more well-rounded employee overall. Where a candidate lacks specific experience, they may make up for it in their work ethic, determination, perseverance, grit, and potential. With these qualities, a candidate can bring more to a company than simply their past work history. Instead of the traditional approach to talent evaluation, hiring managers should consider the following qualities:

• Perseverance. Companies are looking for candidates who can persevere, and who are incredibly motivated by impact. For example, Stacey Cunningham, who began her career with the New York Stock Exchange as a summer intern roughly 24 years ago, was just named the first female CEO in the financial market’s 226 year history. Although this type of growth is not always the case, it demonstrates that candidates with extreme determination and perseverance can become outstanding leaders. 

• Grit. Consider looking for someone with a strong character. That means they are willing to be vulnerable, will do whatever it takes to get the job done, wants to continuously learn, and strives to become a leader. 

• Problem-Solving Skills. When senior-level staff members take on increasingly more responsibilities, they also become more disconnected from their staff. An employee with superior problem-solving skills creates a sense of comfort and relief for managers since there is confidence and trust that the employee can and will get the job done. Having problem solving abilities is always a top priority for both entry level and C-level candidates. 

• Honesty. There is significant value in a candidate who is honest and candid with their responses (specifically during the interview process). For example, Handshake, a New York based B2B cloud-based platform that improves sales management for manufacturers and distributors, looks for candidates who say what they think, rather than saying what the hiring manager wants to hear. Honesty and transparency are true indicators of how a candidate will operate within a company. 

• Potential. According to Harvard Business Review, five critical traits of high-potential candidates are curiosity, determination, engagement, insight, and motivation. Candidates with potential typically take initiative and take on a leadership role in collaborative environments. Rather than focusing solely on where the candidate is in their career, hiring managers should look at how eager a candidate is to learn, work for the company, and support its mission. Taking the time to understand potential in candidates will ensure employers and hiring managers don’t overlook a possible misfit with company culture. Candidates that lack experience can be supported through training and onboarding. Ultimately, technical skills can be learned, but work ethic cannot. 

Of course, there are similarities in the roles of leaders and executives. And there’s nothing to say that executives can’t be great leaders. However, these terms should not be used interchangeably. Companies should seek candidates who are leaders or who possess genuine leadership qualities. Leaders have the ability to motivate and inspire others. This is much more valuable to a company than someone who leads based on authority. Understand the difference to find the right candidate. 

In summary, hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes a day, reinforcing that here is no shortage of talented professionals eager to find a new job. Despite this being a candidate’s market, research shows most companies still follow antiquated hiring practices, even for critical leadership positions. It’s time business owners and hiring managers acknowledge that the market is candidate-driven and change the way they are hiring talent to help them grow their business.

Jamie Hoobanoff is the Founder and CEO of The Leadership Agency. As a professional recruiter with more than a decade of experience sourcing talent and hiring leaders for some of the country's biggest companies, Jamie has interviewed more than 10,000 people, and placed over 3,000 people in the Canadian workforce. Visit www.leadershipagency.com Connect Jamie Hoobanoff