Breaking the “Perfect Hire” Mentality

It is not uncommon for companies to try and find the ‘perfect hire’ when a job becomes available. In fact, many companies will begin searching for candidates who have the same skills and experience as the person who recently held the job. Or, they might try to find candidates who match the skills and experiences of current employees. This can create a vicious cycle for the company that could hurt their recruiting efforts. In today’s post, we will discuss how your company can break the ‘perfect hire’ mentality when looking for new employees.

Hire Based on Skills

An excellent way to break the ‘perfect hire’ mentality is to hire employees based on skills. You need to create a list of the skills and experience needed to hire for the position. Figure out if there are any items on the list you can be a little flexible with in order to fit a candidate in your company because he or she would perform well within your culture or environment. It can be difficult to find a candidate who has all of the requirements you seek, which means you might never fill the open job if you do not offer flexibility in some areas.

Hire Based on Potential

Another way to break the mentality of a ‘perfect hire’ is by hiring employees based on their potential. Your company should seek candidates who have the potential to grow their careers with the company. They should also share the mission or views of your company and be willing to put them into action if hired for the open job. It could turn out that this candidate is not the most qualified for the job, but he or she will exceed expectations simply because of the passion they have for the job and your company.

Hire Based on Culture

We hear it all the time these days; hire employees who fit the company culture. Well, this cannot be stressed enough. Culture is an important part of a company’s success. The better the culture, the more likely it is that the employees will stick around for the long haul. You will need to ask questions that target the behaviors and attitudes of the candidates in an effort to determine if they will fit the culture of your company. They might be a fit when it comes to requirements, but their attitude might not fit the environment of your company.

If you have exhausted all of your options, including the tips outlined here, then it is time to consult with a staffing agency such as SmartTalent to end the mentality of the ‘perfect hire’ at your company.