This Is Why Experience Isn’t Always What You Need to Look for When Recruiting

You know it’s important to look for experienced candidates when filling roles at your organization. You want to know the people you’re hiring have the background and skills necessary to succeed. That’s why it’s often a good idea to coordinate with the best recruiting firm you can find when you’re filling particularly important positions. They’ll help you to identify candidates who possess the necessary attributes.

However, there are some instances when a lack of relevant experience shouldn’t be a deal breaker. The following points will help you to better understand why.

You need to adapt to succeed.

All industries go through changes. The frequency of these shifts may vary from one industry to another, but they are inevitable.

That means experience is not the only important quality for a strong employee to possess. If they are in a leadership role, they also need to be able to adapt to industry and market changes. Additionally, they must be willing to accept that some of their work experience may not always be relevant.

Perhaps you’re trying to find a new head of human resources. Your recruiting firm presents you with a range of strong candidates, but they are each strong for different reasons.

Maybe one candidate has significant experience managing human resources departments, but they aren’t willing to accept that work trends change. Instead, they believe their overall principles and methods will always apply. If you hire them, you might find yourself struggling to attract young talent at your company, as your head of human resources simply isn’t willing to grow and adopt new perspectives.

Compare this theoretical candidate to one who doesn’t have as much relevant experience but has demonstrated a clear ability to adapt to industry shifts. They may actually have more potential to succeed in the role.

While experience is important, you also need to hire with potential in mind.

You can more effectively hire for potential by seeking out candidates who appear to be passionate about the work you do and demonstrate high levels of engagement. Passion and engagement can very often make up for a lack of experience. Frequently, someone who cares about the work they’re doing will be eager to learn and put in more effort.

On the other hand, there are situations in which lots of experience might actually be a red flag. For example, perhaps you’re initially impressed with a candidate because they have 10 years of experience in a specific role that’s similar to the one you’re filling. You might assume this means they’ll be a perfect fit for your organization. However, it’s possible they have that much experience in that specific role because they aren’t a top performer. Maybe they were stuck in the role because they never earned a promotion. While you don’t want to assume this is always the case, you have to accept that it is a possibility — and is worth being aware of.

Adjust your expectations of the “ideal” candidate.

You need to consider how your attitude toward recruiting might discourage qualified candidates from pursuing jobs at your organization. When filling high-level roles, it is, of course, reasonable to want candidates with experience, but when filling entry- and lower-level positions, you need to have more realistic expectations. Candidates who have all the skills necessary but little experience might disqualify themselves from the position if you make a certain degree of experience a requirement.

Remember, you can always provide training to fill in any gaps. In fact, surveys and studies routinely indicate that providing employees with sufficient training is key to boosting overall engagement.

Look outside your industry.

Finally, consider the possibility that a candidate who doesn’t have experience in your particular field might still be a stronger candidate than someone who does. In order to stay innovative and adapt to changes as they arise, companies need leaders who are willing to think in new and fresh ways. For example, someone who has worked extensively in another industry might bring a new perspective to the way your organization operates. Their unique insights would give you an edge over the competition.

None of this is to suggest that experience is completely unimportant. On the contrary, in most cases, experience should be a factor you consider when evaluating candidates. But it shouldn’t play such a dominant role that you overlook candidates who don’t have what seems to be the proper amount of experience. As these points demonstrate, there are plenty of times when a candidate who appears inexperienced can actually thrive. You need to make sure you’re allowing yourself to be open to such possibilities.