Are You Chasing Off Good Employees?

August 29, 2018

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There aren’t enough qualified applicants for our critical positions! Sound familiar? This is a common refrain from hiring managers, HR professionals and business leaders across the country. And while we are currently experiencing low unemployment and a tight market, the struggle to find good employees might not lie with the market – it may lie with your hiring process.

The Flawed Search for Perfection

Every hiring manager wants to hire the “perfect” candidate, and the criteria they use to measure perfection is typically a list of skills, experiences and qualifications. Naturally, they set the bar extremely high, looking for individuals who check off every item on the list. But that high bar often causes the hiring process to drag on since the “perfect” candidate is as easy to find as a needle in a haystack.

Why is it so difficult to find your ideal applicant? While skills and experience are extremely important for success, a resume does not paint a full picture of a candidate. People are much more than a set of skills, the degrees they’ve earned and the jobs they’ve held. Think about it in reverse: Someone could check off every item on your wish list and still turn out to be a bad hire. All the skills in the world don’t mean anything if an employee has a terrible attitude, clashes with co-workers or fails to live up to their potential.

The Perfect Employee May Not Be the Perfect Candidate

The fact of the matter is the “perfect” employee will often not look 100 percent “perfect” on paper. If you are struggling to find great people, it’s time to get realistic. Are there skills on your list of must-haves that could be moved to “preferred but not required”? Does it really matter if someone has four years of industry experience instead of five if they meet all your other criteria? Could they develop specific skills on the job if they have a commitment to learning?

When evaluating candidates, always look at the bigger picture. The right soft skills, passion and a positive attitude can make up for missing skills or experience. If a candidate doesn’t check every box on your wish list, don’t write them off – dig deeper. Learn what makes them tick and ask their references about their ability to learn new skills and work effectively as part of a group. You may discover that finding great employees isn’t quite as impossible as you once thought.

Are You Searching for the Perfect Employee?

Knowing how to balance soft skills and personality against qualifications isn’t always easy. If you’re struggling to find “perfect” candidates, put an expert recruiter on your side. At PrideStaff, we help employers improve the quality of new hires. Our team can match you with candidates who will be poised to succeed and make a positive impact over the long-term. Contact us today to get started.