Are You Hiring for Experience or Hiring for Potential?

When recruiting for a new role, it’s natural to look for someone who already has the right experience. But could focusing too heavily on the perfect CV mean you’re overlooking candidates with the potential to become some of your best employees?

In a changing recruitment market, employers may need to think differently about what makes someone the “right” candidate. Sometimes, attitude, transferable skills and a willingness to learn can be just as valuable as years of direct experience.

Does Your Candidate Really Need to Tick Every Box?

Job descriptions often contain a long list of essential skills, qualifications and experience. But how many of those requirements are genuinely essential from day one?

A candidate may not have worked in exactly the same role or sector before, but they could have transferable skills that make them an excellent fit.

Communication, problem-solving, organisation, adaptability and leadership are valuable across many different roles and industries.

Before rejecting someone because they don’t meet every requirement, ask yourself: could we teach them what they’re missing?

Experience Doesn’t Always Equal the Right Fit

Someone with ten years of experience isn’t automatically a better hire than someone with two.

Experience tells you what a candidate has done before. It doesn’t necessarily tell you how motivated they are, how quickly they’ll learn or how well they’ll work within your team.

Of course, there are roles where specific qualifications or technical experience are essential. But for many positions, widening your criteria could introduce you to candidates you might otherwise have overlooked.

Look for Potential

Potential can be harder to identify on a CV, which is why the interview process is so important.

Look beyond previous job titles and consider:

• How has the candidate progressed in previous roles?
• Can they give examples of learning something quickly?
• Do they demonstrate enthusiasm and curiosity?
• How have they adapted to new situations?
• What transferable skills could they bring to your business?

The answers can sometimes tell you far more than simply counting years of experience.

Think About What Can Be Taught

When reviewing your next vacancy, separate your requirements into two categories: what must the candidate already know, and what could they realistically learn?

Technical knowledge, systems and internal processes can often be taught with the right training and support.

Qualities such as attitude, reliability, enthusiasm and willingness to develop can be much harder to teach.

Hiring someone with potential may require a little more investment initially, but it can also give you the opportunity to develop an employee who grows with your business.

Could Your “Perfect Candidate” Look Different?

The strongest candidate isn’t always the person with the most impressive CV.

By taking a more flexible approach to recruitment and considering potential alongside experience, employers can open the door to a wider talent pool and discover people who may bring fresh ideas, different perspectives and valuable transferable skills to their teams.

So, the next time a CV lands on your desk and the candidate only ticks seven out of ten boxes, it might be worth having the conversation before moving on.

Looking to grow your team?

At First Base Employment, we look beyond the CV to understand the person behind it. If you’re recruiting and would like support finding candidates with the right skills, attitude and potential for your business, get in touch with our team.