New year, same shortage of talent.
If you’re still struggling to find that perfect candidate, or any candidates at all, it may benefit you to reconsider the candidates you quickly put in the ‘no’ pile once before.
Some of the best candidates for your open position may not have the traditional career and educational track you usually look for, but that doesn’t mean that the candidate is lacking the skills and work ethic to succeed. Wouldn’t you rather hire and train an employee with the drive and passion to do well? Someone who can positively represent your brand and genuinely wants to work for your organization can be more valuable than the perfect employee your company drew up in the job description.
Take another look at different career paths.
Spice up your staff! Hiring new employees with the same exact work history and educational track as everyone else on your team won’t give your business a competitive edge. Before you start hiring, think about the qualities your team is missing, and strive to find those qualities in your next employee. Consider hiring an individual from a completely different career path and train them. New points of view and different skill sets could be just what your team needs to keep moving forward.
Also keep in mind that taking a non-traditional candidate could be more cost-effective. The rare candidate who checks all of your boxes will most likely be in high demand amongst your competition, and will require a higher salary because of this.
Have a conversation with candidates who have a jumpy work history.
Another non-traditional option? Job hoppers. It’s normal to question the intentions of a candidate with a jumpy career history. However, give job hoppers a chance to explain themselves before deciding they aren’t the right fit. They may have valid and logical reasons why they chose to move on from each position.
There are currently over one million more job openings than available workers in the United States, and it’s time to get creative. Be open-minded, and reconsider those non-traditional applicants.