Hiring Tip: It’s NOT About What The Candidate Lacks

Recruiters and Hiring Managers sometimes fall into the trap of hiring by elimination.

Candidate does not meet the years of experience – into the “Rejected” folder

Candidate does not have a particular skill-set – into the “Rejected” folder

Candidate does not have a Degree – into the “Rejected” folder

“No. We can’t short list this candidate because we need someone with at least 5 years of experience. He only has four.”

Sounds familiar?

By using the elimination method, we may miss out a good candidate.

I sometimes spent a fair amount of time convincing an employer-client of why a candidate is worth a chance by drawing his attention to the candidate’s overall suitability that meets the job needs and not on what he/she lacks. Years of experience and education level seem to be the two most common criteria.

The right method is to hire the candidate for what he or she has. But before you could do that, you need to know what the job needs. Once that’s established, find the candidate that has what you need. Look through the candidate’s resume – check his strengths, skills, knowledge, accomplishments and other hints of abilities (as a whole package) and benchmark that with the specific requirements of your job vacancy.

A good tip to remember:
Focus not on what the candidate lacks but what the job NEEDS.