Is there such a thing as a ‘perfect candidate’?
As a recruitment consultant, one of the most important tasks is to find the right career opportunities for people and the right people for our client’s teams .
In my day-to-day role, I screen candidates well to make sure that they have the experience, qualifications and acumen to do the job well, whilst being a good fit for the client’s organisational culture.
As you can imagine, this is a time-consuming process, as all recruitment consultant know, and there are some small doses of frustration, especially when in the pursuit of this perfect candidate. Which begs the question, is there such a thing as a perfect fit candidate?
Before we even begin the interview process, it’s likely that we’ve created a list of requirements and skills we would like the right candidate to possess.
Years in the industry and field experience are some of the common traits hiring managers often look for.
Unfortunately, there is rarely one individual who checks every single box the company prefers.
In addition, and even more important, spending hours upon hours interviewing for the perfect fit candidate leads to questions such as the one I’m posing, is there such a thing as the perfect candidate?
By scheduling interview after interview in search of the one candidate that fits the majority of the criteria, hiring managers are adding a burden to their already busy work obligations. Line Managers typically have their own job, and when they must fill an open position, they are technically adding a 2nd job to their already busy schedule.
Instead of spending weeks or months in the pursuit of the perfect fit candidate hoping for that one perfect unicorn to apply, many companies nowadays are adopting a different approach:
“the 70% Rule“ for hiring talented employees quickly and efficiently”
Based on the U.S. Marine Corps teachings, the 70% Rule says that: “You take action on any decision when you have 70% confidence in the success of the decision”.
By using the 70% Rule, hiring managers can cut the time they spend evaluating candidates in half.
In addition, it gives room for talented professionals, colleagues, and trainers to bring those 70% employees up to the 100% level they need to be to achieve greatness in that role.
Hiring for success then opens up more options within the available talent pool to hire based on aptitude to succeed in the right nurturing environment.
What are the results of this approach to recruitment?
Hiring employees who meet 70% of the requirements to perform the role of the job is a sure way to save time and money.
This method can also not only produce a short-term but also a long-term positive impact on the company.
The short-term impact is that the hiring manager will save time by reducing the number of interviews they conduct while holding out for that 100% employee.
And on the other hand, from the candidates’ perspective, the long-term impact is that those 70% of employees that are hired, are more likely to stay, thrive, and excel as they gain skills, grow, and they receive professional development.
We believe we can become more efficient in achieving the right candidates, meanwhile saving time and money by following the 70% role and giving an opportunity to candidates to excel and become that perfect candidate over time.
This is our ethos, we like to state to candidates that if you feel you have the knowledge and experience for some of the criteria, but lack knowledge in other areas, to let us know and do still apply. Adding that our clients are investing in the personal development of their employees, a willingness for training and development, accompanied with a good aptitude and attitude is key!
At Emerald Zebra recruitment consultant, we are always here to help you not only in selecting the best candidates but also in identifying new trends and ideas that will shape the job market over the years to come. Feel free to contact us to learn more about how we can assist you grow your business.
