If you are an employer seeking new members of your team that are excited, engaged, and ready for a long-term investment, it’s time to evaluate how you qualify a great candidate.
The only thing consistent in the world of work, is that it is always changing. The expression “Hit the Ground Running” used to be commonplace, but leaders like the COO of LinkedIn, Dan Shapero, are encouraging companies to question that model. It places more emphasis on short term rewards, rather than long term growth.
Letting go of the idea that everyone should hire experts that check every single box on the job qualification list- allows an organization to embrace a growth mindset. When an employee starts a new role, they are not only learning the daily tasks of the job, but a new company culture, hierarchy, norms, and more. Experts are saying it can take up to 18-24 months before an employee is mastering their new job, and they need encouragement along the way!
Hiring someone who is already an expert may have immediate benefits, but they may be more likely to become bored or dissatisfied sooner rather than later. When a company hires an employee for their potential, that employee will feel invested in the outcome of the business and want to prove their value to the company that gave them a chance.
So how do you start hiring with a growth mindset in mind? Start re-thinking the way you write job descriptions by prioritizing skills over requirements. Focus on the results you would like to see, and the impact you would like a potential employee to make, rather than the characteristics you think will be successful. Expanding from “requirements” to “responsibilities” for the job will open a whole entire pool of talented, qualified candidates you may have never had access to in the past. Statistics show that Men will apply to jobs even when they only meet 60% of the requirements, whereas women won’t apply unless they meet 100%. LinkedIn statistics show that employees without a 4 year degree tend to stay with a company 34% longer than employees with a degree.
More and more, we are seeing large companies reach beyond just degrees and titles to qualify candidates for their company. When you invest in people, they invest in you. What are some steps you can make to move towards more inclusive, growth focused hiring?
