Very Specific Candidate Qualifications Can Blind Employers
By Cord Harper, CEO of Endeavor Agency
Many employers use parameters for candidate qualifications that are too specific. They build in their own biases to the process and often yield bad results in their hiring process.
OVERLY SPECIFIC CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
“I need an executive with at least 10 years experience in this specific niche,” the recruiter shares with me.
“Also, they need to have this credential, this certification, be a graduate of one of these business schools, direct P&L of at least $50M but not more than $100M and have Fortune 50 experience somewhere in their background. Do you have anyone in your client list who might be a fit?”
I laugh. “You must be having one heck of a time finding someone that specific.”
“I know, right!” he agrees. “It’s wild.”
Employers will often try to put so many parameters on a search to find the “perfect” candidate that they allow their internal biases to muddle the process. If they do find a candidate who meets these criteria, they often overlook many other important details and will more often make a bad hire.
It’s like putting blinders on a horse. The blinders can serve a good purpose to keep the horse focused straight ahead. But, if you pull them too tightly you end up with a blind horse.
About Endeavor Agency
Endeavor Agency is the nation’s leading company helping individual executives, VPs, senior managers, professionals, and physicians find the jobs they truly want. Our additional resources, expertise, and career change specialists help our clients uncover more and better job opportunities than what they could access on their own.
Endeavor Agency helps rebrand clients to effectively communicate their value throughout the interview process and increase their odds dramatically of winning offers. Additionally, Endeavor Agency helps clients achieve better results in negotiating the terms of their employment agreements.
Endeavor Agency also provides executive coaching, outplacement services, and business consulting services. Endeavor can also help guide executives focused on the private equity and venture capital market segments.
